Low-code or no-code platforms are, as the name suggests, user-friendly platforms that allow users to put together tech products with minimum or no coding – only configuration of functions is required. When compared to traditional development methods, they reduce the time, cost and effort involved in getting a product off the ground.

The platform itself usually takes care of scalability, screen sizes, coding rules and traffic routing, meaning that non-technical people are well qualified to create tech products. They can be used from start to finish of the development process, as they’re highly flexible and can serve the needs of businesses of different structures and sizes, across industry verticals.

Low-code/No-code is increasingly being used to create business processes and workflows, software products and supplementary elements.

Traditional development requires coders and testers – a team of developers. Low-code/No-code simply needs someone with a clear understanding of the kind of app features required. This means that there are some clear pros and cons to using low-code platforms.

Here are 5 of the main reasons why you should choose Low Code Platforms.

1. Lower Costs

Since specialist developers are not needed to create the tech product, the cost of development is much lower than through traditional development.

2. Faster Transformation

With short turnaround times, agile organizations can take digital transformation decisions and execute them nearly immediately.

3. Increased Productivity

Lower cost and higher speed deliver higher productivity for the application and the organization.

4. Improved CX

Since the platform itself offers certain customer-oriented features such as device responsiveness, issues are debugged by the platform and do not depend on the company’s IT infrastructure. This can result in a better customer experience.

5. Better Compliance

New rules and laws come in from time to time, and it’s hard to be sure that you meet them all. Some platforms may ensure auto-compliance with major rules pertaining to data gathering from visitors, for example. Regardless, since the platforms provide the ability to easily make changes, it’s much easier to work on the product, make the required modifications, and go live – in compliance with global standards and regulations.

But before you decide, here are four things to consider before you dive into a Low Code Platform solution.

1. Lack of Customization

Low-code/No-code platform predominantly involves click-and-drag and configuration of functionalities. As a result, options for customization are low to non-existent. This can be a problem in certain cases.

2. Platform Dependency

If the platform you’re using makes changes, or if you want to make changes that the platform doesn’t support, you’re in trouble! The application is tied to the platform and therefore platform dependency is a real issue for low-code products.

3. API Creation

You may not be able to create and integrate proper APIs into your application, or create APIs for your app. While many platforms are working on and around this issue, it has been a problem in the past and has not been completely resolved yet.

4. Security and Reliability

Your application depends entirely on the platform. So a platform hack impacts you heavily. Some platforms are reliable, others are less so – it’s important to select wisely, based on reputation in the industry.

Typically, if an application is business-critical, complex or both, it may be advisable to make the upfront investment of time, money and effort into custom development. Simpler apps without too many custom features are well-suited to low-code/no-code processes. This reduces your project’s risk of technical debt.

While development can be done without a large team, it is advisable to have an experienced developer partner take point on the development, even if you are opting for a low-code platform which seems completely intuitive and non-technical. This is to make sure that there are no issues during go-live.

Assign specific responsibility and accountability to each member of the team, in order to speed up application go-live.

At CloudNow, our philosophy is: “For digital transformation to work, you need to get better value, faster.” That’s why we often recommend usage of low-code/no-code platforms, which deliver faster and cheaper results, when they’re the right way to go. Speak with our experts for a no-obligation consultation on whether low-code/no-code is the right fit for your needs, or if customization is required.