What is low-code development and why is it important?

What is Low Code?

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How it works?

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low code

Picture by: Anton Kutselyk

Low-code development refers to various solutions that simplify creating applications and workflows.

Today, the pace of business demands more speed and flexibility than custom scripts can provide, and specialization often hinders the cross-platform processes that are now common. There are few developers with expertise across all tools involved in end-to-end processes.

Low-code platforms, with their visual editors and reusable actions, allow us to develop new processes and applications rapidly. This means we can quickly assemble, test, and deploy solutions without needing deep expertise in every technology involved, ultimately accelerating application delivery.

Traditional application development involves many people with specialized roles. For instance, we need business analysts to create functional requirements, technical analysts to translate those into technical specifications, a database administrator to design the schema, UX/UI developers to create wireframes, and developers to code the application.

Once built, the application goes through testers, operations managers for deployment, and project managers to oversee everything. This process is lengthy and often lacks collaboration, resulting in applications that may not fully meet business expectations.

On the other hand, low-code development holds numerous benefits, such as:

Improved agility
Cost savings
Higher productivity
Improved collaboration
Better customer experience
Effective risk management and governance
Faster integration

Lidl & Kaufland experience with low-code development

Schwarz Group, the parent company of Lidl and Kaufland, picked Mendix over OutSystems due to its superior scalability and cloud-native architecture. Mendix's microservice-oriented approach ensures better flexibility and scalability as complex applications grow, making it an ideal choice for a large organization like Schwarz. Additionally, Mendix's integration with STACKIT and its support for ARM architecture were crucial factors. Schwarz also utilizes the Microsoft Power Platform for citizen development and simple workflow automation. This dual-platform approach allows the company to leverage Mendix for professional development while empowering non-developers with Power Platform for less complex tasks.

For the initial enablement of Mendix, several components were necessary:

Identity Provider (IdP) integration
Single Sign-On (SSO) setup
DevOps automation
Establishment of a Center of Excellence (CoE)
Development of a UI template
Comprehensive training paths for developers

The adoption of Mendix resulted in significant benefits for Schwarz Group, both in terms of cost reduction and improved operational efficiency.

low code

Picture by: Anton Kutselyk

The company uses the Mendix Academy and certification programs to ensure developers are well-equipped to build and maintain applications.

The company uses the Mendix Academy and certification

I believe it is.

Modern computing, after all, is founded on the principle of abstraction. Binary code is abstracted into programming languages, which are then abstracted into operating systems and GUIs.

Low-code solutions continue this tradition by abstracting the code that connects operating systems, databases, and enterprise applications (from BPM to BI, CRM to ERP). As IT environments grow increasingly complex, the need for such integrations will only intensify.

With the low-code market expected to reach an impressive $187 billion by 2030, organizations across various sectors are recognizing the potential of these platforms.

This shift could lead to:

Business users and domain experts rapidly translate their ideas into functional applications
Collaboration and creativity are fostered by bridging the gap between business needs and technology solutions
Reducing reliance on IT departments, accelerating time-to-market for innovative solutions

The impact of low-code is evident, and as we move forward, its significance will only grow.

In today's business world, the ability to stay quick and agile is crucial, and low-code platforms provide the tools needed to do that.

How Lidl & Kaufland Leveraged Low-Code to Build 100+ Apps, 75% Faster

Efficient software development

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