Building apps without technical knowledge? Everything about the rise of low-code software development (via Power Platform)

Just about every research firm predicted a rapid rise of low-code platforms for 2024. And indeed: at The Flow too we see both small and (medium-)large companies investing in this. Not so illogical, because low-code software development is as cost-efficient as it is scalable. Ideal for companies that are struggling with limited resources in this war for talent. But what exactly does low-code entail? And how can Power Platform help with that?

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What are low-code platforms?

Low-code platforms are used to quickly design apps, workflows or processes with simple functionality. They are an excellent way to accelerate the development process. And to bridge any backlogs.

This way, business users with a certain technical affinity, the so-called ‘citizen developers’, can easily put apps together. How? Low-code platforms contain graphical user interfaces, templates and drag-and-drop functionalities. These ensure that app development is comparable to editing an Excel sheet.

Microsoft Power Platform is just about the most leading low-code platform of today. With tools such as Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI, users can simply build your next business application.

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Low-code versus regular development: some differences at a glance

Ideally, as an organisation you deploy three types of professionals for Power Platform use: the citizen developers (= users with limited programming knowledge), the Pro developers (Power Platform experts who guide citizen developers or build the solution themselves) and seasoned developers (separate from Power Platform). On the basis of this, we would like to clarify some differences between low-code versus traditional development.

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Different technical requirements

Of course, many applications do require technical knowledge, and experience with multiple programming languages such as Java and Python. Certainly when the app has to offer very specific, complex or unique functionalities. Or when they require high performance or very optimised code. Think of gaming or real-time data processing. For such applications, as a developer you have to be familiar with various frameworks and tools.

If speed, flexibility and accessibility are paramount in your app? Then you can get started faster and more cheaply with a low-code platform such as Microsoft Power Platform. Here at The Flow we see enormous added value in terms of process automation. Approval processes, data entry and reporting, that is. Leave requests, expense reports, ticketing systems: all of it is possible.

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Shorter time-to-market

Try, fail, adjust, repeat: this mantra is commonplace in the world of software development. You obviously can’t easily launch an application that doesn’t do what it promises. Long and complex development cycles and a large budget are needed to pull this off.

Low-code platforms such as Power Platform promise a seamless and flexible workflow with which you can quickly launch applications. This way the traditional barriers of extensive coding and testing phases are considerably reduced. Users benefit from intuitive drag-and-drop functionalities and pre-built templates, allowing them to quickly bring applications to life.

In addition to a significant time saving in time-to-market, it also helps you quickly respond to changing market demand. And that immediately brings us to the last point: flexibility.

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Flexibility and adaptability

Today, organisations are evolving faster than ever. But your application landscape has to be able to grow along with it. Traditional coding techniques are often quite rigid. They require extensive development cycles, specific skills and lengthy implementation processes. As we already raised above, this leads to delays and missed opportunities. This lack of flexibility makes it difficult to respond quickly to changing circumstances and trends.

This stands in stark contrast to low-code, which offers a modular setup and intuitive interface. This way, as an organisation you can quickly adapt your apps according to changing market needs and different user preferences. This agility means you can innovate faster, giving you a head start on the competition. And that is now a prerequisite for sustainable success.

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Getting started with low-code? Don’t forget your governance!

In short: low-code platforms such as Power Platform are a smart investment for companies to maximise their ROI. And a must for everyone who wants to make their technology spending future-proof. At the same time, it is important to know that it is more than a technical story. To start with, for example, you need a governance framework.

Curious to know more? Request more info about our Power Center of Excellence with no obligation, the start for your successful Power Platform approach!