Low Code No Code Platforms

While there are many benefits of low-code no-code platforms that are driving adoption, these tools are not without their challenges. However, some steps can be taken to help minimize the impact of or negate these challenges.

• Limited Customization

  Challenge: No-code platforms are the most restrictive of customization, focusing only on pre-build elements.

  Solution: When choosing a low-code platform that is more flexible to customization, evaluate for the ability to custom script or support API integrations.

• Security Concerns

  Challenge: Low-code platforms could lead to oversights in security if code is not vetted or new vulnerabilities or best practices emerge.

  Solution: Stay ahead of security by regularly auditing, checking for vulnerabilities, and addressing additional precautions (e.g., strong identity and access controls). More regulated industries should look to platforms supported by large teams with documented security best practices, including documentation on certifications such as ISO, SOC2, FedRAMP, or HITRUST, as needed. Establish service level agreements as necessary.

• Rigid Templates and Components

  Challenge: When designing an application, developers may hit a wall where the existing templates or components are unsuitable and cannot be customized enough (particularly for no-code platforms).

  Solution: Have a more thorough idea of what you want to build so that you can vet templates and components before choosing and working with a tool. Choose a tool that allows for the customization required for the application design, ensuring the tool follows open standards and can run on any hardware or OS.

  Critical: While these tools make it easier and faster to develop products, developing the right product and developing the product right requires that organizations continue to leverage the entire new product development process.

• Limited Integration Options

  Challenge: Integrating low-code and no-code platforms with existing enterprise systems and databases or with other systems could be complex, particularly with legacy systems.

  Solution: Choose a platform that offers extensive API support and listed integrations to desired platforms, applications, or services, as well as the option to support with coding, as integrations may involve complex transformations or mappings that are not well supported by a visual interface.

• Governance

  Challenge: Ongoing maintenance of low-code and no-code platforms can be a challenge for users who are not familiar with or when platforms do not align with internal policies and practices.

  Solution: Ensure you choose a platform that offers the capabilities necessary to meet compliance requirements, includes regular and automated updates, and offers a wide range of maintenance features.

• Debugging and Troubleshooting

  Challenge: Some low-code and no-code platforms lack extensive testing or debugging capabilities, particularly for unit testing.

  Solution: Ensure the platform can support testing and debugging with log details to troubleshoot as necessary.

• Limited Extensibility

  Challenge: Some low code and no code platforms lack development control at one or more levels, including the front-end, back-end, database, and integration, either limiting how developers can work with the code or how data is consumed or exposed, creating data silos and limiting how systems can work together.

  Solution: Ensure you choose a platform that provides the level of extensibility you require to ensure the greatest control and flexibility. For organizations with legacy systems or needing the greatest flexibility, ensure you can leverage pre-built extensions and integrations and build your own.

• Platform Lock-In

  Challenge: As with any software choice, there is a risk of platform lock-in when an application is developed using pre-built components or templates proprietary to a platform. Some platforms prohibit code from being moved or reused outside the platform.

  Solution: Leverage trusted vendors and read terms carefully to avoid lock-in.

• Scalability Constraints

  Challenge: The ability to scale the application to support large numbers of users or to spin up new databases is a concern for any organization. This is a top concern of low-code app development, but some of the concern is not justified (although this is not universal.).

  Solution: Thoroughly read the documentation in the chosen platform to understand the limits of the code and where alterations can be made to support long-term scalability if needed.

• Complexity of advanced functionality

  Challenge: While low code and no code platforms are easy solutions for simple applications or features, as applications increase in their requirements, this can increase the complexity of using these systems, with less straightforward ways to add code, add integrations, and data-related issues related to imports or significant volume processing.

  Solution: Know when low code no code is correct for your project or architect your project such that low code no code platforms are leveraged for autonomous components of a larger microservices based application.

• Software development constraints

  Challenge: Some platforms do not adhere to software development practices that may be in play at an organization (e.g., version control, collaboration), leading to quality control issues when changes are not tracked, when changes are overwritten or if updates cannot be rolled back.

  Solution: Ensure the tool of choice supports software development practices and has documented processes to avoid or settle merge conflicts.

• Learning curve for platform-specific skills

  Challenge: Some non-developer users or even some developer users may face a learning curve in understanding how to use these tools and what capabilities are at hand, a challenge that can add unforeseen time and expense to application development.

  Solution: Organizations looking to accelerate application development with low-code and no-code tools have the option of offering comprehensive training (either with an internal staffer or third party) or hiring a skilled outsourcing partner to initial development and make the most of these valuable tools in the fastest, most optimized way. The ideal partner can also train internal staff to support ongoing governance.