While low code has long been considered a niche product for citizen developers or basic apps, that’s no longer the case. It now plays a key role in enterprise-grade IT stacks and is critical in achieving an agile, scalable digital ecosystem.
In fact, chief information officers (CIOs), chief technology officers (CTOs), and product leads who fail to understand the role of low code as a strategic tool in their technological arsenals may find their businesses falling behind competitors and struggling to innovate.
Low code is only going to get more powerful from here, so now is the time to prepare. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the low code development future and offer five essential insights to future-proof your company’s approach to digitization.
Short on Time? Here Are CLEVR’s 5 Predictions for the Future of Low Code
- Low code will increasingly be used to build mission-critical enterprise software.
- App development will be driven by fusion teams that include business and IT users working side by side.
- Strong governance frameworks will be crucial to ensuring that low code is used effectively.
- The most significant impacts of low code will come from integrations with existing enterprise systems.
- Low code will transform product roadmaps and enable faster, more iterative delivery cycles.
5 Predictions for the Low Code Development Future
1. Low code is now enterprise-grade. And will continue scaling fast
Low code started as a tool citizen developers and non-technical teams used to build relatively basic software. However, over the past few years, low code capabilities have grown dramatically. Now, it’s increasingly being used to build robust, complex platforms and mission-critical apps at the center of companies’ IT stacks.
Advances like native integrations for cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Snowflake, have significantly increased the scalability of low code platforms. It’s now possible, for example, to build a customer-facing app in Mendix low code and host it on an AWS cloud server to meet unlimited digital demand.
At the same time, performance improvements and a wider range of ready-made, secure integrations have made low code a better fit for existing enterprise-grade systems. Low code apps can plug in seamlessly wherever you need them, instead of requiring custom development to connect them to your company’s other software.
CLEVR predicts that in the coming years, enterprise-ready capabilities of low code will encourage more companies across more industries to adopt this technology. That, in turn, could fuel new use cases, new integrations, and more widespread proof that low code is built to scale—kicking off a flywheel of even more adoption and more investment in this space.
2. Fusion teams will be the face of app development
One of the big advantages of low code is that it enables an entirely new model of collaboration: fusion teams that include both business-side and IT-side users working together to build software.
Fusion teams are more agile since they allow business and IT users to prototype, build, and iterate in a single software platform. The result is faster product delivery with greater relevance to problems that business users and customers actually face.
IT users, meanwhile, can delegate certain aspects of software design and development, reducing technical debt. Fusion teams also promise to be more innovative by bringing together distinct perspectives and incorporating feedback from both business and IT users.
CLEVR predicts fusion teams will be as popular in the near future as agile workflows are today. Companies need to prepare for this today by breaking down traditional department silos and building frameworks for product leads, business analysts, and developers to work collaboratively.
3. Governance and security can’t be afterthoughts
While low code’s potential to enable fast development is exciting, it will also bring challenges. One of the chief challenges enterprises will face is governance—controlling who can access low code tools, how low code apps are overseen and audited, and how software lifecycles are managed.
In the absence of strong governance measures, it can be easy for companies to see many overlapping or single-purpose apps designed by different development teams. These “shadow” apps can also present security and compliance issues, particularly in regulated industries such as finance or healthcare.
The solution is to ensure your company has governance and security models in place proactively, before low code tools are rolled out widely to your workforce. In other words, governance and security need to be built into all low code products your company creates.
4. Integration will be the key to real impact
Low code platforms are great for designing standalone software, but their real impact comes when they’re connected to your business’s core systems. For instance, you can integrate low code into enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) software and existing databases.
Integration enables your company to use low code to extend and customize enterprise platforms, build new user interfaces for outdated systems, incorporate AI analysis pipelines, and much more.
Looking ahead, CIOs and CTOs will need to prioritize strategies that support integration. For example, application programming interfaces (APIs), middleware, and data synchronization pipelines all help connect data across enterprise systems, setting the stage for low code development. By building up integration capabilities now, your company will be able to implement low code more quickly and realize its full benefits.
5. Low code will redefine product roadmaps and innovation cycles
Lastly, CLEVR predicts low code will blur traditional lines within enterprise companies.
Product managers won’t just define requirements for new digital products and services—they’ll also be expected to co-own digital delivery alongside professional developers. At the same time, the distinction between internal apps and customer-facing apps may fade, as low code supports both and unlocks more customizability in user access management.
More broadly, business leaders should expect faster prototyping and a shift to iterative product development combined with continuous feedback loops. Low code is a major enabler of agile workflows, so companies need to be prepared to adopt an agile approach for product delivery and innovation.
How to Prepare Your Organization for the Low Code Future
CIOs, CTOs, and product leads need to start preparing for the future of low code to stay ahead. Here are four key changes you can make today:
Create a low code center of excellence
Establishing a working group on low code that includes business leaders, product managers, and developers can help set the stage for future implementation and scalability.
Within this center of excellence, you and your team members can discuss opportunities for low code deployment, create governance guidelines, and develop resources for employee training.
Invest in training
Training both technical and non-technical users on how to use low code tools effectively is essential. Training not only provides employees with the skills they need to use low code and adhere to governance requirements, but also helps break down resistance to change.
Build standards and guardrails that scale
You can start planning for low code governance now by instituting scalable processes and approval workflows for development. Make sure these workflows are applicable to cross-functional teams that include both business and IT collaborators.
Encourage a culture of experimentation
A major advantage of low code is that it enables faster, more iterative development cycles. Adopting agile workflows within your organization now can prepare your workforce to rapidly iterate with low code tools in the future.
How CLEVR Helps CIOs and Product Teams Lead the Way
CLEVR serves as a strategic partner for enterprise-scale companies interested in adopting low code. The company offers tailored consulting, technical expertise, and implementation support to help your business identify and act on opportunities for low code development.
CLEVR has real-world experience and proven outcomes across industries, including manufacturing, finance, the public sector, and healthcare.
Learn more about CLEVR’s low code solutions to find out how it can help your company scale securely and drive innovation across teams.
The Future Is Fast, Collaborative, and Low Code-Powered
Low code is a strategic enabler that helps enterprise companies be more agile and innovative—and the future of low code looks bright.
Organizations that embrace low code now will outpace competitors in speed, adaptability, and customer focus, giving them a serious advantage. To prepare for a low code-powered future, CIOs, CTOs, and product leaders should start evolving their mindsets, team structures, and governance today.
Ready to get started? Check out CLEVR’s guide to the best low code platforms.
Research Methodology
This guide is based on insights from CIOs, CTOs, product leads, and IT professionals currently using low code platforms in enterprise settings. It also draws on industry reports of low code trends and surveys of business leaders regarding their future expectations for low code.
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FAQ
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Will AI replace low code?
Although AI can speed up development and even write code from scratch, it’s not a replacement for low code. AI coding tools are designed for developers, whereas low code software enables business and IT users to work collaboratively. Reassuringly, most companies aren’t concerned about AI replacing low code. In a recent survey, 84% of respondents indicated that AI will not replace low code in their businesses.
What is the most important trend in low code?
The most important trend in low code is the adoption of low code tools by enterprise-scale companies for back-end and mission-critical systems. Low code is increasingly being used to build complex, highly scalable systems or update outdated enterprise software. This trend could accelerate in the future, with low code becoming one of the primary ways enterprise companies build out their digital systems.
