Low-code approach in IT project development

Low-code approach to IT project development

Low-code is a development concept in which developers are responsible for creating a constructor, a universal tool for solving complex and atypical tasks, from which all business requirements are subsequently formed. Low-code accelerates the introduction of new features into the project and reduces development costs.

Low-code principles

Creating a constructor

Learn more about the features of Low-code systems - KT.team

In the low-code concept, the developer is responsible for the presence of components in the constructor. Often, you don't need to write a constructor from scratch — LCDP/LCAP contains ready-made components. A business analyst receives a “manual” tool for designing and implementing most of the requirements, and developers are responsible for the highest quality performance of the constructor's components.

Visual modeling

Low-code platforms have an intuitive drag and drop interface with built-in components for displaying information that maintain the principle of self-documentability and ease of adjusting functionality.

Reducing development time

Low-code systems reduce development time - KT.team

While in the code-first paradigm, you have to wait for the developer to make any change, even the most minor one, in the low-code concept, many operational adjustments can be made by business analysts, and developers act as auditors of these changes. This gives developers time for other, more important tasks.

Comparing Low-Code with Code-First Development

Low-code (LCDP)

Code-first

Required resources for implementation

2—3 managers (or business analysts) and 1—2 developers.

A development team (~ 7 people) and 1 manager (or business analyst).

Implementation time

In the LCDP concept, development takes place in 3 stages: task — designer — ready-made functionality. Developers don't suffer from boring tasks, and in some cases businesses get changes faster.

In the code-first paradigm, development takes place according to the “task — ready-made solution” scheme. The Code-first cycle is longer, as every edit here goes through the normal development cycle.

Documentation

User interfaces, business processes, data and integrations in LCDP are visualized, which allows businesses to more clearly formulate requests for changes and have an unambiguous and understandable view (while respecting the naming).

Code and user documentation are always separated in the code-first paradigm. Additional efforts should be spent on maintaining documentation, which does not eliminate duplicates and ambiguity in the narrative.

Operation

LCDP is easier to put into operation due to its self-documentability and ease of unifying logging.

Commissioning requires a high level of development culture both from the developers themselves and from the company's management.

Retaining engineers

Engineers do not deal with routine tasks of the same type; their responsibility is to reuse design elements. This allows developers to focus on quality and businesses to focus on value.

When developers are responsible for delivering and modifying the final value, engineers burn out and businesses generate fewer changes. Solving these problems requires serious investments in developing a culture of communication and complex processes.

Cost of work

The main focus is on developing an existing designer or configuring an existing one; changes to the functionality can also be made directly by the customer. This reduces development time and the cost of a ready-made solution.

The cost of a ready-made solution is determined not only by development, but also by the need for further improvements and technical support, which increase the price tag significantly.

The advantages of the low-code concept

Flexibility in choosing a tool

A low-code constructor can be either a ready-made solution or one that requires development. In the future, functionality will be “collected” on its basis.

Less dependence on development

Advanced business users can adjust ready-made functionality on their own, while the IT department develops only fundamentally new components and logic.

The IT department is the “head”, not the “hands”

The IT department does not become an executor, but a consultant and controller of changes being made.

We work with systems

salesforce

Salesforce — комплексная low-code платформа, её возможности, преимущества и кейсы отраслевого применения.

mendix

Mendix — универсальная low-code платформа для разработки корпоративных приложений. Ускорьте процесс разработки корпоративных приложений и автоматизации бизнес-процессов с помощью платформы Mendix.

zoho

Zoho Creator: low-code платформа, её возможности, преимущества и отраслевые решения. Внедрение Zoho Creator позволяет ускорить текущий цикл разработки программного обеспечения в 10 раз.