How to build a business case to form your own internal Mendix team

Low-code platforms have been built to enable the development of apps without coding knowledge. Therefore, low code is enabling companies to take control and innovate faster with fewer resources. However, when you first start with low-code you need expertise to get you going. That’s when you select a low-code delivery partner that supports you in choosing which app idea to start with- someone who understands agile methodologies, has thorough expertise in building apps with low code, and can support your apps after going live. Yet, at some point, you will choose to strategically incorporate low-code in your digital transformation goals.

Can you keep innovating if you stay dependent on third party resources? Are your pockets deep enough and do you want more internal knowledge available to innovate in the future? Are you ready to build on your first app success so you can have the best return-on-investment and keep innovating?

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These are the steps to build a business case to start cultivating your own strategic internal Mendix team: 

Step 1: Determine the current development cost of your Mendix app.

Current Mendix Development Cost
Average # of full-time consultants X average duration of project per month* X average price per consultant per day = Your current Mendix Development Cost. 

Step 2: What is the right mix of hired expertise and internal knowledge? 

When you begin building your own Mendix team you will want to train you own Mendix employees. However, you cannot expect newly trained Mendix employees to be able to replace Senior Mendix Consultants right away. That’s why, you always have diversity in the level of expertise of your hires. Our advice is to bring in one Senior Mendix Developer from your Mendix Expert Partner for every 3 newly Trained Mendix Developers. This way, you always have a great, balanced team to keep on developing and ensure the quality of your app delivery.

Step 3: How do you calculate the business case?

There are a number of components when you estimate the cost and profits from taking the journey to independence from your Mendix partner. The price for hiring a Mendix consultant, the duration of your projects, and the cost of educating and employing new Mendix trainees. With these factors in mind, we can make an estimate of your final cost.

When you become independent, how do you keep control over the quality? To ensure that you can deliver quality products as an internal team, a couple of tools are essential, especially when Mendix has become strategic for you.

Step 4: How about quality control? 

The Mendix Application Test Suite (ATS) supports testing the newly developed code by your development as well as acceptance testing by the business. The Mendix Application performance monitor (APM) is also incredibly helpful, allowing you to control the performance of your app in the development stage as well as when operations needs to support. Together, these tools give governance over your projects to best ensure quality apps. Of course, this also allows you to save even more money because doing something right the first-time costs less than fixing issues after the fact.

Conclusion
As always, when Mendix becomes a strategic choice, the road to independence takes time but as a Mendix Expert partner, we are here to guide our customers through their digital transformation goals. We believe in empowering our customers to build on top of their first app success and have the best possible return on their investment, saving money and time that can be better used to innovate further; that is why we have a recognized Mendix Academy and quality tooling- to support this effort.

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Customer testimonial

“Together with CLEVR, we built a team of Mendix professionals to create a sustainable road of innovation at Zilveren Kruis. CLEVR’ approach with their Mendix Academy increases our quality and innovation continuity at lower cost by investing in an in-house practice.”
Hans Voorthuijzen, Head Information Management, Zilveren Kruis