Many departments lack small applications: an approval workflow for orders, a data entry form, an overview of loaned equipment. Such projects are often too small for a classic software project but too important for a shared Excel list. Low-code platforms close this gap. They are used by IT, but also by trained specialists in the departments, who are often called citizen developers. The goal is to deliver applications faster and relieve IT without giving up control over data and processes.
How does low-code work?
- Visual design: Screens and forms are assembled by drag and drop.
- Workflow designer: Processes are modeled as flowcharts with triggers, conditions, and actions.
- Connectors: Ready-made integrations with common systems use their APIs in the background.
- Formulas and code for special cases: Where the building blocks are not enough, short expressions or scripts extend the logic.
- Platform operation: The platform handles hosting, user management, and updates.
A well-known example is the Microsoft Power Platform with Power Apps and Power Automate. No-code goes one step further and does without programming entirely, but is more limited as a result.
Typical examples
- A vacation or purchase request with multi-level approval.
- A mobile checklist for inspections or vehicle handovers.
- A form on a tablet records defects on the construction site, including a photo, and automatically creates a task.
- Email attachments are automatically saved to a library in SharePoint.
- A small app replaces a shared spreadsheet for issuing work equipment.
What companies should keep in mind
- Define governance: Who may build what, which environments exist for testing and production, and which connectors are allowed?
- Ensure ownership and documentation so that applications are not understood by just one person.
- Keep an eye on license costs, which can rise with the number of users and the scope of features.
- Review data flows and permissions, especially for connectors to external services.
- Recognize the limits: complex logic, high load, or central core processes are often better served by custom development.
How it differs
Low-code builds new applications and workflows, usually via interfaces. Robotic process automation, by contrast, operates existing user interfaces the way a person would. Both are tools of process automation and can be combined.
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