Enterprise Low-Code – The Time is NOW!

Kieran Holmes
FastTrack Recognised Solution Architect
Capgemini UK

João Zorro
Head of Microsoft Apps and Cloud Engineering
Capgemini UK
AGENDA
1 What is Enterprise Low-Code?

2 Why do I need an Enterprise Low-Code Platform?

3 Fusion Apps – The Best of Both Worlds

4 How do I get started?

5 Key Takeaways
WHAT IS
ENTERPRISE
LOW-CODE?
ENTERPRISE LOW-CODE

GARTNER’S MAGIC QUADRANT FOR ENTERPRISE

“No-Code” + LOW-CODE APPLICATION PLATFORMS

”Low-Code” +
”Enterprise Characteristics” = Enterprise Low-code

Enterprise Grade
Enterprise Grade
Enterprise Grade Extensibility and
Performance and
Governance Development
Scalability
Capabilities

Enterprise Grade Enterprise Grade

Artificial Intelligence
Integration Security
ENTERPRISE LOW-CODE:
BEYOND VISUAL DEVELOPMENT, AIMING AT THE IMPACT ZONE
ENTERPRISE LOW-CODE

LOW-CODE APPS FUSION CODE APPS (LOW-CODE + PRO-CODE )

Business Impact
Level of Complexity

▪ Standalone low-code apps can ▪ Rising complexity causes the implicit need Enterprise Low-Code comes into play for complex,
provide productivity tools or simple for governance, compliance and security mission critical scenarios, core systems and
business solutions
(e.g., requirements, end-user feedback, sprint processes with major impacts on business, possibly
▪ Little or no governance, compliance backlogs, data privacy) with high complexity and organization wide usage.
or security setup needed They exceed standalone low-code apps in every
▪ This point of complexity restricts being solved
▪ Citizen developers can do that job by a low-code app only dimension.
THE MATURITY OF ENTERPRISE LOW-CODE PLATFORMS
Not all enterprise-low code platforms have the same level of maturity

Examples of maturity features:

Deployment
Support Complex API Management Compliance with options
Data Structures Maturity Industry Standards

Scalable Complex
AI-Assisted
Application Information
Development
Architecture Security Structures
LOW-CODE –
A VISUAL APPROACH TO APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT
Low-code Platforms enable enterprises to develop and deliver business applications through a
visual development experience
Pro-Coding Experience Low-Code Visual Development Experience
Java,
.NET, C#,
JavaScript,
LOW CODE | NO CODE
Python
…

Unlike traditional Pro-Code programming, Low-Code Platforms refer to the software used for developing business applications with
little/no coding skills. They offer key features like:

Visual & Model Driven Dev Collaborative Experience Components Assembly Cloud Native Multi Experience Lifecycle Automation

▪ Drag, Drop & Connect ▪ Cross-functional Collaboration ▪ UI components & flows ▪ One click deployment ▪ Web experience ▪ Dev to Ops Automation
▪ Visual Modeling ▪ Agile Project Management ▪ Data Models and Integration ▪ Any cloud – private, multi ▪ Mobile made easy ▪ Deploy & Rollback
▪ Pixel perfect ▪ In-App feedback Management ▪ Microservices ▪ Containerization ▪ Conversational, Immersive ▪ Dependencies
▪ WISIWYG ▪ Apps portfolio visualization ▪ Connectors and APIs ▪ App scalability, reliability & ▪ Multi devices & form factors ▪ Version Control
▪ Live Debug and Preview ▪ Business Flows & Processes security ▪ Offline apps ▪ Portfolio health
▪ Ready to use templates ▪ Market Places & Communities ▪ UI & apps security
WHY?
Why should I have an enterprise low-code platform
as part of my digital strategy?
ENTERPRISE LOW-CODE: MAIN USE CASES

Digital Transformation App Modernisation Operations Excellence

70%* 75%** 123% ***

By 2025 70% of new 75% of Legacy applications can be 62% development lifecycle
applications will be using Modernized with enterprise low- velocity increase for new
enterprise code applications

33% of engineers’ time is 123% increase in productivity

More than 500 million of apps dedicated to tech debt
will be on the cloud by 2023

* Gartner ** Microsoft *** Appian

LOW-CODE – THE TIME IS NOW!
But why?

