You no longer need to be a professional developer to create software and applications. Thanks to low-code and no-code platforms, it is now possible to rapidly create applications by writing very few, if any, lines of code.
In recent years, companies have seen the emergence of new ways of working, driven by the increasing digitalisation of business practices and processes. These new needs have led to the development of a number of ‘no-code’ or ‘low-code’ platforms.
The concept behind these platforms is to enable users with little or no development experience to create applications. The best-known solutions include Applian, Google, Salesforce, Mendix and WordPress, but more and more companies are now providing low-code platforms. These are sometimes referred to as no-code platforms, as they do not require any lines of code to create applications or software.
Low code is based on a constant desire for simplified development
It’s hard to date the start of low-code development, but it is thought that since the creation of the first computer languages, the aim has always been to simplify web development tools to make them more accessible. As far back as the 1990s, Microsoft launched Visual Basic, an easy-to-use language for creating graphical applications.
The emergence of visual programming languages led to the development of low code, enabling companies to create websites and applications without having to write code. Before the creation of no-code tools, companies found it difficult to recruit professional developers.
Developers were often overbooked, and their scarcity allowed them to demand high salaries. The arrival on the market of these innovative tools with their simple user interface has democratised the profession of web developer.
Simple user interfaces for creating business applications
Low-code platforms offer simple user interfaces that enable you to develop websites, business applications and mobile applications with a minimum number of lines of code. These platforms often work using an interface made up of blocks that can be arranged as you wish by simply dragging and dropping. Thanks to these platforms, companies have seen the development of new profiles within their teams… Citizen developers”, or business users, are often the opposite of professional developers. They have only a basic knowledge of coding but, thanks to no-code applications, will be able to develop their own applications while respecting the standards set by the company’s IT department.
Low-code / no-code solutions allow citizen developers to customise graphical interfaces, or to use blocks in libraries to create personalised business applications.
More available and less expensive than professional developers, they are often closer to business skills than IT professionals. As a result, they are able to produce applications that are closer to the needs of their clients. The emergence of Citizen Developers has enabled IT departments to refocus their activities on more technical tasks, thereby boosting productivity.
Low-code tools: key ingredients for digital transformation
Since the 2000s, the advent of digital transformation and the need for businesses to develop rapidly have encouraged the development of low-code platforms. With the help of citizen developers, the web has become accessible to small and medium-sized businesses, which have taken advantage of the opportunity to raise their profile.
The ability to create low-cost websites has enabled them to promote their offerings, but these companies have also been able to test the validity of their new products by creating simple mobile applications.
Thanks to low-code software, it is now possible to create a website or application using a simple drag-and-drop technique. The creation of a website or mobile application is now within everyone’s reach.
The success of low-code platforms powered by Covid-19
According to a report by Mendix, a subsidiary of Siemens and a leader in the low-code market, 75% of IT professionals say they cannot do without low-code tools… According to the Mendix study, the pressure on businesses to go even further in their digital transformation has led to great enthusiasm among IT professionals for innovative solutions and different ways of working.
The global Covid-19 epidemic has also reinforced the need for businesses to be able to access their data remotely. In particular, low-code tools have enabled employees to have a clear overview of the data and business tools they need from anywhere with an internet connection.
The advantages of low code: speed, consistency and productivity
With the development of low-code platforms, companies have discovered homogeneous tools that enable them to give the same architecture and structure to all their applications. Easy to operate, these platforms reduce the margins of error that can be found in traditional lines of code. By spending less time on programming, Citizen Developers can concentrate more on the quality of the website or mobile application they are developing.
This increase in quality and productivity also means that they can work faster, making them more competitive and responsive, which adds value to the company. Finally, the ability to test the feasibility of ideas in just a few days means that companies can develop high-quality products that meet their customers’ needs more precisely.
The limits of low-code platforms
While the adoption of no-code tools is growing, they still face a number of reservations on the part of IT directors.
Firstly, no-code platforms are sometimes seen as limited in terms of creativity. Indeed, although they are easy to use, they often offer similar blocks of content, which does not allow companies to really personalise their creations and stand out from the crowd.
Similarly, their integration can sometimes be limited and it is often impossible to modify the application’s source code. As a result, low-code tools cannot necessarily be integrated with other software. Secondly, many suppliers of low-code platforms force their customers to use their platforms exclusively, using complicated code or locking applications when the tool is no longer in use. Producing an application using low-code software means tying it to the tool for life.
We should also add that using low-code platforms can be particularly expensive. To use low-code tools, you generally have to pay a monthly subscription fee that depends on the number of users and the features you want.
With this in mind, it is vital to identify your company’s needs in advance and to clearly define the number of users who will have access to the platform.
So using a low-code platform is not the answer to all a company’s development problems. It only applies to simple development projects, and the services of a specialist developer will be more qualitative for large-scale projects or the development of applications or websites for customers.
