Demand for enterprise software is higher than ever before, and the recent rise of cloud computing means this demand will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. In 2019, International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasted a need for 500 million new digital applications by 2023 [1]. If you're wondering whether the world has enough coders to deliver such a massive quantity of software, you are not alone.

The need for new software, and the shortage of programming talent (not to mention the high cost) has given rise to a new kind of programming. Low-code platforms let the user select code modules within a graphical interface. The modules are mainly aimed at providing a kind of basic framework for the more generic parts of the application code. Many low-code platforms even allow the user to combine the individual modules via drag-and-drop. Users can customize the graphically displayed program step by step and then extend it with passages of DIY code as needed.

Today, low-code platforms are an important option for accelerating software development and shifting some of the load out of the IT department. One important benefit of low-code development is that, by simplifying the programming process, low-code empowers the subject matter expert to play a greater role in software development. However, despite the extensive simplifications compared to conventional software development, the use of low-code isn't always totally straightforward. As a rule, users need at least some basic IT skills. Another recent programming paradigm known as no-code lowers the bar still further, allowing users with no programming background at all to get in the game (see the box entitled "No-Code for Non-Coders").

Via Drag-and-Drop to the API

One of the reasons for the emergence of low-code and no-code programming is that business environments, manufacturing pipelines, and IT infrastructures in general have come to resemble a series of discrete components stitched together through program code (Figure 1). The low-code metaphor of building with building blocks fits easily into this paradigm.

Figure 1: Thanks to the selection and combination of prebuilt modules, low-code software provides a faster and simpler authoring process than conventional programming. © Denis Putilov / 123rf.com

Implementing Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) is often just as complicated as developing the actual software. Many low- and no-code platforms provide a simple solution. You can create the required APIs and then connect them using straightforward drag-and-drop techniques. For example, you can define the data fields required for a web interface that will initiate the API endpoint when the necessary data arrives. Using an API request, another application can then execute processes based on predefined logic.

Many low- and no-code platforms act as a middleware layer that glues large parts of the enterprise communication together (Figure 2). Thanks to web-based REST APIs, versatile data formats, and a wide variety of connectors, legacy and third-party systems no longer pose an obstacle. Even the migration from various legacy databases becomes a background process. A well-connected API ecosystem can incorporate diverse production assets, and large parts of the data transfer between trading partners are increasingly automated through APIs.

Figure 2: Building a program with a visual display of fields and relations: The menu on the left contains the various types of fields you can use to create a data table.

Application Case: Printing Industry

The type of flexibility offered by low-code and no-code platforms is particularly evident in operations that have very specific scalability and data-processing requirements. One example of this scenario is the printing industry. The industry is currently subject to rapid digital change, and transformation often takes place in many small individual steps. As a result, the infrastructure is often highly fragmented. In addition, countless small orders requiring tiny data portions (such as a customer address) often need to be collected or sent to production. For these reasons, low-code and no-code platforms have become a very popular in print shops.

From the initial contact with the customer to production, large chunks of the data transfer can occur through API connections. This starts with an e-commerce system that handles the front end and payment processing, followed by a print-on-demand order arriving at the press, and ending with packaging and a shipping label. Without this high level of automation, especially in administrative processes, many companies would face economic problems in times of declining demand. A low-code programming environment can quickly adapt the underlying software as needed when conditions change. That was the case, for example, in the COVID-19 pandemic, when printers lost a large portion of their conventional orders for things like menus or wedding invitations. Individual companies succeeded in using low-code and no-code techniques to adapt the process for creating alternatives products, such as posters and custom jigsaw puzzles. This kind of flexibility could prove to be a decisive factor for future companies competing in a changing market.

Conclusions and Outlook

The shortage of professional programmers and the huge demand for custom software mean that low-code and no-code platforms will continue to serve an important role. AI-supported troubleshooting, as well as emerging techniques such as voice input, will further expand the reach of visual programming in software development.

Market researchers at Gartner [2] predict that the volume of the low-code sector will grow by almost 20 percent to $26.9 billion in 2023. Development platforms that serve this need are expected to make up the largest and fastest-growing segment. Researchers also predict that, by 2026, around three quarters of all new applications will be based on low-code or no-code.

Of course, low-code/no-code technology is not a panacea. Users typically need a high level of process knowledge and at least some basic IT skills. In addition, the generic nature of the code modules limits the functionality of low-code/no-code techniques in highly differentiated business cases. In the coming years, the task for platform developers will be to further expand the possible uses for low-code/no-code programming without impairing the user experience.

The Author

Torben Daudistel is the technical managing director of Necara GmbH and has extensive experience in the field of software development. A founder of the no-code platform saas.do, Torben is committed to helping both programmers and non-programmers turn their ideas into software projects.