In today's fast-changing world, staying agile is a priority for every business. Developers are under increasing pressure to create and deliver software applications that align perfectly with market needs. Waiting for months for an application to be ready is no longer feasible, given the rising global competition. Traditional approaches in programming with lengthy development cycles cannot possibly address these pain points. Consequently, organizations are turning to low-code to speed up development and deployment.

Low code is a novel approach to software development where pre-built templates and drag-and-drop components are used to build applications-very little coding is involved. Of the various low-code tools available today, OutSystems stands out.

OutSystems is an enterprise-grade platform that allows businesses to streamline application development to an unprecedented degree. Its tools and infrastructure enable you to create interfaces with just a few clicks. Owing to its visual development environment, you don’t need a lot of programming knowledge. OutSystems’ built-in modules simplify most of the work. The platform also allows business and IT teams to work together to create solutions that add tangible value.

If you are someone exploring the realm of OutSystems, here are the key benefits you could expect.

6 Reasons for Choosing OutSystems Low-Code

Reduced Time-to-Market

Of all the benefits offered by OutSystems low-code platform, the most notable is its ability to speed up the delivery of applications. With OutSystems, software developers are able to create applications by simply using drag-and-drop functionalities. They do not need to write every single line of code. OutSystems’ built-in user interfaces, data models, and business process models further ease the process. As a result, technology organizations release high-impact applications much more quickly.

Improved Agility

Staying agile in this age of continuous disruption has become indispensable for any business. OutSystems custom development allows organizations to seamlessly adapt to change. It helps them meet evolving customer demands by launching digital solutions at a pace never seen before. Organizations might use modern technologies-cloud, microservices, and serverless computing-to build applications that deliver a consistent user experience across all touchpoints.

This newfound agility allows organizations to stay ahead of the competition. All too often, they gain a first-mover advantage too.

Development for Everyone

In many organizations, the IT department finds it difficult to deliver applications on time. This is largely because of their huge backlog of work. As a result, even the simplest of applications may take months to develop.

OutSystems’ low-code tools and infrastructure allow individuals with little to no coding experience to build custom business applications on their own. These applications are then approved by the IT teams. These so-called ‘citizen developers’ are no coding experts. But they have an in-depth knowledge of the business processes relevant to their departments. Plus, their digital skills are also up to the mark.

Using low-code, these citizen developers build applications that automate existing processes and solve their specific challenges. OutSystems-enabled citizen development thus helps clear IT backlog. It also reduces the time and cost spent on building internal business applications.

Reduced Shadow IT

Employees in many organizations have been found to use software and technology not sanctioned by their IT teams. They resort to these tools mainly to complete their job duties efficiently. Often, the IT teams are unable to provide them with a suitable solution in a timely manner. This practice-called shadow IT-makes an organization vulnerable to hacking and breaches. It also increases the likelihood of non-adherence with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. All this may result in financial penalties and reputational damage.

OutSystems combats shadow IT by attacking the root of the problem-employees lacking appropriate tools to perform their duties. Using OutSystems, non-technical employees such as a business analyst or the HR head might spin up solutions to get their job done. They don’t need to rely on IT to build the solution for them.

Additionally, the low-code platform provides a controlled environment where applications are built and maintained. This way, IT teams are able to monitor access to business-critical data. It also ensures regulatory compliance.

Simplified Maintenance

Keeping an application functional and up–to–date entails regular, timely maintenance. Maintaining applications is often a hassle, particularly for large-scale enterprises. OutSystems simplifies application maintenance and updates, minimizing the challenges involved.

OutSystems visual environment allows developers to easily update an application just by modifying specific components. No need to go through hundreds of lines of complex code. This also reduces the risk of introducing errors in the underlying code.

OutSystems also offers seamless version control and deployment features. This way, organizations easily manage application updates. They also find it easier to roll back to the previous version if needed.

Cost Savings

Cost is always an essential factor when building applications. Conventional software development comes with extensive coding, making it inherently costly. Outsystems’ custom development offers substantial cost savings over conventional methods.

First, OutSystems minimizes the need for hand-coding. This reduces the time and effort involved in developing applications, bringing down labor costs. Additionally, OutSystems offers reusable components. Instead of creating new functionality from the ground up every time, developers are able to use pre-built modules. This saves time and resources and further brings down development costs. Also, these modules are thoroughly tested before use. This ensures no bugs are introduced into the codebase, as these would be expensive to fix in the long run.

Speed up Innovation with OutSystems Custom Development

OutSystems low-code platform is a great alternative to traditional coding. It simplifies development and deployment, leading to improved developer productivity and increased opportunities for innovation. OutSystems also brings down the cost of building and maintaining software applications.

If you are planning to adopt OutSystems, prepare your organization for the transition. This will involve convincing the stakeholders of its long-term, not immediately apparent benefits. You’ll also need to identify relevant use cases for implementing low-code. By doing so, you’ll be able to realize its full potential.