In the field of Low-Code, represented in particular by Microsoft’s Power Platform, more and more companies are allowing their users to directly create the application functionalities necessary for their activities. Ahmad Sammour, Business Application Strategy Advisor at Ainos, discusses the benefits and challenges of this approach.
"Through dedicated development platforms, the goal is to provide business stakeholders with a set of tools to implement new features themselves, without having to write a single line of code," explains Ahmad Sammour, Business Application Strategy Advisor at Ainos. This allows the company to evolve more efficiently, innovate and adapt to user expectations. The aim is to enable the emergence of citizen developers, that is to say employees capable of directly implementing applications that meet their needs in the short or long term.’
Accelerating innovation, improving performance
Traditionally, professional developers were responsible for developing the applications and software features needed by business units. Development cycles can often be long and laborious, although Agile or DevOps approaches help speed them up by involving more business units. Going even further, the No-Code/Low-Code concept is now emerging at the heart of organizations.
The benefits of such an approach are manifold. "These platforms allow companies to become more agile, to respond more and more quickly to the needs of the company and the market, to accelerate innovation", summarises the Ainos expert. Indeed, the approach allows many ideas to materialise. It is no longer necessary to go through developers to meet an identified need.
“Users have the ability to act directly, from prefabricated components that are provided to them and that they can intuitively assemble”, Ahmad Sammour continues. ‘With democratised development opportunities, the organisation can save money and benefit much more quickly from performance gains.’
Pro-Code/No-Code, complementary challenges
"The other major advantage of this approach, especially since development skills are in high demand, is that it allows more to be done with smaller teams," adds the expert. Because Pro-Code developers, with the implementation of a Low-Code/No-Code approach, are equally indispensable. However, their role is evolving. "Enabling users to develop features with greater autonomy allows professional developers to focus on more complex aspects related to data analytics, artificial intelligence and automation needs", comments Ahmad Sammour.
“On the other hand, to meet the needs of the organisation, their mission is more focused on putting in place the elements from which teams can build new functionalities and integrate them. At this level, they explore levers to accelerate development. This means ensuring efficient deployment management or automating testing of user-proposed developments.’
Security and governance
In particular, the implementation of a Low-Code/No-Code approach requires the establishment of appropriate governance. "This is a crucial issue," says Ahmad Sammour. “If we allow teams more autonomy, we need to address security concerns and ensure the maintenance of deployed elements over time. There is a need for a robust framework that ensures compliance with security policies, procedures and organisational standards. This governance defines roles and responsibilities, as well as application approval processes. It also defines best practices to be implemented.
Technological and organizational transformation
Implementing a company-wide Low-Code/No-Code approach involves a major organisational transformation. "We support organizations interested in such an initiative," said Ahmad Sammour. “First and foremost, we help the company position itself by having a clear understanding of its challenges and setting clear goals. From there, we can define a transformation path, including the deployment of technological solutions adapted to the identified needs. In this regard, Ainos is a trusted partner of Microsoft, able to leverage its Power Platform to offer customers the full potential of combining Pro-Code and Low-Code approaches to drive organizational growth. "Beyond the technological solutions that can be deployed, our support also extends to team training and change management, allowing everyone to reposition themselves and generate value in the new environment", concludes the expert.
Article source: ITNation – Strengthening agility by embracing a Low-Code approach