Not long ago, businesses relied exclusively on IT experts to write the code necessary for the proper functioning of their websites and applications. However, challenges, particularly related to the shortage of skilled software developers, have emerged, leaving many organizations with faulty or dysfunctional processes. Companies now need to respond quickly and effectively to business challenges, addressing issues in record time. The introduction of Low-Code development, and even No-Code, has solved these problems by breaking down barriers and enabling teams, regardless of their skill level, to manage IT processes.
This simple and accessible technology has grown and continues to expand rapidly. According to Gartner’s report, by 2025, a staggering 41% of professionals outside of IT will take the initiative to customize or create their own data and application solutions. This trend underscores the rising impact of “citizen developers” beyond conventional IT boundaries.
What is Low-Code?
Do programming languages seem like “gibberish” to you? If so, there’s good news! With low-code platforms, software development is now accessible to everyone, even if you don’t know how to code.
A low-code or no-code solution enables the creation of high-quality business applications with minimal or no programming experience required.
These platforms employ a visual approach, providing ready-made templates and an intuitive drag-and-drop interface with built-in guidance. This allows “citizen developers” (users with little or no coding experience) to build applications tailored to their business needs. With its numerous advantages, low-code can be seen as the new essential skill set for modern businesses.
What’s the Difference Between Low-Code and No-Code?
A no-code development platform (NCDP), also known as a Citizen Automation and Development Platform (CADP), generates all the necessary code through intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces. These platforms are designed for both professional developers and “citizen developers.” However, applications built on low-code platforms typically require some programming knowledge, meaning experienced developers may still need to step in for more complex tasks.
Low-code and no-code technologies share the common goal of simplifying software development by utilizing visual interfaces and preconfigured templates to minimize coding complexity.
Benefits of Low-Code
The low-code/no-code approach is quickly gaining traction across nearly every industry, and for good reason. The business benefits of this type of automation are hard to ignore. Specifically, low-code/no-code solutions provide:
Automation
Traditional application development typically involves manually writing long lines of code. However, this method can be extremely time-consuming and may even lead to errors that compromise the success of an application.
Automation helps employees create complex and high-performance business applications. Additionally, it can contribute to improving overall organizational efficiency in the long term.
Agility
Low-code is a driver of agility and innovation. Experts believe that low-code software development is the future of business agility. Because this type of development allows internal software solutions to be modified, it ultimately helps non-coders bridge workflow gaps with simplified visual techniques. Furthermore, teams can easily access this software, which is compatible with all types of devices.
Cost
Using low-code technology means businesses can significantly reduce the development cycle time for applications. Additionally, it can lower the costs associated with hiring qualified developers to create source code and applications.
Productivity
Manually writing and deploying the source code for each business application can be extremely laborious. Low-code technology can not only speed up the overall application development process but also foster collaboration across different departments within the organization. This means the company can create more applications in much less time, boosting overall productivity.
Customer Experience
Low-code application development platforms can enable businesses to significantly improve customer experience by creating intuitive interfaces using pre-established templates.
By offering a seamless customer experience, the business will not only be able to proactively and accurately meet customer needs but also generate more qualified leads, ultimately enhancing profitability.
Future Trends for Low-Code Technologies
With the increasing demand for faster and cheaper business applications, the future trends for low-code technologies look promising. Companies will continue to adopt these technologies to develop internal applications without relying on experienced developers.
Moreover, advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning could also be integrated into low-code platforms, allowing users to create even smarter and more personalized applications.
It is also possible that we’ll see a convergence between low-code and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Companies could then connect and manage their IoT devices through low-code applications.
In short, these technologies will continue to evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of businesses, offering new possibilities for faster, smarter, and more cost-effective applications.
The Microsoft Power Platform Solution
The Microsoft Power Platform suite is a leading force in low-code solutions, offering seven key components that drive digital transformation and address process and workflow challenges. These components—Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents, Power BI, Dataverse, Data Connectors, and AI Builder—work together to streamline business operations. The platform’s robust integration capabilities enable seamless connectivity with Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and the full range of Azure services, maximizing the potential of your business ecosystem.
Microsoft Power Platform drives innovation within organizations by empowering them to create tailored solutions, simplifying processes, and boosting agility through its low-code platform. Below, we highlight several real-world examples where companies have developed custom solutions without the need for any coding expertise.
First Scenario: Power Apps
Mercedes Benz asked us to develop an application for collecting data during test drives. The primary goal was to manage the road tests conducted during events organized by the company for launching new vehicles, especially the presentation of the new EQS model, and generating subsequent buying interest from customers referenced by dealers.
The application is designed to be used in front of the public, with excellent customer experience and branding. In just 5 days, Prodware was able to build this app while also leveraging connectivity with the current back-office system. Among its main features are authentication, registration of new test drives, consent signing, test completion, request for additional information, and integration with the sales service for creating sales leads to be managed by the call center.
Second Scenario: Power Automate
A construction company needed to create a solution for automating delivery slips. Specifically, they had to import 200 delivery slips daily in PDF format into the sales order history in Microsoft Dynamics F&O without any user intervention.
With only 5 days to develop this application, we opted for Power Automate Desktop technology for its creation. Numerous adjustments were made to achieve the best possible execution speed while resolving any errors for manual tracking.
Third Scenario: Power Virtual Agents
A private medical center sought the development of a bot to manage medical appointments for Covid-19 patients. Due to the urgency of the global pandemic and rapidly evolving circumstances, we were tasked with creating a fully functional bot in under a week. The bot needed to triage patients based on their symptoms and schedule medical appointments, seamlessly distributing them across multiple communication channels.
The solution leveraged virtual agents, Power Automate, and Dataverse to deliver round-the-clock patient care. Based on the patient’s responses and preferences, the system automatically scheduled medical appointments through various channels—connecting them to a doctor via chat, arranging a phone consultation, or assigning an emergency medical number when necessary.
Fourth Scenario: Power BI
Mercedes Benz tasked us with designing a report that allowed users to track the status of a sales opportunity relative to its lifecycle, in a simple and interactive way. This lifecycle diagram helped users complete and improve the flow of business opportunities by detecting those that remained in the intermediate state, pushing them forward in the purchase cycle. The technology used included Dynamics 365 Sales, Power BI, Power Query, and DAX.
The potential of Microsoft Power Platform is vast. The suite can be used in a variety of scenarios, including with Microsoft Business Central.
Low-code/no-code technology enables organizations of all sizes to overcome the shortage of developers and harness the power of intelligent automation, regardless of available resources. However, the need for skilled developers remains, particularly for designing more complex applications or improving existing ones.
With our community of experts, Prodware can help you transform your ideas into custom business applications.
