Introduction
Low code is an alternative to traditional development that
empowers business users and professional developers to
get their apps and workflows to market faster.
Use this guide to discover what low code is, why it’s important to IT leaders, and how it can improve your business. We’ve also
included a checklist to help you choose a low-code platform that reflects your growth priorities.
Keep reading to understand what you gain when you The ability to create and deploy apps quickly
introduce low code into the development process: with greater efficiency.
More human resources flexibility with
reduced costs
A secure solution that protects your apps and
data with governance controls.
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Overcome development
obstacles with low-code.
What Is Low Code
Why Low Code Is Important to IT Leader
Create Applications that Solve Business Challenge
Choose the Right Platform with Our Low Code Checklis
Start to Build and Innovate
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Chapter 1
What is Low Code? But that doesn’t mean low-code platforms are child’s play.
In fact, even very experienced software developers love working
It's a modern approach to software with low code. Now, your enterprise can
development that utilizes little to no computer Differentiate itself from its competitor
coding. Get products and services to market faste
Reduce cost
Low code is more than a development buzzword. It's an Maximize human resource
alternative approach to traditional software development
Be more agile and adaptabl
that is visual instead of manual. With a low-code Protect sensitive dat
development platform, teams can use friendly graphical user Improve the customer experienc
interfaces (GUIs) - think “drag and drop” and “point and Accelerate digital transformation
click” - to customize apps.
Since specialized software knowledge isn't needed, business "On average, 41% of employees in an organization are
users can use clicks to support professional developers in business technologists — that is, employees who report
creating the custom applications and workflows your outside of IT departments and create technology or
customers, employees, and partners need.
analytics capabilities for internal or external business
use. LCAPs (low-code application platforms) empower
diverse fusion teams to deliver innovation.”
By bringing app development down to Earth, low code closes
the gap between IT and the rest of the business. Product Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code
Application Platforms, 20 September 2021
managers and marketers can take a more active role in app Jason Wong | Kimihiko Iijima | Adrian Leow | Akash Jain | Paul Vincent
development, for example. In turn, IT departments can
create more bandwidth for other technical priorities.
Meanwhile, the spread of software development from root to
branch can pave the way for a more profound digital Before you travel too far down the low-code path, it’s essential
transformation across the business. to understand more precisely what low code is and how it
works. An excellent place to start is with the phrase itself.
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What is the difference between low code and
no code?
If you’re researching low code, you might also come across the
terms “no code” or “zero code.” Low-code and no-code
platforms still use code. It’s just that you might not see it. With a
low-code development platform, you can see the code, but you
don’t have to write it yourself. You can drag and drop chunks of
pre-written code to add functions and features to your app
automatically. And then, if you want to, you can add custom
code on top to enhance your app and differentiate it.
By 2025, 70% of new applications developed
by enterprises will use low-code or no-code
technologies, up from less than 25% in 2020.
Gartner LCAP Report 2021
With a no-code development platform, you can neither see the
code nor customize it. Instead of the underlying programming,
you’re dragging and dropping final components — a button, for
example, or a form.
The right solution provides both your business and professional Next, we want to show you why businesses are using low code
developers with the tools they need to create apps and to accelerate their digital transformations and deliver cost-
workflows quickly. effective solutions quickly.
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Chapter 2
Why Low Code Is Important
to IT Leaders
Low code aligns IT and business
Low-code development platforms will be a $187 billion As early as 2012 McKinsey1 reported that “large IT projects run
global market by 2030, up from $10.3 billion in 2019. So if 45 percent over budget and 7 percent over time while
your organization isn't using low code yet, there's a good delivering 56 percent less value than predicted,” with “every
chance it will be soon.
additional year spent on the project increasing cost overruns by
15 percent.” The current reality sees businesses developing
One of the most exciting aspects of low code is how it more apps, more often, and on a larger scale than ever. With
democratizes software development. It bypasses complicated this in mind, companies will need a reliable tool that helps
programming languages so that even non-technical users can them meet delivery and stick to their budgets.
create applications. That makes low code compelling not only 1McKinsey, “Delivering large-scale IT projects on time, on budget, and on value,” 2012
from a tactical standpoint, but also from a strategic one. In
fact, 100% of enterprises that use them say low- and no-
code development platforms have generated positive ROI,
according to KPMG.
budget
At the end of the day, that means IT leaders can deliver more
and faster benefits to employees, partners and customers.
delivered
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Seven ways low code can transform your
development process.
