Businesses have an increasing need for low-code technologies, and choosing the right low-code platform can be a real challenge. The ease and efficiency that the right platform offers can help any company get to the next level by minimizing costs, scaling up operations, and updating services–no matter the coding expertise of their team.
A low-code platform offers visual development tools and plugins so a company can build powerful business apps at a fraction of the usual coding time. With reduced development time, the company also conserves revenue.
The market for low-code platforms continues to expand with a plethora of low-code vendors, so picking the perfect fit for your business is a tall order. Evaluate your options with the following criteria to select the right low-code platform for your company and avoid costly mistakes.
Identify the Needs of the Business
The first step is to define the role of a low-code platform for your business. Will you be using it to help achieve your company’s app delivery goals more efficiently? Are you starting from scratch or can you upgrade your current tools? Is it time to update legacy code? Will you be using it in the hopes of reducing manpower and maximizing the productivity of your current staff?
There are many ways a low-code platform can help your business, so do your due diligence and perform proper research regarding your choices. The perfect fit will be the one that answers most of your questions, preserves your bottom line, and meets the overall needs of your business.
A helpful rule to keep in mind is to consider a low-code platform with many features because it can help make your IT stack a whole lot simpler, avoid redundancies, and save you time, labor, and money.
Evaluate Use Cases
Different low-code platforms offer different features. Some may seem easier to use but are extremely limited. Others may seem more complex but offer better portability and are more suitable for developing powerful business apps. Do you need to switch between low-code and hand-coding? Consider tools that will maximize the productivity of your developers.
Some platforms are more suitable for building mobile apps. On the other hand, some solutions are perfect for companies that maintain a ton of databases. If possible, invest in a solution that can handle multiple use cases.
Identify Your Team
Even if low-code platforms greatly reduce the coding expertise needed to create powerful apps, it does not mean that everyone is cut out to use them. Therefore, it is imperative that you know who your target developers are and if they can use the platform to its full potential.
The dreaded ‘shadow IT’ has a lot of CIOs worried about who can make changes to their applications. Just because a solution is low-code does not mean you want just anyone to have access to your applications. Consider how your team will manage the low-code platform.
Assess the Vendors
Not all vendors are created equal and it is reasonable to make a final decision based on what the vendor provides. Check the fees, security, and vendor support.
Budget is a huge consideration when choosing the right low-code platform for your business. The cheapest option might work in the short term, but how sustainable is the vendor? Some vendors say they are low-code, but how can your developers maintain the back-end code?
Security is also a top priority when choosing the vendor. Take a close look at how a specific vendor handles both internal and external security. Of course, you would want to protect your data against security breaches.
Lastly, check their customer support. Post-sale assistance is often overlooked so make sure that you have considered this before making a decision.
Yes to Low-Code!
Different low-code platforms offer different features. Some come with more complex features than others. Some seem to be easier to use but have an inflexible architecture that will make it challenging for a business to customize.
At the end of the day, your decision can affect your company moving forward. Use the criteria above to help you determine the ideal platform for you.
After taking all of these steps into consideration, it is time to start building and seeing what will work for your business! Profound.js Spaces is the #1 low-code JavaScript platform for enterprise application development. Create an account for free today to begin exploring the world of low-code.
