\\Closing the Software Development Gap with
Low-Code Applications

By Jim Stratton
SVP, Chief Technology Officer,
Product and Technology,
Workday

As business needs change, organizations need help meeting the demand for software development.

For example, regardless of industry or size, companies struggle to maintain and modernize their applications with volumes of custom code. The problem is well known in relation to legacy systems: although these shiny, expensive “solutions” were built to spur agility, they can become outdated burdens that impede the very competitive advantage they were intended to create.

But software maintenance is more than just a legacy platform problem.

Cloud-based platforms also need developers, and today’s business environment requires organizations to constantly customize application capabilities. As a result, even companies that have successfully transitioned to the cloud still carry a coding burden.

The long-standing shortage of software developers is intensifying, creating a perfect storm in which businesses struggle to build, integrate, and scale applications at a pace that matches their needs.

Nontechnical leaders find themselves dreaming of a codeless world—imagine the simplicity, the speed, and the competitive advantage if domain experts took technology into their own hands—though CIOs are wary of the implications for organizations’ cybersecurity posture.

An empowering solution.

Thanks to new development platforms that use visual interfaces and prebuilt templates, users can create software applications without an understanding of command-line code. That means finance, HR, and other business leaders can drag-and-drop their way to new functionality and analysis without submitting IT requests.

The value proposition is clear: development democratization can move an organization’s technology closer to its core business processes, helping to increase speed, drive innovation, and decrease technical spend.

In the face of this massive potential, Gartner® forecasts that the worldwide market for low-code solutions will spike 20% in 2023, to nearly $27 billion—and that 65% of software solutions built in 2024 will utilize low-code tools.

While CFOs and CHROs have good reason to cheer at the prospect of controlling their own destiny, CIOs fear the inadvertent messes that may result from haphazard use of low-code tools. They worry that opening their cloud systems to untrained business leaders and moving sensitive information into new environments will lead to data sprawl and security and compliance risk.

Ultimately, both of these perspectives must be incorporated into a thoughtful approach to low- and no-code technology. In truth, these programming platforms aren’t a panacea and can’t fully replace developer talent. They need to be integrated into an organization’s enterprise access model and security ecosystem to ensure clean, secure data. And at least for the time being, CIOs agree they shouldn’t be used alone to create high-value enterprise apps.

These tools can serve as a joint canvas for business and IT collaboration, however. Among other solutions, these platforms create data structures and design patterns that can be reused, dramatically reducing the time it takes to build and deploy apps while allowing technology experts to focus on greater challenges.

When to go low.

Low-code tools can accelerate digital transformation by augmenting developers’ work. But how do executives decide when to fire up these platforms? I suggest asking three questions.

How good is my technical infrastructure? Can your tech adequately serve existing needs? If the answer is no, you’ve reached a simple answer: propping up a past-its-prime legacy system with low-code fixes will only delay the inevitable. Your money and time will be better spent identifying and transitioning to a modern solution.
How much am I willing to invest in R&D and ongoing support? Similarly, if you’re drawn to these platforms as a way to make everything as easy as possible, think again. Low- or no-code doesn’t mean low or zero effort. Yes, elements such as streamlined API tools can reduce ongoing maintenance work, but you won’t escape basic responsibilities. These applications still require regular preventative, correct, and adaptive maintenance to fix issues and keep up with changing needs.
What’s my exact use case? If you’re satisfied with your existing tech and willing to invest in the long-term, some use cases are particularly well suited to code-minimized solutions. Specifically, these tools shine when assisting in urgent projects that require an immediate response, consolidation projects that strive to simplify processes to minimize cost and risk, and innovation projects that aspire to create competitive differentiation through bespoke capabilities. On the other hand, projects without defined business needs—such as pointless over-customization—won’t deliver value.

The path forward.

If you decide to go with a low- or no-code approach, minimizing risk is critical. This can be accomplished by implementing several best practices around data architecture, ownership, and vendor management, including:

Building a data mesh—a way to define data ownership so that owners can safely share data with their low-code internal customers.
Curating datasets—to ensure they’re consumed as intended with appropriate controls.
Taking caution when choosing low- or no-code vendors—doing so without the proper technical oversight can create structural and architectural debt that accumulates over time—and prove very costly to detangle. Additionally, too many custom siloed solutions make it easier to lose control of data integrity, security, and governance.
Sticking to tools that are built on top of your core systems—this guarantees that direct security and access controls are applied to the data fed in, creating a stable environment without the need for new applications and expensive integrations.

Conclusion

As companies struggle to keep up with a growing acceleration gap, they need technology and services that simplify app development to help their teams build what they need, when they need it.

In this dynamic environment, low- and no-code tools are poised to revolutionize development by creating solutions that drive greater productivity, efficiency, and agility.

To leverage these platforms and transform digital acceleration gaps into digital transformation opportunities, IT leaders need to choose best-in-class partners. These platforms work within companies’ trusted systems to reap the rewards of simplified development while avoiding technology stack complications and data silos.

The bottom line? Like any new technology, low- and no-code platforms offer great potential with some risks. Leaders need to minimize those risks while maximizing the possibility of transformation—and intelligently leverage these tools to create a brighter future.

Explore more articles:

Decoding the Data Dilemma: the Key to Success in the AI Revolution
The Tech Stack Battle: Embracing Data-Driven Insights for Victory
How Workday Is Leading Enterprise Generative AI
Accenture Report: Enabling Technology Interoperability for the Future of Work
IDC Report: What Digital Business Models Require
Harnessing the Public Cloud for Ongoing Innovation