1. More human resources flexibility 2. Faster speed to market
Even with the growth of low-code development platforms, With a low-code platform, you can create applications much
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees a 22% increase in faster compared to traditional software development —
software developer jobs by 2030. Demand for software sometimes in a matter of hours or even minutes.
developers is so high that there are more jobs available than
coders to fill them. In that case, low-code platforms can be a When you can create and deploy apps quickly, it means you
critical business enabler. Because there’s no coding expertise can launch new products and services ahead of your
required, virtually any employee can use low-code tools to competition. Likewise, it means you can accelerate digital
create apps.
transformation initiatives that might make your business
more intelligent, efficient, and responsive to its customers.
That means companies can be more strategic with their Companies can implement user feedback and refine
human capital, which can fortify them in competitive hiring products faster because low code allows you to iterate
markets. For example, companies can use low code to put quickly for continuous improvement.
app development in the hands of business users. That gives
IT staff the ability to tackle innovation projects that might
otherwise end up backlogged, and ensures that the business
continues to create value with apps regardless of available IT
resources.
86 %
of respondents believe that if low- or no-code approaches
were made available to business users, they could create
connected experiences that improve outcomes.
2021 MuleSoft IT and Business Alignment Barometer
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3. Greater efficiency and productivity 4. Easy collaboration and integration
The reason low code is faster than traditional software Business users are attracted to the step-by-step guidance low
development is that it's also more efficient. Low-code code gives them. From the first click to sending their finished
platforms feature automated processes to ensure precision app to the cloud, low code ensures they don't miss a thing.
and quality. That means there's less chance for human coding Along the way, they can add pre-coded processes, logic, and
error. Software developers can streamline their workflows data models with the click of a mouse. Suppose they want to
with drag and drop instead of hand-coding. Developers don't customize their app's look or function beyond what's
have to reinvent the wheel thanks to reusable templates and available? In that case, they can partner with a programmer to
prebuilt components, which are significant features of low- create and incorporate custom code that's needed.
code development platforms. This means they can complete Interoperability is built-in to low code — apps often integrate
more apps than your competitors in less time. well with enterprise data, systems, and web services. For this
reason, low-code platforms can be a technical bridge as well
as a cultural one.
5. Reduce costs
Traditional methods of building with code often take a long
Align business and IT for big benefits* time and require big-dollar investments. In 2021, Infoworld
magazine reported that even “simple consumer applications
64
built from scratch in native code take anywhere from six to
Improved collaboration 25 months (average 12 months), so simple native
applications are likely to cost about $72K to develop.”
58 Improved operational efficiency Because low code has pre-built components that are
standardized and tested out-of-the-box, this can lead to
apps with fewer bugs and integration issues. Companies
54 Better customer experience using low code can expect to spend less on app
maintenance and troubleshooting, along with the labor to
address these issues. Finally, many low-code development
platforms are cloud-based. So, companies can reduce
*MuleSoft IT and Business Alignment Barometer, 2021
spending on on-premise infrastructure, too.
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6. Deliver complex solutions with customization and integration
Low-code development platforms have many advantages over
traditional software development. But they also have at least
one leg up over their no-code siblings: customization.
Businesses can pair pre-built components with handwritten
code to create unique, customized apps that take advantage of
low code's time and cost-saving shortcuts.
$8.19M
Cost of an average data breach*
279 days
Not all business problems are solved with low-code or no-code
tools, which is why flexibility is vital. You can extend with code
and integrate with existing data as the complexity level rises.
