Low-code development will account for 65% of application activity by 2024, according to Gartner. We’ve heard a lot of talk about how low-code development enables users with fewer technical skills — i.e., citizen developers — to build and deploy applications, giving internal teams a sense of independence and more skin in the game. But we don’t often hear about the myriad benefits low-code development provides to professional developers.
The simple truth is that developers have their plates full managing application research, testing and development, and executing software updates and quality assurance procedures. Although these coding experts are already stretched thin, the demand for professional developers continues to rise — and as a result, their workloads increase.
This is where low-code comes into play for professional developers. Low-code enables developers to automate repetitive programming tasks, seamlessly integrate with third-party applications and accelerate the entire development cycle. Don’t listen to myths that claim low-code will replace developers — it just makes their jobs much easier and allows them to prioritize innovation.
How to make the most of low-code development
Low-code development can provide tremendous value to you as a developer if you take advantage of all it has to offer. With low-code in your programming toolbox, you can develop faster and smarter, empowering you to shift your focus to more complex tasks.
If you still aren’t sold on low-code or want to fine-tune your approach, consider the following advantages of low-code development:
1. Streamline development cycles
Low-code eliminates the need to research, write and test new scripts while automating repetitive tasks in the development cycle. Many low-code platforms also enable users to drag-and-drop pieces of existing code for faster development. These capabilities can reduce development time by up to 90% and minimize costs.
By reducing time spent on tedious programming tasks, you can tackle more strategic development initiatives that add value to the business. Additionally, an accelerated development cycle means you can receive feedback more quickly and expedite an application’s time-to-market.
2. Implement real-time changes
Low-code development doesn’t require a project plan or scope, allowing you to make real-time code changes. This flexibility enables you to iterate existing applications in response to market and business changes. Suppose an organization that uses your application receives a rapid influx of negative feedback about the app’s messaging feature. Instead of spending months creating a scope and reconfiguring the application’s back end, low-code development allows you to make immediate improvements.
The flexibility of low-code also helps you maintain compliance. For example, if a new industry-specific privacy regulation requires you to adjust an application’s code, you can make the change immediately and reduce downtime.
3. Enable seamless integration
Companies today use an average of 976 applications — but only 28% of them are integrated. Application integration is one of the most complex components of application development because it requires developers to manage different data formats and types of endpoints at scale. But the process is also critical for an organization’s applications and data to work together.
Low-code can ease the burden of application integration by enabling you to build apps using pre-configured APIs and connectors or even create custom integrations. These capabilities also make it easier and faster to integrate with third-party applications like Salesforce because they eliminate a significant amount of the repetitive and time-consuming work involved in the process. As a result, you can more easily develop and manage systems on a larger scale.
Developers are turning to low-code development to aid in the creation, augmentation and modernization of applications. When you take advantage of all the capabilities low-code has to offer, you can streamline and accelerate your development cycles for greater efficiency, cost savings and ideation. As a result, we can all move away from legacy applications with rigid infrastructures — and toward a more innovative future.
