The pandemic may pass, but the potential for disruption never does. As a result, low code’s newest popularity could prove to have staying power.
Low code exploded on the scene during a disruption, but in reality, it’s always been a matter of time. With more non-tech focused businesses feeling the pressure to integrate innovative, customized tech solutions into operations, low code offered a straight path to development without competing for top (and expensive) IT talent.
Use peaked during COVID, but the question on everyone’s mind — will it last? While nothing is ever set in stone, all signs point to yes. Here’s why.
See also: Low Code Development is on the Rise
Pandemic disruption required new operations
When the full effect of disruption hit US businesses hard in March 2020, traditional companies scrambled to operate in the new normal. Remote work plus distributed systems may have been old news to tech-focused companies, but traditional businesses struggled to adjust.
In response, low code allowed these businesses to pivot and develop without a full IT team using the expertise of existing departments. That’s a massive leap of faith that paid off for companies able to deploy low code initiatives and keep operations afloat:
- Fast development of apps allowed remote workers greater flexibility while preserving workflows in this new normal.
- While IT teams worked on high-level tasks, low code helped reduce the strain on developer resources.
- Real-time analytics provided valuable insight for making fast decisions, and low code helped different departments get to those insights more easily.
- Facilitated the use of external resources.
Altogether, low code provided a much more accessible way to develop solutions while reducing risky shadow IT. It also gave non-tech focused businesses solutions for the new work-scape.
Will low code last after the threat of pandemic passes?
The pandemic may pass, but the potential for disruption never does. Many businesses had to face the fact that they weren’t ready to face even small hiccups in operations, much less months-long global disruption that changes the very nature of work and daily life. Low code’s newest popularity could prove to have staying power.
Low code gives domain experts control over software solutions. A sales team trying to work from home can build a solution for sales-specific needs faster than IT can interview sales, form an idea, test/re-test/re-re-test, and deploy a solution. If they have support for development, businesses may find operational challenges aren’t so challenging after all.
Digital transformation was always on the to-do list, but the pandemic put theory into action. Companies needed a secure and realistic way to pivot quickly, scale remote operations, and provide seamless experiences for employees now stuck at home. Low code reduced the barrier, helping departments to abstract complexities and build solutions that worked — all without taxing limited resources from IT.
Low code has challenges, but thoughtful use could alleviate them
One of the biggest obstacles to low code deployment is shifting the mindset from IT-centered solutions to decentralized development. While quick iteration is vital to helping even enterprises move quickly, some measure of control needs to be present.
As long as companies develop a governance system, utilizing the power of low code solutions could provide the quickest amount of value and provide an integrated experience without the months-long coding sprint of years past. These solutions have a great chance of sticking around as businesses prepare for the future.