Business Drivers Low-Code Business Benefits

Digital transformation and its Mature Enterprise low-code Platforms Inevitable proximity between IT and
acceleration business enable faster business impact
The biggest vendors built up expert
Rising demand for business applications and lower risks of misleading
architecture guidance and strategic
development
With increasing time to market pressure partnerships with major global system
integrators to deliver great customer Scaling effects cause lower costs per app
experience Room for more creativity due to high
flexibility in fusion app development

IT Challenges Accelerators IT Benefits

Quality : custom apps failing to meet Composable applications replace bulky Increased Apps development capacity,
expectations – functionalities, experience, monoliths staffing flexibility & productivity
security
Big movements to the Cloud More agility & quicker visibility
Velocity : ability to deliver application
Product centricity with multi disciplinary Easier business & IT collaboration
backlogs as quickly as the business needs
teams
Apps “powered by” quality & security
Talents : Increasing scarcity in
applications and software developers
 ENTERPRISE LOW-CODE PLATFORMS FOR APPLICATION BUILDING/
APP MODERNISATION
As the number of applications increases, the total cost of ownership (TCO) per application decreases

Illustrative graph
Developer Productivity

Maintenance/
Support Costs
Costs

Conventional
Technology Landscape
Low-Code
Complexity

TIP : Start with apps with a

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5
Number Apps small number of users but a
Low-Code Licenses Low-Code Maintenance Low-Code Development Conventional Licenses
big impact
Conventional Maintenance Conventional Development Low-Code TCO/App Conventional TCO/App
FUSION APPS
The Best of Both Worlds
LOW-CODE IS NOT AN EITHER-OR DECISION – HELLO FUSION APPS
Smart combination of Low- and Pro-Code, using the capabilities of the Low-Code-Platforms leads
to what the world calls Fusion App nowadays. We see four major patterns of Fusion Apps:

The Obvious-One The Extended-One

Modern Low-Code Platforms have reached a level of In case of complex business logic or special non-
maturity that makes it possible to create powerful and functional aspects a portion of Pro-Code is there to
valuable applications entirely with Low-Code. In handle it.
comparison, these apps can be developed with the
least developer capacity and brought to market LOW All leading Low-Code Platforms support direct and
LOW CODE
fastest. CODE seamless integration of code (Java, .NET, …) to extend
PRO the graphical development.
CODE

PRO
CODE LOW
This is much more than a simple combination of the CODE Even more complex scenarios require an architecture
LOW
Extended- and the Combined-One. When developing CODE consisting of Low- and Pro-Code (micro-) services
complex and mission-critical apps we most likely go PRO connected via modern API integration.
PRO
here. To leverage the best of both worlds, smart CODE CODE
architecture decisions need to be taken with strong This application pattern is also the right choice to
focus on fit for purpose. (re)use existing services.

The Composed-One The Combined-One

FUSING LOW- AND PRO-CODE – WHY (JUST) NOW?
Composable Architectures make it possible!
Fusion apps in composable architecture make IT changes & maintenance very efficient

The first step towards a The Big Old Monolith The Composed Architecture Composable architectures are
in a typical 3- tier-architecture either in a choreography or orchestrated
composable architecture was made up of modules,
made in 2009 with the components, and services that
introduction of Service can work together and be
Oriented Architecture (SOA). LOW PRO exchanged with minimal effort.
FRONT END CODE
Over the years the industry CODE Microservice principles must be
evolved from the concepts of PRO PRO applied to these architectures,
CODE CODE
SOA to an API-first approach, LOW
enabling independent services
LOW
and that finally enabled CODE INTEGRATION CODE that can be deployed and
Composable Architecture to API MANAGEMENT managed free from any other
BACK END DATA CONNECTORS
be a reality. components. Further, they can
COMMERCIAL- OFF- use separate data sources
PRO THE- SHELF (COTS) which helps to ensure that the
CODE
LOW data remains secure and at the
CODE DATA
DATA same time allows for scalability
DATA
DATA and flexibility.
DATA Lake
MICROSOFT
POWER
PLATFORM
An Enterprise Low-Code Platform
POWER PLATFORM = CITIZEN MAKER + PRO DEV

Every
Power Developer
Platform (Low Code)
Power Apps Power Automate Power Virtual Agents Power BI

Pro
Data Connectors AI Builder Dataverse
Developer
(Code First)

Azure
ser vices API Azure AKS Logic Cognitive Bot Analysis
GitHub Management Functions Apps Services Services Services

Visual VS
Studio Code
Azure / Office
Data Services Azure Synapse
Microsoft SQL Azure Cosmos DB
Graph Analytics
CONNECTORS

Built-in connectivity to 400+ cloud services,

content services, databases, APIs, etc.

