Before low-code development, the alternative is to buy and win time to market, but lose agility, or build and win agility, but lose time to market. Now, low code enables companies to manage costs while combining agility and fast time to market to achieve differentiation.
A FileMaker ("Custom Application Status Report 2018") survey of 370 customers14 found that 91% of respondents who built custom applications with low code reported productivity gains, and more than half of them were affected. Interviewers reported a productivity increase of more than 40%. Overall, the survey found that 76% of respondents reported having achieved a return on investment (ROI) on these projects, and 77% of respondents realized a reduction in manual data entry.
Let's see what it looks like in the real world.
Imagine a medium-sized manufacturing company with a large SAP installation base, but salespeople use Salesforce. The company's on-site staff provide delivery and service for its products. Because the network connection at the customer site is unstable, they still use paper forms on site.
Now think about it, the same on-site staff and customers are on site. The customer wants to order new parts, but the on-site staff cannot visit SAP on site. Therefore, on-site staff must introduce customers to their sales representatives, or write down the order requirements, and then return to the office for processing. Sales that are handled entirely by field staff may also bypass Salesforce altogether, so sales activities and metrics will be inaccurate. This is a typical situation for most organizations engaged in field services. The system and the mixture of manual and digital processes are both inefficient and error-prone.
If they invest in the right combination of low code, serverless, PaaS and SaaS, what will happen now?
Manufacturing companies can:
- Build a simple native mobile application that can work offline, and optimize the efficiency of on-site staff through a low-code data input platform.
- Integrate SAP and its inventory data into mobile applications, enabling field staff to handle sales remotely.
- Use a serverless process to synchronize bulk order changes from SAP through the application.
- Use low code to extend the level of interaction between Salesforce and SAP and mobile apps in order to accurately track all sales.
Manufacturing companies now have a rich and powerful ecosystem that utilizes serverless, SaaS, PaaS, and traditional systems, all of which are linked together to drive higher returns. As the rework caused by manual errors is reduced, and on-site workers do not waste time on data entry, the company saves costs. While optimizing their sales and maintaining products, they not only solve existing problems, but also use new technologies to significantly improve customer experience and increase profits (such as augmented reality, AI/ML algorithms, etc.).
The above example is not just a theory, companies that are following this development direction have begun to reap the benefits.
Low code and its synergy with new innovative technologies (such as serverless computing and SaaS and PaaS solutions) bring the best of both worlds to the enterprise. Companies can use these new technologies to build an agile IT ecosystem through flexible and secure customization, linking key business core software with the amazing potential of AI, ML, and predictive analytics. Through a well-thought-out balance between building and buying, your organization can continuously evolve, upgrade, and innovate. With low code, you can connect different systems, gain more competitive advantages through new technologies, and adapt to the constantly disruptive environment.
Your organization must challenge conventional wisdom and traditional choices in order to thrive and compete.
Are you ready?