The Benefits of Low-code Development

Digital transformation has been at the forefront of many business’ agendas for the last several years; however, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was the big push many needed to go “all in.” Slow adoption of digital transformation is often traced back to rapidly changing business needs and the widening IT talent gap. Organizations struggled to find the talent needed to effectively build the custom solutions needed to run their business and meet their unique requirements. 

The answer for many, especially with the abrupt need to rapidly digitize new areas of the business, has been the rise of no-code/low-code solutions. In the past, low-code represented a risk of shadow IT (non-IT departments deploying new systems without input from central IT) and lax security practices. However, recent developments in the low-code platform space have made them a more viable, less risky solution.

Low-code means faster, more flexible deployments

Historically, building a custom solution for your business has been a significant and expensive undertaking. The easier solution was often to buy an off-the-shelf product and try to work within its limitations or go through the costly process of having the platform customized to fit. These customizations rarely adapt well to quickly changing business needs. With low-code solutions, businesses can more easily map out their requirements and build up a fit-for-purpose solution and can change as fast as the business.

And what drives these rapid business changes? Changes in customer behavior and demands push businesses to adapt quickly to meet their needs. Without flexible solutions at the core of the organization, these adjustments can be slow, resulting in a loss of opportunities (plus time and money). Whether meeting new regulatory requirements when shifting into a new line of business or growing data needs to better serve existing customers, low-code solutions allow you to grow your existing software instead of adding new tools or solutions that have been bolted-on into the mix.

Low-code opens up new opportunities across the business

So, how can low-code solutions open up new opportunities across the various departments in your business? One main advantage of low-code solutions is that no matter the size or complexity of your business, there is so much that can be gained from implementing custom, flexible, easy-to-build, and expandable solutions. These gains can be achieved with or without large IT or development teams.

Sales

The sales tech stack is often one of the most complex and data-heavy within the business, and a common challenge is how to bring all of that data together in a useful way. Beyond just consolidating the data, the sales team must be able to react predictively to the changing needs of customers and the business.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a core service that the sales team often relies on, and attempting to fit unique customer data into a one-size-fits-all solution can cost organizations time and money. With a low-code custom solution, organizations can track all of their key data, take real action against them, integrate scheduling, manage relationships, track financials, and report key business metrics.

Production

Today’s customers want their product “at the speed of Amazon.”Low-code solutions that allow the business to unify data from the back office to the production floor, all the way through to shipping give organizations the boost they need to fulfill these new customer expectations. These improvements are taken a step further when front-end software can be run on common devices like tablets and smartphones. Manual paper processes can be replaced with automated workflows that seamlessly move data from the customer ordering stage all the way through to delivery. In industries with special regulatory requirements, tracking through their entire lifecycle can make or break the business.

Finance

Financial applications are often incredibly complex and can be challenging to integrate with other tools and solutions. Depending on your business, you may rely on industry-specific software for cspecific functions, but those may or may not seamlessly integrate with your back-end financial software. Products like Genesis, paired with a low-code custom application, can be the perfect solution to track and report all your business finances fully.

Low-code means efficiency across the business

Business ebbs and flows at an increasingly fast pace. The more flexible and efficient you can be across all departments, the more successful you will be. Time wasted on inefficient, manual processes, incomplete or siloed data, and the inability to report on your key business metrics lead to poor customer experiences, ultimately costing you both time and money. With a low-code solution, you can streamline your business even without an extensive IT team and future-proof your business tools.

Learn how one of our clients was able to integrate Claris seamlessly into their existing technology ecosystem to create robust reporting that helps them make better business decisions.