Organizations have often struggled with the “building vs. buying” decisions at the time of digitizing their business processes. While the build option has been highly preferred, there are a lot of downsides, like constant change and maintenance requirements, long wait times, and higher costs. On the other hand, buying options mean that businesses adopt a readymade solution, thus, keeping the time-to-market short and the cost low.

The solution to this debate lies in the use of low-code platforms — which is becoming prevalent by the day. In fact, low-code applications have become the first choice of technology for a host of modern businesses. According to Gartner, over 70% of new applications will be developed using low or no-code technologies by 2025.

In this article, let us take a look at

• What is a low-code platform? 
• Why is it useful to leverage low-code platforms for digital transformation?
• How low-code platforms help in achieving digital transformation goals

What Is a Low-Code Platform?

Low-code platform provides a software development environment where applications can be developed without any coding requirements. It was initially created to aid non-technical users with limited resources and functionalities. But today, low-code platforms can be used for high-end business application development while enabling accelerated delivery and reducing costs. With low code, users can create business workflows, forms, custom user applications, data collection applications, dashboards, and transactional systems that accelerate enterprise digital transformation.

Why Leverage Low-Code Platforms for Digital Transformation?

Since digital transformation is the need of the hour, it is important to identify the best way to move forward. The two most common ways to approach digital transformation are delegation to the internal IT department or hiring third-party vendors. Both approaches increase long-term dependency on staff and may overhaul entire business operations. 

The best approach here is to adopt low-code platforms, as they provide better scalability and customization flexibility and are cost-effective. Low-code platforms enable business users with little or no coding experience to develop applications and solutions. With their simple drag-and-drop integrations, easy-to-use interface, and easy-to-follow process, digital solutions can be built or enhanced with minimal time and effort. Incorporating this agility contributes to accelerating the digital transformation journey of your business.

How Low-Code Platforms Help in Achieving Digital Transformation Goals?

• Fast Visual Development: Since low-code platforms can be used by anyone regardless of technical expertise, they can speed up the process significantly. Developers, as well as non-developers, can build front-end apps and functional prototypes and test them to create fully functional applications.

• Democratizing Application Development: There is an increased demand for business-related applications. However, due to a lack of technical personnel in the organization, it gets challenging to develop and deliver digital solutions at a fast pace. With the easy interface of low-code, semi-technical or even non-technical users can create high-quality applications, workflows, and automation processes. In this manner, citizen developers can increase business value while freeing up IT departments to manage more complex issues.

• Improved Scalability: Most organizations have huge project backlogs due to extended delivery times. Low-code development can help speed up the development process with pre-built user interface elements, custom logic, and integrations. Moreover, low code can connect to multiple sources and scale the applications for thousands of customers or extend the application across the entire organization.

• Cost-Effective Solution: Low-code platforms allow businesses to save costs that would have otherwise been spent on conventional development. The companies can eliminate the need to hire skilled IT resources for application development. The easy scalability eliminates the need to build applications to full capacity right from the beginning. This reduces development costs drastically, making low-cost development a cost-effective solution to drive digital transformation goals.

• Easy Data Integration: Since data is one of the most critical driving factors for the future growth of an organization, it is essential to get the maximum value out of existing data systems. Low-code tools can be highly customized and allow for the creation of goal-specific applications easily. These apps can be connected quickly to legacy applications via API connectors. This enables teams to connect with existing enterprise software such as ERP, CRM, and databases through modern apps and get the most out of their legacy investments.

• Increases Speed to Market: Digital transformation is all about being dynamic in the present scenario. It is essential to keep updated with modern trends, new product and service rollouts, and increasing competition to win the digital game. Low-code development helps in achieving this goal by accelerating the app development process and ensuring that applications are built faster and with minimal errors. It allows businesses to roll out customized apps to the market easily and quickly.

• Easy Lifecycle Management of Applications: Low-code platforms help in managing all stages of the application lifecycle development, deployment, monitoring, and maintenance in real time. End-to-end application management helps in keeping up with the speed and scale of digital transformation. Even when organizations lack the required staff and resources to build digital initiatives, low-code development practices can meet these needs easily.

• Improved Employee Productivity: Increasing the productivity of employees is one of the primary goals of digital transformation initiatives. This is only possible when the users are equipped with tools that enable them to improve work performance. Low code enables business users to build their applications without relying on IT. The employees can focus on business requirements while developing the application and make real-time changes according to the feedback. This provides more freedom to employees and, thereby, increases their efficiency and productivity.

The Future of Digital Transformation with Low-code

Whether it is the beginning of your digital transformation journey or you are already in the midst of it, it is a wise decision to consider low-code platforms to aid the transformation process. Low-code platforms enable business users to play an active role in the process, drive the transformation, and make a difference in ensuring that all the related initiatives reach fruition.

Is your business ready to digitally transform itself? Contact us to create a digital excellence experience to stay ahead of the competition.