Many SMEs are still sceptical about digitization measures. Why this is the case and how low-code can change this
“Even the longest journey begins with the first step” – what Confucius described thousands of years ago still applies today. Especially for the path of digital transformation.
Many organizations and companies are aware that they need to do this. However, there is still a lack of clarity or skepticism as to the best way to do this.
In search of the happy medium
Obviously, many SMEs fear that the costs of comprehensive digitalization could be too high. Some are convinced that they will not be
Now the question arises: Are these assessments justified?
Low-code – more than just a technical term
Word is increasingly getting around that low-code is not just a “technical term”, but an effective means of implementing your own digitalization strategy more quickly and easily.
Why is that so? Low-Code offers six “pillars” that can support the success of your company: Features that make it easier for you to create applications.
Pillar 1: Configuration
Low-code platforms have a graphical user interface. This can be used to easily combine prefabricated elements. This helps both the user without programming knowledge and the professional developer. Even complex applications can be implemented with little programming (low-code). For additional functionalities that are not supported by configurative elements, the application can also be supplemented with individual native program code.
The aforementioned fear of many companies that their employees do not have sufficient digitalization skills can therefore be countered. This is because even users without IT expertise – empowered by low-code platforms – can independently adapt individual components of existing applications (apps) generated with low-code.
With the appropriate level of experience, they can even create their own applications independently and make them productively available to other users with the support of IT.
This relieves the development department and saves time and costs.
Pillar 2: Integration
Almost 80% of all digitalization projects fail due to integration into existing IT system landscapes. These are very fragmented in most companies. Often, other “single point solutions” are also in use, which have been purchased by various divisions in order to be able to use a suitable solution to optimize their individual processes.
However, the corresponding disadvantage is obvious: the company’s IT department must also manage these “third-party solutions” and attempt to integrate them into the existing IT landscape. However, this is usually a difficult undertaking, as only IT-tested and fully integrable (compatible) software facilitates the IT processes in the company as a whole. Integrating existing data sources into third-party systems is often complicated, time-consuming and expensive.
Using data from connected systems (e.g. SAP) gives your business applications significant added value.
Pillar 3: Reusability
When creating mobile applications, speed and flexibility are paramount. Low-code platforms support this by working with reusable elements.
What does this mean in concrete terms? It is possible to create widgets, plug-ins and other templates that are not only used by one end user, but by the entire company – as often as desired.
Existing application templates can therefore be used as a starting point and adapted to individual requirements at any time. Based on this, the end user can create their own library of elements such as tables, buttons and entire login forms.
This means that applications are created much faster and can be put into production more quickly. In addition, the effort for maintenance and optimization is significantly reduced.
Reusability is also very important when creating business logic. Reusable processes are defined by dividing them into individual user stories. These can be worked on in parallel by several developers.
Reusability also plays a role in integration: required data sources are quickly and easily integrated into the processes via ready-made interfaces (connectors). Once these connectors have been created, they can also be used in any number of applications.
Pillar 4: Uniform code quality
Software development is often something of a race against time. In many cases, this means stress, missed deadlines, possibly poor quality – and dissatisfied customers as a result. Errors are particularly common in the manual creation of program code. There is also often a lack of standardized and clean documentation to keep the traceability of the programmed software transparent.
In addition, as soon as several different developers work together on the code of an application, it can become confusing, as each developer has a different approach to writing code. In many cases, it is not easy to untangle the different code of all team colleagues afterwards. This is because coders are artists – everyone has their own approach and their own logic for solving a problem through programmed software. Accordingly, undocumented procedures can only be understood by other developers with great effort. For the same reason, maintenance and expandability are not always easy to handle.
In the event of maintenance, errors can be identified much faster and rectified more quickly by adapting the graphical configuration logic.
Pillar 5: Resource efficiency
Nowadays, companies have the problem that the market does not always provide suitable IT experts and developers. They need special developer skills for various versions of an application. One example of this is the development of an application for Android and one for IOS devices. In very few cases are there developers who specialize in both. In this case, if both are to be supported, you will need two different programmers in your development team. You will therefore have to find another solution.
Added to this is the challenge that growing demands from customers and specialist departments are making application development projects increasingly complex. Both specialist departments and customers from the private sector are used to using mobile applications (apps), which allow them to act quickly and easily. Understandably, they also expect this in their day-to-day business when it comes to using business or enterprise apps.
Since the technical complexity of low-code platforms is much lower than that of conventional programming methods and they usually also support mobile apps, such applications can be created more easily.
The available resources and budget are used optimally by employees from the specialist departments using their respective knowledge of processes and their technical understanding in a profitable way. You are involved in creating the application.
The positive consequences:
- not all existing IT resources have to be tied up, i.e. IT does not necessarily have to be involved in all processes during application development, because,
- Because the colleagues from the specialist departments know what challenges exist in their departments, this knowledge can be incorporated into the application development -> the result is an even more targeted solution that is better tailored to the user!
Of course, this depends on the right “onboarding”. In order to ensure this, the relevant employees from specialist departments are enabled by the low-code providers through training, online tutorials and documentation to independently co-design parts of the application (UI and processes) or to adapt or expand existing applications.
Pillar 6: Cost savings
Around 60% of all classic software projects fall outside the previously defined framework – primarily for cost reasons. Therefore, realistic planning is required from the outset. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Integration into existing systems and subsequent adjustments to the applications (change request) are usually particularly expensive.
In comparison, the use of low-code platforms offers significant savings potential in terms of costs, e.g. through faster development and minimized integration efforts. Machines, systems and sensors can be connected more easily through configuration rather than coding.
Thanks to the configurative approach, smaller change requests can be easily carried out by the specialist departments themselves.
As technically skilled employees can generally participate in the creation of applications using low-code platforms, even if they are not appropriately trained IT specialists, costs are also saved, as expensive external specialists no longer need to be purchased for development “bottlenecks”. This can significantly reduce additional costs.
Conclusion
Many of the fears that (medium-sized) companies have when it comes to digitalization can be allayed with low-code platforms.
High costs are reduced simply because employees from the specialist departments can support their IT colleagues in the creation of applications. The configurative approach of low-code makes this possible.
The concern that applications created with low-code platforms cannot be adapted or extended to new circumstances at a later date is also unfounded. Low-code platforms make it possible to subsequently expand existing applications and adapt them to new requirements.
Another problem that can be solved with the help of low-code platforms is the concern of many companies that their employees do not have sufficient digitalization skills: Low-code platforms are usually easy and intuitive to use thanks to their graphical user interface. With appropriate training from the provider, employees who have a minimum level of technical understanding can be enabled to create parts of applications in a relatively short time.
For SMEs in particular, this means that they can tackle digitalization without hesitation – low-code platforms are the key to success.
