Why develop a low code application ?

low-code-application-development

At a time when responsiveness is paramount, low-code development, based in particular on the Power Platform, is enjoying great success. Here is a look at what is driving companies towards this technological choice today.

IT is evolving faster and faster. The business is looking for simple and quick solutions. If the IT department does not offer a quick solution, end users will tend to create their applications themselves (this is known as "Shadow IT"). The IT department must nevertheless be able to guarantee the aspects of security, integrity, maintainability, etc.

How can these needs be met in an application development strategy?

In a context where many companies work with Microsoft tools, the data is distributed in these applications (the Office 365 suite, Azure, Dynamics CRM, etc.). The challenge is therefore to transform this data into business potential via simple applications, while respecting the constraints of security, data protection, etc.

The development of business solutions based on the low-code or no-code platform could therefore be the solution.

Low Code: application development for everyone

Low code development solutions are, as their name suggests, accessible to users without programming skills. They allow you to quickly create innovative applications via a simple graphic interface. There is no need to call on the company's IT department.

This is the case with Microsoft Power Platform, which has the added advantage of using the tools that many people already use on a daily basis. This makes it much easier to adopt new applications.

Rapid application development of course represents opportunities in terms of collaboration, internal and external company communication, automation, process optimisation or efficiency.

Microsoft Power Platform: multiple possibilities

By using tools whose ergonomics are well known to users, Microsoft Power Platform supports people in the business in the development of several types of solutions.

As a matter of fact, Power Platform includes 4 products :

  • Power BI, which allows you to analyse data and develop customised dashboards. It is a powerful tool that offers many possibilities.
  • Power Apps, allows the development of simple applications such as the creation of forms or small applications that effectively replace Excel or Access
  • Power Automate, focuses on process automation. It allows you to set up workflows, aiming at automating routines and thus saving time. For example, it is possible to automate the saving of e-mail attachments in OneDrive, to design an approval flow and define e-mail alerts, to automatically create tasks, ....
  • Power Virtual Agents can be used to create "out of the box" Artificial Intelligence services such as chatbot, voice recognition, translation...

It is obvious that these no code / low code development tools have their limits. The databases designed by end users can easily be completed by developers.

What are the advantages of low code development with Power Platform?

Companies are now attracted to low code development and the Power Platform solution for many reasons :

  • Business opportunities - Through the low code approach, data (Office, Azure, Dynamics, ...) can be integrated into innovative applications and represent significant opportunities, including process optimisation, data mining, efficiency gains, productivity, and responsiveness.
  • Security and IT compliance - Although initiated by the business, low-code application design respects IT guidelines, such as security, technology harmony, or centralised application deployment.
  • Fit for purpose - End users (business) are involved from the beginning of the project. They participate in the design and evolution of innovative applications, based on tools they know.
  • Productivity and efficiency - Power Platform enables faster access to information, centralisation of processes and data within an application, avoidance of double-coding and automation of tasks.
  • User Experience - Power Platform is easy to use, incorporates Unified Interface concepts, and a responsive design. It is based on tools that are widely used by end users and generates tools that are fully integrated with Microsoft 365.
  • Time to market / Agility - The Power Platform gives users the ability to create custom solutions that accelerate business. Simply, quickly and cost-effectively.

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Contraste Europe proposes experienced specialists to support you throughout your Microsoft Power Platform project : opportunity study, configuration, integration, training, support...

Our concern is to combine a "business" approach with advanced technical expertise, and to make the end-users autonomous.