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Perspectives

The Future of Software: Low-Code App Development

Written By: Jessica Hawley
February 18, 2020
8 min read

Quickbase can help you join in the low-code revolution that’s sweeping the world of app development. The low-code movement has allowed companies of all sizes to continuously innovate and perfect the processes that make their businesses unique. Thanks to low-code solutions, team members with a basic working knowledge of spreadsheets and databases can build any application to improve workflow efficiency.

Low-code software puts solutions at the fingertips of every employee in any department. By giving staff the ability to address the needs of their department directly, IT staff are free to solve more complex problems while also maintaining oversight and governance. Since many IT departments are struggling with a developer shortage, low-code software is a valuable solution both now and into the future. It can take years to teach someone how to code, but how about we teach more subject matter experts.

What Are Low-Code Application Platforms?

Low-code app development platforms allow anyone in the business to build powerful applications quickly to optimize any process. “Low-code application development” is a relatively new term, but the concept has been in existence for some time. Businesses have long imagined a workplace full of line-of-business developers who can take the opportunity to optimize a process when they see inefficiency by creating their own applications. Quick solutions to many of your business processes can be solved when you use a low-code app development platform like Quickbase.

Low-code software can be used to create applications with common features, which saves IT staff the time and effort needed to code an entire app manually. The software has existing templates, pre-built forms, elements, and objects so a team can quickly build a working app with little hassle. Quickbase has created a product that is simple to use for those with limited technical skills but has enough power and customization options to satisfy even those with professional coding expertise. Our software strikes the perfect balance of keeping things simple while appealing to users with varying levels of app development skill. In this way, Quickbase delivers a means for fast and creative solutions to problems that arise at any time.

Why Choose Low-Code Application Development?

Using low-code application platforms allows companies to focus on innovation and gives them the ability to rapidly meet changing needs for their customers and staff. Most IT teams see this technology as a huge asset to their jobs and the companies they work for. They believe that rapid application development can save a substantial amount of time in the development cycle, increase innovation throughout an organization, and make it more adaptable to change.

Choosing low-code applications means that you can maximize your teamwork potential. In a survey of IT leaders, 76% believed that improving the speed of application development and delivery was a key aspect of their IT department’s success. They also feel that low-code is going to have a significant impact on their relationships with businesses, and they expect that they’ll be imperative to keeping up with a shift in company goals to become more focused on meeting customer expectations and needs as quickly as possible. Many IT leaders have looked into low-code solutions and evaluated how they may be of use in their organization. Now’s the time to get ahead of the curve and see how low-code can help you speed up the app development and problem-solving process. The low-code revolution is paving the way to a future of innovation and solution-focused app creation. Why not join in and see how low-code can help you?

Impact of the Low-Code Revolution

The low-code revolution has affected businesses in five significant ways. After considering these impacts, it will be clear why including low-code application development can be a major benefit for your operations.

  1. Business processes and the IT department can merge for a more effective and streamlined workflow. Allowing more employees to get involved in the technical process has allowed companies to lower costs and deliver useful applications more quickly. Applications that can be implemented or modified more quickly have allowed businesses to evolve with changing needs without a process that was once very time-consuming and expensive. Low-code applications maximize efficiency and create a constant stream of development.
  2. Using low-code applications has allowed all employees to use their strengths to reach a greater potential. Who knows better about workflow issues, day-to-day business activities, and organizational challenges than the employees who personally deal with these matters? By using low-code applications, they’ve been able to tackle problems head-on and develop the strategies they need to solve problems and succeed. By putting the tools into the hands of each employee, businesses that use low-code applications have been able to develop the exact solutions they need and create a system of continuous app innovation.
  3. One of the biggest impacts that the low-code movement has had is on the speed of application development. When IT is saddled with countless projects to support the business there can be a backlog that seem never ending. Empowering employees to create applications has allowed them to have the tools they need more quickly and freed up IT department staff to focus on tasks like security, governance, and being strategy advisers.
  4. This time-saving technology has made for happier IT departments. With so many requests for new applications and processes constantly flooding in, IT departments can easily be buried under a cumbersome backlog of projects to tackle. When some of the app design work is delegated to others, the load is lightened and IT can better focus their time and attention on projects that will move the business forward.
  5. Low-code applications have resulted in greater client satisfaction. A successful application can lead to better service and product deliveries, result in faster customer response times, and help businesses to keep up with changing trends and client needs. You can even use low-code software to create customer-facing applications, an exciting way to engage with your clients.

The Benefits of Low-Code Platforms

So many people of all ages have been able to benefit from using low-code software, including millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers alike. Surveys about how this software has benefited businesses found that across all age groups, around half of users began building their own applications right away, though users in the Gen X group leaned more toward customizing existing applications. In either case, users found that this technology benefited them in many ways. Many felt that building and using an app allowed them to receive more recognition of their value to the company. Others were able to use their app-building skills to take on a new role, and a few more were even able to use this skill to earn a promotion. By building their own app, users were able to showcase their ability to lead and their willingness to solve problems. The most popular needs that low-code platforms addressed were:

  • Enforcement of standard processes
  • Automation of manual processes
  • Sharing information internally

Quickbase applications have been used to accomplish tasks in the following areas, to name a few:

More than half of those surveyed reported that their business team was able to build applications independently, and less than half had to rely on help from consultants or their IT department.

Start Reaping the Benefits of Low-Code Solutions

The need for low-code application software is increasing as businesses become faster-paced and face greater challenges. The number of people using low-code software to solve problems is projected to increase in the next 12 months, which means now is the time to look into low-code software for your business.

Quickbase’s offerings can help you get ahead of the game. We are experts in the field and offer a platform that will allow your employees to create applications without coding, even while they’re on the go. You’ll be able to control not only the functions of your app, but also the look and feel of the application. Place the control of forms, tables, dashboards, and reports directly in the hands of the user to optimize your workflow.

Once a solution is built, it’s easy to make changes. As new possibilities and challenges arrive, your applications can be updated on the fly in response. Thanks to Quickbase, applications can be more customizable, user-friendly, and mobile than ever before. Our platform’s simple design and features can be picked up quickly and easily by team members with excel or database experience. Why not let problems be solved by those who work closest to them? Our technology can turn your ideas into action.

As a leader in the low-code revolution, we invite you to join us and let your business put the power of innovative app design to work. Find out how Quickbase can help your business to thrive and explore the possibilities of low-code application development.

Written By: Jessica Hawley
Jessica Hawley is a marketing manager at Quickbase, focused on SEO, content and social media.
Tags:
low code

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