Seamless hybrid connectivity to on-premises

systems via the on-premises data gateway.

Develop and register custom connectors as a

building block for citizen developers.

Break down data silos by using multiple

data sources in a single application.
ESTABLISHING A STRONG GOVERNANCE IS CRUCIAL FOR LOW-CODE
SUCCESS Data Data
Encryption Privacy

From ungoverned apps chaos,

Data Government
to enterprise low-code control Loss Prevention Hosting

Identity Compliance

Applications
Management Standards

Unified System
Administration Health

API Automation CoE &

& DevOps Best Practices
Usage Activity
analytics Logging
DESIGN AUTHORITY FOR ENTERPRISE LOW-CODE –
DECIDE IT CENTRALLY, INNOVATE IT LOCALLY
A central Design Authority guides, enables and controls the development of Low-Code and Fusion Apps

The Design Authority is a board consisting of senior

VI SI ON & I DEATI ON & experts gathering regularly to …
STRATEGY I NNOVATI ON

▪ review proposed solutions and their design

▪ assess (potential) impacts
PLATFORM LOW
CODE ARCHI TECTURE ▪ create solution alternatives
LOW
OPERATI ONS CODE
PRO
& GOVERNANCE ▪ considers economic efficiency
CODE
▪ decide on and approve solution
I NTEGRATI ON ▪ prioritize developments
& AUTOMATI ON
PRO
▪ guide on next steps and support the teams
CODE LOW
CODE
STANDARDS & LOW TRANSFORMATION
CODE
REUSE MANAGEMENT
PRO PRO
CODE CODE

The Design Authority is responsible to ensure that

COMPLI ANCE PARTNER the solution …
& SECURI TY MANAGEMENT

▪ integrates well into the existing landscape

▪ meets compliance rules
▪ follows the security guidelines
▪ reuse existing services and components
CASE STUDY
Enterprise Low-Code in Action
Successful Implementation and Adoption of Power
Platform (Central Government)
12:30 – 13:15 Today

Emma-Claire Shaw
Power Platform Product Manager

Janet Robb
Power Platform & Dynamics Adoption Specialist
HOW?
The Path to Enterprise Low-Code as The New Normal
THINK BIG, START SMALL – GET EVERYONE ON BOARD
We propose a phased approach ensuring right decisions at the right time

PREP! GO! SCALE!

Vision & Strategy Partnering & Foundation Acceleration & Industrialization

Inception Vision Selection Foundation Acceleration New Normal

Understanding Creating Choosing the Going Scaling and Low-Code as an
Low-Code the Journey right Partner Live Standardizing Enterprise Mindset

▪ Look & Feel ▪ Identify stakeholders ▪ Evaluate products & ▪ Kick-off Center of ▪ Drive the change ▪ (Biz)Dev(Sec)Ops
▪ “App-in-a-day“ ▪ Initiate project group platforms Excellence Low-Code ▪ Propagate ▪ Application Lifecycle
▪ Pros and Cons ▪ Assess existing (IT) ▪ Invite vendors to (CoE Low-Code) standardization ▪ Continuous Quality
▪ Identifying first use landscape and showcase, understand ▪ Integrate platform ▪ Push industrialization ▪ Continuous
cases development processes and align ▪ Define standards and ▪ Train and enable the Improvement
▪ Perform due diligence ▪ Put platforms into development guidelines enterprise
to identify chances and context of existing and ▪ Drive MVP
risks future landscape
▪ Agree on guiding ▪ Proof the concept
principles and strategic ▪ Negotiate with vendors
goals ▪ Decide on partnership
▪ Define governance and
target operating model
KEY TAKEAWAYS
AND QUESTIONS
1 Not all low-code platforms are Enterprises Low-code

2 Enterprise Low-Code is not an either-or decision

3 Enterprise Low-Code is Enterprise READY