Democratising software development with Low-Code No-Code

Samir Chitkara, Head of Application Development, Credit Corp Group

Samir Chitkara, Head of Application Development, Credit Corp Group

Investment in technology across organisations has never been higher, especially in the post-pandemic world, but the supply of tech talent hasn't been able to keep pace. Software outsourcing has helped organisations to scale and acquire highly experienced developers on the team, but, we are still way behind the demand curve.

What we need is a robust and reliable solution that enables organisations to broaden the software delivery pool and to swiftly deploy enterprise-wide solutions.

I believe that the solution lies in embracing Low-Code No-Code development platforms. This is not a new concept. In 1987, Apple released HyperCard, a Low-Code programming tool. It gained some momentum, but the project got lost in many other bigger Apple projects to be discontinued in 1998.Almost two decades later, the concept of Low-Code resurfaced.Low-Code development platforms have been developed to allow for rapid application development with minimal hand-coding using reusable, pre-built components for common tasks and configurations to support required customisations.

The latest FAD on this track is the No-Code platform which aims at democratising software development with its point-and-click orchestration of UX, business process, business rules, built-in database support with single click application deployment without the need to write a single line of code!This concept allows a wider range of people to contribute to the development of an application rather than depending on software engineers.

No-Code platforms enables business users to translate their ideas into working software while Low-Code platforms equip software engineers in swifter software delivery.Gartner forecasts 65% of App development to be Low-Code by 2025. With large software giants providing platforms for Low-Code / No-Code development and support from the IT industry the democratisation of software development is inevitable with Citizen-Developers taking the lead.

Like any new emerging trend, early adopters of Low-Code No-Code platforms will reap the benefits.I believe that organisations must embrace this new movement to stay ahead of the competition.CIOs have this huge responsibility of taking the entire organisation on an exciting journey and implementing suitable IT strategy including Tools, Frameworks, Governance, Training and Support for the new paradigm.With the growing popularity of these platforms, there is no dearth of Enterprise-level vendors including OutSystems, PEGA, Appian, Mendix to name a few besides the familiar and established ones like – Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle.

Selecting the right vendor/platform is crucial to the success of their IT strategy. It is imperative to identify the platforms that align with the skills set of the end-users and the organisation’s long-term vision.In addition, the CIOs need to assess key platform capabilities such as - UX Design, Business Rules, Workflows, Integration, and the organisation’s ecosystem.Platform Governance and Security must be at top of the CIOs list because there are growing concerns over Low-Code development platform security and compliance, especially for Apps that use consumer data. There can be concerns over the security of Apps developed quickly and may lack due governance leading to compliance issues. Due considerations must also be made for the platform’s Licence model, Total Cost of Ownership, the vendor's capability to support and align with the organisation’s vision.

No-Code Platforms Enables Business Users To Translate Their Ideas Into Working Software While Low-Code Platforms Equip Software Engineers In Swifter Software Delivery

There are apprehensions. Some CIOs have expressed concerns that adopting the new platforms could lead to unsupported applications built by shadow IT teams. While this is a genuine concern, it can be addressed by implementing a comprehensive strategy around governance, training, support and involving developers as well as Citizen-Developers in the overall journey.

The sceptics may have their views, but I believe that this paradigm shift is a boon and allows us to harness the untapped potential within business teams to gain a competitive advantage. The benefits of reduced development cost and rapid software development are too hard to ignore. However, traditional development will not completely disappear as Low-Code No-Code development may not be apt for all software needs such as mission-critical, high-performant, complex enterprise requirements.

My recommendations will be – acknowledge the need for Low-Code No-Code platforms, obtain buy-in from the ExCo, select the right tools that support the long-term vision of the organisation, get the governance and compliance in place, provide the ecosystem, ensure that the staff is trained, create a culture of collaboration and democratise software development with citizen developers.... and that shall lead the business soaring ahead of the competition!