The Rise of Low Code – No Code in the Industry

While no-code and low-code solutions have been highly popular among startups, they are now gaining traction among SMEs and large enterprises. These tools allow non-developers to quickly create applications without requiring programming skills, bringing agility and speed to business users.

Names like Airtable, Bubble, and Webflow may not be familiar to many, but their no-code and low-code solutions represent a significant advancement in the software industry for the years to come. According to analysts from the Emergen Research firm, this market is expected to experience an annual growth rate of over 24% from 2020 to 2028. The promise of these providers is ambitious: creating applications without writing a single line of code! This is what’s known as “citizen developers,” enabling any business user to create their own tools with just a few clicks, without the assistance of a developer.

Julien Vacher, founder of Phydius, a collective of no-code developers, explains: “The first companies to take an interest in no-code were startups. Developing an application is very costly, and there’s a shortage of developers. Many naturally turned to no-code services on the web to create an initial version of their application. This beta version allowed them to test the market and… find investors.” This trend has demonstrated the relevance of this approach, and today, all companies, including industrial ones, are showing interest in it.

Noxcod, an agency specialized in no-code development, still completes 30 to 40% of its projects for startups, but more and more companies are turning to this alternative to traditional development. Dominique Silvestre, the CEO of Noxcod, states: “We have many SMEs approaching us to create appointment booking platforms, employee management systems, or calculators for generating quotes…” In addition to the speed of creation and low cost, no-code also allows companies to internalize future updates to their applications. “In the case of a calculator, the company can edit the price calculation formula and potentially modify it if the product changes,” he adds, emphasizing that large companies now represent 20% of their business.

Low code – no code addresses the agility needs of large enterprises and offers them cost-effective and rapid solutions. These tools also provide an alternative to the chaotic development of Excel spreadsheets by employees over the decades. Many Excel sheets contain complex data and macros that precisely address their creator’s needs but become impossible to maintain when that person leaves the company. Additionally, this data is not shared across different departments of the organization.

Small no-code applications can effectively replace these chaotic developments and reduce what is known as “shadow IT.” Major software vendors now offer low-code solutions that allow the integration of computer code within a visual interface. Among the leaders in this market are OutSystems, Mendix (a Siemens Digital Industries Software subsidiary), Microsoft, Salesforce, and ServiceNow, according to the specialized firm Gartner. Oracle, Pega, and Appian are also prominent players.

Companies are also exploring ways to harness the potential of their “citizen developers”, employees capable of creating no-code or low-code applications. Some companies establish Power Platform competence centers, for instance, to train and support their employees in using these tools while maintaining a strong governance structure.

Ultimately, low code – no code offers tremendous potential for the industry by enabling business users to quickly create tailored applications, reducing costs, and enhancing agility. However, strict governance and careful planning are essential to prevent the uncontrolled proliferation of applications and ensure the sustainability of no-code and low-code solutions in the professional world.

Image from : Code quality: a concern for businesses, bottom lines, and empathetic programmers – Stack Overflow