Time needed to identify a data breach*
7. Grow with a platform that prioritizes your security
Trust and transparency are the foundations of a secure low-
code platform. When you build an app on a low-code Keep your environment secure in a work-from-
platform, the vendor has typically vetted its prebuilt code for anywhere world with low code:
vulnerabilities. Therefore they can ensure the technical quality Help everyone in your organization understand
of apps built with its tools. If the solution is cloud-based, the their role in securit
vendor typically has baked platform security into its cloud Equip your company with resources that
infrastructure to protect your apps and data. eliminate virtual vulnerabilitie
Allow IT and business to work together to find
effective ways of protecting dat
Download the IT Guide to Data Security
and Governance
* IBM, Cost of a Data Breach Report, 2021
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Chapter 3
Create Applications that
Solve Business Challenges
Low code is a flexible platform that lets you
build what the market needs.
With low code, you can take any business problem and create a
set of pages using drag-and-drop tools that directly solve your When we need fast development —-
business needs. Low-code development platforms are versatile especially mobile apps, the low-code
enough to build game-changing experiences, including: platform comes in handy. It allows the
Business Analysts with very low
Operational efficiency application development experience to customize the
Employee engagement application apps with some minor tweaking.”
Process automation application
IT Decision Maker at a Professional Services Company
Customer engagement application
Workplace application
Data management application
Line of business application The potential doesn’t end with business applications. With
Legacy modernization applications some low-code platforms, you can create everything from smart
forms to full-blown webpages. Things move fast. The market is
constantly changing, and every business is unique. The right
low-code platform helps enterprises keep up with the increasing
demands of their employees, customers, and partners. As a
result, every industry can benefit from low code.
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Financial Services
Customers expect a seamless process from opening
new accounts to getting quick support. With low
code, companies are using digital process
automation to speed up frequent customer
transactions. For example, Canada Life automated
its manual processes for their customers such as
disputing transactions or checking credit scores.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Customers require up-to-date, medical information
We use low code for a billing application which
that makes them feel safe. Low code can create tools
sends bills to customers. It's a mission-critical
application for us with frequent updates. We utilize to track vaccination rates and manage supply chain
low code to be able to deliver the features to concerns. For example, the UC Berkeley-Innovative
production quickly.” Genomics Institute used low-code to build a patient-
provider portal site to facilitate COVID vaccine
IT Decision Maker at a Utilities Customer
testing in one day.
Public Sector Communications
Standards for quality customer experience are Growing companies rely on their sales teams to
continuously being redefined for all maintain the momentum. Low code can provide
organizations, including the government. With sales reps with the customer data they need to
low code, companies can build self-service personalize interactions and win deals. And
portals for their customers to access the Vodafone did just that by providing their
information they need quickly. With a shrinking representatives with mobile access and AI that
workforce and budget, the City of Chicago reduced the time to close a deal by 12%.
created an online portal that reduced their
service calls by 70%, improving the front-end
customer experience.
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Chapter 4
Choose the Right Platform
with Our Low-Code Checklist
Seek out a flexible tool for change.
The right low-code platform needs to be easy to adopt and must have a convincing experience that gets users up to speed fast.
Before we share what to look for in a low-code platform, we should also talk about knowing when to look.
If you’re starting to see a consistent increase in the number of development requests, adopting a low-code platform could help you
prevent an IT backlog. Alternatively, suppose you anticipate a significant growth period and want to add capabilities. In that case, low
code can help your business be ready to level up.
Low-Code Platform Checklist
Understand what’s essential in a Low-Code platform.
Low-Code Feature Why You Need It
The main draw of low-code development is that it enables non-coders to
create high-quality apps and workflows fast. Appealing graphical user
Click-to-build apps
interfaces (GUIs) make application design possible for the everyday user
and workflows with prebuilt components. What’s great is that developers can even build
custom, reusable components that users can drag and drop to create more
complex applications.
