Low Code-No Code solutions are being touted as the definitive business intelligence solutions that help organizations reach their objectives and optimally achieve their goals. The fact that even enterprise applications can now be developed without writing any code at all, sure is a game changer. That being stated, there are some practical aspects of implementing low-code/no-code solutions that one has to factor in before deciding to implement them. Let us look at what these are:
1. Defining Your Goals and Requirements Clearly
It is all very well to want to delve into the low-code/no-code platform world, but only after you have a clear understanding of your specific goals and requirements. You should know exactly what it is that you are trying to resolve by deploying these solutions. Having a firm handle on your objectives will help you to zero in on the right platform, thereby ensuring that your implementation efforts are in sync with your desired outcomes.
2. Evaluation of Available Platforms and Choosing the Right Fit
The low-code/no-code space is evolving all the time and offers a diverse range of platforms catering to myriad needs and requirements. It would make immense sense for you to exhaustively research and evaluate the various platforms out there based on the features set, user-friendliness, integrations and pricing models. Once you have done that you can go ahead and select a platform that factors in your level of technical expertise, the requirements of your project and of course, your budget.
3. Start With Small Manageable Projects
As the old adage goes-Rome wasn't built in a day. Start with small easily manageable low-code/no-code projects to obtain experience with using the platform and deploying its abilities. Doing that will help instill confidence in your team and help you identify any potential challenges you might encounter while learning to manage a smaller project before foraying into larger initiatives and projects.
4. Establishing Governance and Training Guidelines
Even as you move ahead full steam with the adoption of low-code/no-code solutions it is imperative for you to put in place clear and explicit governance and training guidelines. That will help ensure that your applications are developed in a consistent, secure as well as an easily maintainable manner. Provide training and support to the ones who are doing the development to help them use the platform effectively, even while adhering to the established standards.
5. Citizen Development
Citizen development, a concept which is propelling the growing popularity of low-code/no-code solutions, is all about empowering non-technical users to go ahead and create applications by using no-code/low-code tools. Doing so can help democratize development and give a fillip to innovation within an organization. Business owners can encourage citizen developers to step up to the plate and experiment and contribute to the creation of solutions that brilliantly address specific needs.
6. Integration with Existing Systems
Low-code/no-code platforms are known to offer integration capabilities that are compatible with existing systems and data sources. That is of great help in leveraging your existing infrastructure and avoiding the creation of data silos. It, therefore, makes sense to go for such platforms ensuring seamless data exchange and maintenance of data integrity.
7. Monitoring your Applications
Regular and continuous monitoring and maintenance are a must for the longevity of your low-code/no-code applications. You would do well to establish processes that can help track performance, identify issues and implement updates. That would help you regularly review and optimize your applications to help them continue to meet your needs as they evolve.
8. Innovation
As no-code/low-code platforms are forever evolving and offering new features and capabilities, you can be quite innovative in the way you make them work for your business. That requires you to keep yourself up to date with the latest developments so that you can explore new possibilities to enhance your applications and get the most value out of your low-code/no-code investment. Also, this is an opportunity for your team to explore the full capabilities of your low-code/no-code platform and utilize it to the fullest, not restricting yourself to the limitations of your current manual processes.
Did you know?
No-code/low-code platforms are being used by some of the world's best known companies when it comes to developing and deploying enterprise-grade applications? For instance, Salesforce, a leading CRM provider, offers a low-code platform. As does, App Cloud which is used by companies no less than Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Marriott. Microsoft's Power Platform is yet another popular low-code platform deployed by companies like Boeing, Starbucks, and Unilever. Likewise Creatio empowers business organizations across the scale with the ability to automate workflows on the fly without writing a single code.
Conclusion
There is no doubting the fact that low-code/no-code solutions provide a potent and versatile approach to application development that helps hugely empower both technical and non-technical users to create the most innovative and out-of-the box solutions. The practical aspects of implementing such solutions involve defining goals, zeroing in on the right platform, embracing citizen development, putting governance in place, bringing about integration with existing systems and continuous monitoring and improvement.
If you do it the right way, low-code/no-code solutions can open a world of immense possibilities for your organization.
*Disclosure: As an implementation partner for some of the vendors referenced in this article, Zime may have a favorable opinion of the solutions we provide. We encourage readers to do their own research and make their own decisions.
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