Are you thinking about establishing a low-code platform in your company, but can’t decide due to the large selection of solutions and providers?
In this blog post, we explain why you should make your choice carefully and provide you with a guide to the criteria you should evaluate when making your decision – so that you ultimately invest in a low-code platform that will help you in the long term!
A shorter time-to-market, capacity bottlenecks in the IT department or the desire for more flexibility on the market: the reasons for implementing a low-code platform are many and varied. In any case, at some point companies are faced with the all-important question: Which platform is right for me?
ROI, acceptance, vendor lock-in: why you should invest wisely
However, this decision is not so easy due to the numerous providers and solutions available. In our partner webinar “Setting the right course – How to find the low-code platform that will really help you in the long term“, low-code expert Dr. Christian Straube from adesso Schweiz AG explains why it is extremely important to consider a wide range of criteria when making your choice. After all, the investment in a low-code platform should also offer real added value.
Profitability as a success factor
The recurring fees that companies pay for the use of a low-code platform include extensive services. Specifically, this is often either a ‘Software as a Service (SaaS)’ or alternatively a ‘Platform as a Service (PaaS)’ model. For the return on investment (ROI) to be achieved quickly, companies must also make full use of the services offered with the platform. “If the low-code platform is not actually used as a platform, the cost/benefit calculation is usually negative,” explains Christian Straube.
It doesn’t work without employee acceptance
The use of a low-code platform democratizes software development. This means that more users are able to develop applications. “This requires clean governance, which is sometimes challenging. It won’t work at all without acceptance within the company,” emphasizes Christian Straube. The IT department must therefore set limits for citizen developers without restricting their creativity too much. For this to succeed, a high level of employee acceptance is essential.
A long-term commitment needs to be carefully considered
Last but not least, the introduction of a new technology is also associated with long-term commitment – keyword: vendor lock-in. Before companies invest in a new solution, they should therefore evaluate its suitability carefully. The advantage of low-code technology is that companies can quickly determine whether the platform meets the relevant requirements thanks to rapid application development.
Five key questions that companies should ask themselves during the selection process
When it finally comes to the selection process, it is important that representatives from both the specialist departments and the IT department are involved in the decision-making process. This is the only way to unleash the full potential. The following five questions help to collect all requirements and ideas together in order to ultimately select the right low-code platform.
- For what purpose should the low-code platform be used?
There are basically three typical areas of application: The optimization of inefficient, manual and paper-based processes, the modernization of organically grown IT landscapes and the provision of digital experience with the shortest time-to-market. The first step is to focus on your individual area of application. - What goals do I want to achieve with a low-code platform?
Shorter time-to-market, increased employee satisfaction or greater internal efficiency: think carefully in advance about which goals are most important to you when introducing a low-code platform. At this point at the latest, ask yourself whether you only want to digitize workflow-centric processes or whether you actually want to use the comprehensive functions of a low-code platform for the development of web and mobile apps. - Who are the users of the platform – keyword: Citizen Development?
Before you decide on a low-code platform, you should determine who the users (no-coders, low-coders and/or pro-coders) of the platform are and what technical expertise they should have. Based on this, you can decide which platform is suitable for your desired form of citizen development. - What influence does your IT strategy and landscape have?
With regard to the existing IT systems and the overarching strategy, there are a few more questions that need to be clarified: Cloud or on-premise? Requirements in terms of scalability? Prefabricated ERP interfaces? What roles and capabilities are there? How does the release cycle work? Ideally, you should draw up a detailed catalog of requirements so that you get the best cost-benefit ratio from your chosen low-code platform. - Does the provider’s corporate culture suit my company?
The personal level of a business relationship should not be underestimated. Of course, tastes are different. To maintain the same level of expectation, it is important that your chosen platform provider also fits in with your company’s corporate culture.
However, you do not have to face these questions alone. If you are still at the beginning of your selection process and would like to consult an expert, arrange a meeting now a meeting with Dr. Christian Straube from adesso Schweiz AG. He will support you in finding the most suitable platform for your use case.
