Low Code

Low code/no code: Innovations for the digital future

Advancing digitalization presents companies with the challenge of developing software solutions quickly and efficiently in order to meet the increasing demands of the market.

Traditional software development often reaches its limits here - complex, time-consuming and expensive. This is precisely where low-code and no-code solutions come in. They make it possible to develop applications faster and more efficiently - even without in-depth programming knowledge. This not only enables companies to increase their innovative strength, but also to react more agilely to market changes.

Low-code and no-code offer the opportunity to establish citizen development - the development of applications by specialist departments. This relieves the burden on IT departments and at the same time brings valuable specialist expertise directly into the development processes. But despite the many advantages, there are challenges: How do you choose the right platform? What are the limits of these technologies? And how can Citizen Development be integrated securely and efficiently into existing structures?

At IPM, we have built up extensive expertise in the field of low-code and citizen development over the past three years. This experience enables us to offer innovative and practice-oriented solutions for digital transformation. On this basis, we have developed a range of services to provide you with the best possible support on your journey into the low-code world.

Our offer:

Education

With our practical training courses, we offer you the opportunity to further your education in the area of low-code and no-code.

Seminars

Our evening seminars offer a flexible and compact way to acquire new knowledge on low code, no code and related topics. We run practical sessions specifically designed to illustrate the use and benefits of modern development platforms. The seminars are designed for both beginners and advanced users and offer valuable insights and practical tips for the use of low-code and no-code tools.

Available seminars:

Shaping digitalization with AI and low code - Essentials

How low-code platforms enable digital transformation - Essentials

Automation of processes and robotic process automation (RPA) - Fundamentals

Individual appointments can be arranged for companies, institutions or larger groups. Please contact us.

Bootcamp

Our Low Code Bootcamp offers a practical introduction to the world of self-digitization with a focus on low code and generative AI. Under the motto “With low code and generative AI to my first app”, this intensive training is aimed specifically at non-computer scientists who want to develop their first own application without programming knowledge. The bootcamp teaches the basics and opens up new perspectives on digital self-development for participants - ideal for anyone who wants to implement their ideas independently and explore the possibilities of modern app development.

Free turtorial

Would you like to try out Low Code? Then take a look at our interactive tutorial “an app in two hours”.

Projects

Whether as a research partner, reviewer or source of inspiration for best practices - we support your projects from brainstorming to implementation. Student projects also offer the opportunity to develop innovative solutions.

Workshops

Would you like to delve deeper into the topics of low-code, no-code and citizen development? We offer customized management workshops that prepare your team for these future technologies in a practical way.

Consulting

If you have any questions about our low-code offers, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Prof. Dr. Rainer Endl

IPM Institut für Informations- und Prozessmanagement Professor für Wirtschaftsinformatik und Co-Leiter LowCodeLab@OST

+41 58 257 17 51 rainer.endl@ost.ch

Dr.Ing. Christoph Baumgarten

IPM Institut für Informations- und Prozessmanagement Dozent für Wirtschaftsinformatik

+41 58 257 17 64 christoph.baumgarten@ost.ch

Facts

Definitions

Low code

The term “low code” refers to a development platform that offers the advantage of requiring little manual programming and is based on visual development tools. The merging of code blocks using drag-and-drop allows for a significant simplification and acceleration of the creation of applications for business processes. Low-code platforms offer developers and technically skilled professionals the opportunity to develop applications without having to have in-depth programming knowledge in various programming languages. The use of low-code development can help increase efficiency and reduce costs by automating many steps and shortening development time.

No Code

No code is a further development of the low-code concept and opens up the possibility of developing apps without programming knowledge. These platforms are designed for users who have no technical knowledge. These include, for example, specialist departments or business users who want to quickly create individual software solutions. Predefined modules that are directly tailored to business functions allow complex applications to be created simply by configuring them.

Citizen Development

Low-code platforms have the potential to accelerate the development of software systems and provide broader support for development work. Whereas a team of developers used to produce code together using traditional development methods, the low-code approach enables professionals with basic IT skills to create and deploy software applications after a short training period. These people are able to implement the data model, the operating logic and even the user interface with visual design tools without having to understand the methods in detail. The term “citizen development” has become established for these people in recent years. This refers to users who develop professional software systems for other users or for themselves. As citizen developers generally have little programming knowledge, basic knowledge of programming and data modeling is an advantage. Low or no-code platforms are therefore provided for them.

Advantages and challenges

Advantages of low code and no code

Faster time to market:
Low-code and no-code platforms significantly accelerate development time. Changes and adaptations can be implemented in a short time, allowing companies to react quickly to market changes.

Relief for the IT department:
As business users and specialist departments can create applications themselves, the IT department is relieved and can concentrate on strategic tasks. The in-house development of smaller applications also saves resources and time.

Promotion of innovation:
By using low-code and no-code tools, Citizen Developers can respond directly to the needs of their departments. This promotes a culture of innovation as employees can test and implement ideas quickly.

Cost reduction:
Automation and the reduced need for specialized developers significantly lowers the overall cost of software development and maintenance. This allows companies to implement important software projects even with smaller budgets.

Easy integration and customization:
Many low-code and no-code platforms offer integrations with other systems and can be adapted to existing IT infrastructures, making it easier to deploy applications.

Challenges of low code and no code

Limited customization options:
Low-code and especially no-code platforms offer less flexibility than conventional programming approaches. Complex requirements that go far beyond standard processes are often difficult to implement.

Security and compliance risks:
Citizen developers can unintentionally create security and compliance risks as they may not have a comprehensive knowledge of IT security and regulatory requirements. This increases the risk of data leaks and other security-related issues.

Dependence on the platform provider:
Low-code and no-code tools are often proprietary, which makes companies dependent on the respective vendors. Changes to the platforms or license costs can make long-term planning more difficult.

Shadow IT and loss of control:
Citizen development can lead to the emergence of shadow IT, where IT departments do not have a complete overview of all applications used in the company. This can complicate the maintenance and management of the IT infrastructure and pose security risks.

Limited scalability for large applications:
Low-code and no-code tools are primarily designed for small to medium-sized projects. They often reach their limits with highly complex and scalable applications, which is why conventional development methods may make more sense for larger projects.