Optimizing Web Development Lifecycles with Low Code Application Platforms

Low code business solutions have risen in popularity for a good reason; the current shortage of talent is by no means a new problem and the pandemic exacerbated the issue. Low-code and no-code solutions are tools that automate certain tasks in the development lifecycle; optimizing workflows.

What are Low Code/No Code Solutions?

What is low code development?

Low-code is a visual approach to software development that expedites the delivery of the final product. As a result, your organization can develop feature-rich business solutions that meet your needs by automating simple manual tasks and continuous collaboration.

Low code solutions have incredible potential for non-developers and developers alike. Companies suddenly realize how they can reduce the cost of IT and create new software in shorter development cycles. Garter predicts that over half of medium-to-large enterprises will use a low-code application as part of their platform.

What is Low Code Automation?

Low-code solutions use APIs to shorten the software development cycle. The practice of using APIs converges well in this setting; both simplify time-consuming processes and accelerate development, making APIs an essential ingredient for low-code apps.

Most of these platforms let you pull data from other apps through:

Prebuilt APIs

Low-code platforms often have prebuilt APIs for popular applications to choose from, such as popular payment gateways, CRMs, ERPs, social media sign-ons, Google Suite, external databases, bookkeeping applications, and more. In addition, the integration process is usually straightforward, allowing you to set up and authorize third-party apps in a few minutes.

Custom Integrations

These solutions let you integrate your app on a low-code platform with any third-party app, even if you don't have a prebuilt solution included. You can usually use these platforms to create connections between your app and others with several well-defined steps. After integration, the app can make API calls and pull the data it needs to function.

Benefits of Low Code Application Platforms (LCAP)

Low-code app development offers several benefits that make it easier for those with limited experience to build business applications.

Collaborative App Development

High-code platforms require specialized skills that differently-skilled team members may struggle to collaborate on. With a low-code visual design, any team member can see clearly how an app's functions are mapped out. Visual design tools give developers an intuitive map for each member to understand their tasks and how their roles fit in the overall workflow.

Improves Agility

Business agility lets companies adapt to market changes with innovative solutions. Low code allows enterprises to pivot to new initiatives that arise from abrupt market changes. For example, you can build cloud applications that connect with legacy systems to help respond to your customers' evolving needs.

Speeding Up Development Cycles

Low code enterprise solutions lower innovation barriers; even people without coding experience can create digital products. Imagine what experienced developers can achieve with the same technology: flawless, feature-rich outcomes with visually perfect designs created in minutes rather than weeks.

Reduced Cost

Because you can build more apps in less time than ever, you'll spend less on each project. The right platform gives everyone in the organization the ability to become more productive.

Leverage Multiexperience

Multiexperience development offers easy chatbots, automated refactoring, and prebuilt templates to ensure your customers can reach your business in consistent ways. Allow your users to transition between each method of interaction without having to duplicate steps by leveraging low-code multiexperience, removing the complexity otherwise involved in creating an optimal customer experience.

Limitations and How to Overcome Them

Though there is a clear value proposition in using low-code solutions, the typical platform has a few significant trade-offs to overcome:

You might get backed into a corner

At first, the low-code tool meets your project scope requirements. However, as more requests for enhancement come in, it becomes impossible to achieve every request with the device you chose. Of course, all platforms have their limits, but it's essential to provide developers with comprehensive tools to help them meet unknown requirements not in the original scope.

Low-code apps are hard to debug

Debugging in low-code platforms is a twofold problem; the front-end and the back-end code have different debugging implications. Therefore, it is necessary to test your apps during the development cycle consistently, integrating your chosen platform with your favorite debugger, such as Chrome DevTools.

Developers often think of low-code platforms as "resume killers"

Developers often worry that using proprietary visual platforms won't advance their career, so they oppose adopting it into the business' arsenal. However, basing apps on open technologies like JavaScript, Node.js, React, and get allows developers to keep building their resumes instead of staying confined to non-coding skill sets. Properly integrating low code platforms should augment developers rather than replace them.

How to Choose a Low-Code Integration Platform?

When looking for the best low-code platform for your enterprise, there are several vital features to consider:

• User Interface: Ask whether your customers will enjoy the app's interface; is it comfortable and intuitive to use?

• Configurating Tools and Settings: Ensure the platform has the configuration settings necessary to let your employees independently manage applications. Beyond an intuitive interface, a good platform allows access to authentication, permissions, and the database.

• Customizable Ready-Made Templates: Check if the tool comes with ready-made templates if you intend to automate company processes. Prebuilt templates reduce the risk involved in choosing a particular system.

• Mobile-Friendly:Does the application work without glitches on mobile device? Your employees shouldn't need to develop the platform any further to make it work.

• Functionality: Compile your employees' tasks, such as inputting data into a database, processing documents, or filling out questionnaires, and ensure the platform can support these functionalities. Some essential functionalities include electronic signatures and form designers.

• Training Programs: Is there a comprehensive training program included with the platform? Employees must know how to develop applications with this solution, so it is necessary to have a lesson plan set aside to learn the main product.

• Technical Support: Is the technical support functional? A good low-code platform has proper technical support.

• Cloud Infrastructure: Can you deploy this platform to the cloud to further expedite app release?

Low Code Integration Platforms to Consider

Microsoft PowerApps

PowerApps leverages Office 365 and Microsoft products to build complex solutions for web browsers and mobile apps. It's an intuitive platform that even non-developers can use to create custom apps, accelerating the lifecycle of building custom business apps. This can also be integrated with the many different products that Microsoft offers.

Salesforce Lightning

The global leader in CRM, Salesforce Lightning, offers innovative tools such as Lightning Object Creator, Lightning Flow Builder, Lightning Flow Actions, and Smarter Recommendations. All of which have been designed to equip businesses with easy-to-use tools for low code projects. Lightning is a component-based framework designed to simplify business processes. You can customize the interface based on your branding, including custom colors and logos.

SAP Integration Suite

This platform contextualizes data and processes while using prebuilt integration packs to deliver new business outcomes with less involvement required. The benefit of this toolkit is its impressive ability to help you build and connect to APIs without using vast amounts of code. It even comes with various out-of-the-box integrations for you to work with.

Offering capabilities in Cloud integrations and API management, it enables APIs to be managed and utilized within a low code setting. Overall it makes low code API development a breeze.

Amazon Honeycode

Amazon Honeycode assists with customer pipelines, project management, resource tracking, and other operations. Developers can use dialogue boxes to create an integrated app and even automate manual steps throughout the development lifecycle.

Multichannel capable, Honeycode allows a team to work from anywhere on any device. Users can create custom features, such as notifying team members automatically with reminders to take action or of any updates.

Developers Aren’t Obsolete

Low code solutions are a significant way for enterprises to improve their workflows. If embraced, automating specific tasks can help expedite development lifecycles and reduce costs. Though it might require minimal coding and experience, it is still wise to make sure any development project is overseen by a reputable web development team. They will ensure proper customization of front-end interfaces and application integration. Low code/no code makes it easier than ever to minimize the development lifecycle of creating flexible apps for specific tasks. Whether it be a business team or a development team, the capabilities and benefits of this platform can’t be ignored.