“Low-Code is the way,” says Head of Research & Development at Profitbase

If you want to develop software faster and smarter, Low-Code is what you need, believes Tore Senneseth, Head of Research and Development at Profitbase AS.

Good software systems are essential for efficient business operations and lay the foundation for smart, fast and agile processes. Low-Code makes it possible to develop and maintain software systems faster and more easily.

“That’s why many people want it,” says Senneseth.

In an article from 2021, analysis firm Gartner highlighted a forecast where the worldwide market for Low-Code technology was estimated to be worth 13.8 billion dollars by the end of the year. In comparison with 2020, this represented a 22.6% increase.

Need for speed

Gartner refers to Low-Code Application Development as rapid application development or high-productivity development, with the possibility of using code or scripting only as needed. These tools offer a variety of features that automate application development activities, such as drag and drop editing, model-driven and visual development.

“To sum up, it means that people who are not software developers can create software,” says Senneseth.

What do you get by using Low-Code? You will be able to develop and customize software systems faster because you use ready-made components and fewer hours to get the job done. Shortage of access to developer resources also becomes a less limiting factor, since much can be done without high technical expertise.

Senneseth is keen to emphasize that although businesses are unique, the technical challenges of building software are largely universal.

“Low-Code works because the same technical mechanisms are repeated everywhere. Reading and writing data to files, databases or web APIs. Editing and viewing data in tables, lists, forms or graphs. Storing and processing documents and images. However, what is different from company to company is what the information means, and how it is handled. Here, Low-Code tools offer support for pro-code if there is a need for special tailoring,” he says and continues:

“That’s why it’s called Low-Code, and not No-Code. In Low-Code, you can code as needed, while No-Code provides no flexibility beyond what comes out of the package.”

He points out that No-Code will only work if you have a very specific and defined problem to solve.

“When building systems, a combination of Pro-Code and Low-Code is often a good way to go. Then you get full flexibility and control where you need it, but at the same time can enjoy the productivity that low-code tools offer. Then, people who lack technical knowledge but possess domain knowledge can also contribute directly to the development.”

The pandemic changed the pace

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic became a reality, which also had an impact on the Cow-Code world. In an article from 2021, Gartner stated that the increase in remote development during the pandemic would lead to increased adoption of Low-Code in the future. In 2022, Microsoft and Gartner predict that by 2025, 70-75 percent of business applications will be created using Low-Code tools.

“The reason why many choose Low-Code solutions is that it is safe, flexible, and comes with a lot of built-in functionality that allows you to quickly get value,” summarizes Senneseth.

Days instead of months

“Many Low-Code platforms are very mature. Our platform itself is around ten years old, which we of course have modernized continuously. We therefore have long experience in solving real problems that we see with customers,” he says, and adds that the platform often solves problems within days that developers can take weeks or months to implement manually.

“It’s simply about getting shit done as quickly and well as possible, and the Low-Code tool helps you do exactly that,” concludes Senneseth.