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Low-Code Feature Why You Need It
Successful businesses rely on the ability to access large amounts of data
quickly. Low code lets developers embed into an application using point-and-
Data-centricity
click integration tools that help them create connected experiences faster than
ever before.
Any platform you’re considering needs to grow with you to meet future
requirements and support all possible programming languages. Additionally,
Extensibility it should be flexible enough to scale up and down based on the transaction
volume coming from the users and include built-in services for testing,
analytics, and deploying the applications.
Low-code platforms shouldn’t operate in silos. Because your apps will likely
need to import and export data from various sources, your platform must be
Integration compatible with many different data formats and many different enterprise
systems, both internal and external.
You want to deliver powerful end-user experiences. High performance
Performance means faster page load times and ensures that users can access what they
need quickly.
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Low-Code Feature Why You Need It
In industries with heavy regulatory burdens, like healthcare and financial
services, it pays to ensure that your low-code vendor has built its platform
with compliance in mind. Any platform you choose must help IT provide
the governance necessary to manage business users with smart guardrails
Governance in place. Look for role-based access controls for governing who can do
what on the platform. The platform must also help you align development
standards and handle consumer data according to national/industry
compliance standards. A robust platform makes it easy to manage your
data residency needs throughout the data life cycle and adhere to data
retention policies and regulations.
Look for enterprise-grade security to protect your apps and data from
cybersecurity threats. A secure platform can encrypt data at rest and backup
data and metadata, and easily restore to a previous state in the event of data
Privacy/Security loss or degradation. In addition, it should let you automatically log
interactions, monitor user activity, and block unsafe or undesirable insider
activity when it takes place.
Built-in, scalable automation tools and templates to help admins and
developers create intelligent workflows and streamline business processes
AI/Automation quickly. AI improves the customer experience by delivering actionable insights
and predictions. See how the best low code tools are using AI to speed up
development.
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Low-Code Feature Why You Need It
Having insights in the same place as your customer data is an advantage.
All business stakeholders, especially those in data science and strategy
roles, want solid out-of-the-box reporting, dashboard, and notification
Analytics capabilities. Ensure that you can display data using a variety of
visualization options for your customer and business data. Ideally, look for
a solution that offers lightweight reporting for most business users and the
ability to tap into more complex visualizations for data professionals.
Which features matter the most?
You know your business and what your customers, employees, and partners need better than anyone. The features that matter most
are those that move your business forward. You may not need every feature and functionality, but any platform you’re considering
should be able to work with the systems you already have.
The app landscape is evolving quickly. To ensure that your apps remain relevant, stable, and secure, seek partners with a large
customer base and a long track record. These are indicators of continued platform investment and future business viability.
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Chapter 5
Start to Build and Innovate
Low code delivers lots of inspiration, but that only happens
Low code embraces innovation
after you’ve chosen the right platform to fit your company’s
needs. The ideal framework provides these key features:
Free up your teams to think about the experience they want
to deliver rather than worry about how they’ll build it. Apps
and workflows built primarily on native code often prove Performance — a fast, responsive user experiences
challenging to change or update over time. Yet, businesses
need to pivot quickly without breaking much code. You can Click to build apps and workflows(drag-and-drop
inspire your business and professional developers to innovate tools)
and create the experiences they need by providing them with
a low-code platform. Low code that extends to custom code
Integration with your data and systems
Low code made the development time much
faster, because we don't have to have these Security, privacy, and governance controls
handoffs between IT and users. But most
importantly, it really helped us boost adoption AI and low-code automation tools to streamline
because the customer success reps knew we
complex workflows quickly
could personalise the system in the way they
wanted. It felt like they were co-creating it
with us." Analytics
Software specialist at Autodesk
Support for common third-party development
A robust, Low-Code platform builds the web and mobile FIND YOUR PLATFORM
applications your business needs to grow without requiring
any compromises to security, scalability, or creativity.
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