Low-code Buyer's Guide

for Enterprise
Application Development
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 02

What are Low-code Application Development Platforms? 03

How is Low-code Different from Traditional Application Development Methods?

Low-code Vs. No-code: A Brief Comparison

Is Low-code a Viable Option for Enterprise Application Development 05

When Should You Use a Low-code Application Development Platform?

When is Low-code Not the Right Choice for Your Development Project?

Introducing Professional Low-code, Perfect for Rapid Development of Mission- 08

critical Business Applications
Examples of Modern Business Applications Built Using a Professional Low-code

Platform

Case Study [Honda Australia]

Case Study [Elders]

Checklist for Buying a Low-code Platform for Enterprise Application 10

Development

Visual LANSA's Best Features for Enterprise Application Development 13

Simplify Application Development with Professional Low-code 15

01
Introduction
According to Gartner, over 50% of all medium and large-scale organizations will use a
low-code development platform in the upcoming years as one of their primary
application platforms.

Undeniably, the need for a faster and more reliable method to build an application is at
its peak.

The conventional application development method, which is slow and cumbersome,

doesn't work anymore. Making an application without having to spend a lot of money
is what most newbies and successful businesses seek. An excellently designed
application that addresses all the IT needs of a company has the potential to turn
around the fortune of a struggling business.

Development of high-end enterprise applications without much hassle is only possible

with a professional low-code platform. By determining the requirements, creating an
application accordingly, and automating workflows quickly, developers can build a
flexible and scalable application.

As the experts in this industry, LANSA has shouldered the responsibility of helping
developers find the right tool. In this guide, you will learn everything about low-code
platforms and why they are a vital option for your application development.

02
What are Low-code Application
Development Platforms?
Low-code software development platforms enable professional developers, power
users, and citizen developers to build, test, and deploy high-end applications through
visuals, requiring little to no coding. Low-code application development platforms are
perfect for rapid application development (RAD) because of features like drag and
drop designers, prototyping wizards, and more.

How is Low-code Different from Traditional Application

Development Methods?

Traditional application development methods rely on written code and the use of
programming languages, while low-code adopts a visual development approach. It
uses model-driven logic, a user-friendly graphic interface, and drag-and-drop
components to democratize development. This platform enables developers of all
levels to create both web and mobile applications with ease.

Also, when developers build applications with traditional methods, they will have to
consider developing for various devices, environments, and systems. It includes
writing dedicated code for a wide range of parts in the application. Further, these need
to be supplemented with custom functionalities.

On the other hand, with a low-code development platform, developers do not have to
write lengthy code to build an application. A reason for this is that applications made
using these platforms are designed to work seamlessly across various operating
systems. Moreover, certain platforms offer tools to manage errors and requirements.

Low-code vs. No-code: A Brief Comparison

It is no secret that no-code platforms are ideal for non-technical users. This is because
with no-code platforms, one doesn't have to write a single line of code throughout the
development process of the whole enterprise application.

03
To understand the difference between these platforms, refer to the comparison table
below:

Criteria Low-Code No-Code

Rapid Application Development Supports Supports

(RAD)

Primary Users Developers Business Users

Speed of Ease of Use

Primary Objective Development

Low No coding
Dependence on Coding
required

Can create Can create

Complexity of Apps complex apps simple apps

Possible, but very Limited, can be

difficult for more done only with
Customizability
complex pre-built
applications templates

Contact us to learn how you can harness a powerful professional low-code

platform to develop your applications.

[email protected] +1 (630) 874-7000

04
Is Low-code a Viable Option for
Enterprise Application Development?
Selecting a low-code software development platform helps businesses set a
benchmark in their respective industries. Leveraging the tools and features of low-
code, non-technical users and other professionals can build an application that
perfectly meets their business automation needs.

With low-code software development, developers can accelerate the development of

high-end applications, resulting in higher efficiency and on-time delivery and
deployment.

Let's look at some benefits of low-code that make it an ideal option for enterprise
application development:

Business Agility

Recent research stated that with low-code application development, the duration of
building an application is reduced by 50-90%. This results in the rapid development of
applications and shorter release cycles, helping you stay ahead of your competitors.

Increased Productivity

As low-code application development platforms offer pre-built elements, they save

developers a lot of time and give them the benefit of not having to write code from
scratch. The best part is that you don't have to be an expert developer to build an
application. As the time spent on application building decreases, businesses can focus
on other tasks within the organization.

Low-code application development has been gaining traction among developers as a

means of creating applications quickly and efficiently.

While the low-code methodology provides attractive cost and time savings compared
to traditional software development, it is also important for enterprise IT
professionals to consider its limitations.

05
Low-code solutions are typically designed
around specific use cases and require reliance
on third-party partnerships for customization
or integration with other systems. This can
sometimes limit the scalability of applications
built using this approach, although increasingly
more sophisticated options are coming to
market that better confront these issues.

Ultimately, low-code should not be considered

an end-all solution for all application
development needs but rather one tool in an
enterprise IT team's toolkit that can be helpful
when used appropriately. Thus, it is critical to
determine when you should use this approach.

When Should You Use a Low-code Application Development

Platform?
Low-code platforms let businesses build applications fast and effectively without
having to break the bank. Here are some of the best cases where you should use a
low-code application development platform:

Customer Mobile Small-scale Web and

Analytics
portals apps automation mobile sites

Such a platform can also be used when you don't have software development skills or
need to automate a single workflow.

06
 When is Low-code not the Right Choice for Your
Development Project?
Even though low-code platforms offer incredible benefits, they might not be perfect for
complicated application projects. Here's why:

Limited Functionality

The variety of functionality you can build in an

application while using a low-code development
tool is constrained by what the tool offers.

Low-code development is comparable to

constructing a home out of Lincoln Logs in this
way: building what the company wants you to
construct is quick and simple, but if you want
something different, you're out of luck. Most of
the time, a low-code platform-developed
application cannot be easily expanded with new
functionality.

Security Issues

When you design an application using a low-code

platform, you have zero control over data privacy
or security. You have to place full trust in the tool
to keep your data and application secure. In some
low-code solutions, you can't even see the source
code to detect possible vulnerabilities.

So, if you're creating an application with extra-

high security needs, this approach might not be
the perfect fit for you.

07
Introducing Professional Low-code,
Perfect for Rapid Development of
Mission-critical Business Applications
Professional low-code is an enhanced low-code approach that aims to solve the
limitations of regular low-code solutions. This means that a professional low-code
solution must mitigate the complexity, limited functionality, and security issues that
usually come with traditional low-code. To accomplish this, professional low-code
solutions must possess the following qualities:

1 One IDE and language to eliminate dependencies on multiple languages and

frameworks, avoiding or minimizing complexity by making sure that
developers can depend on a solid and scalable technology and language

2 Versatile integration to extend applications and customizable features to allow

developers to go past limitations in functionality

3 Minimal coding, but with the option to view and edit code for a better control of
security

Examples of Modern Business Applications Built Using a

Professional Low-code Platform
Visual LANSA is a powerful yet simple tool that
separately eliminates the tedious coding of the Contact us to learn how you
backend, middleware, and frontend processes. can harness a powerful
professional low-code
With one streamlined codebase, professionals can platform to develop your
use it to quickly develop stunning applications in applications.
less time than traditional languages require,
making Visual LANSA the perfect choice for low-
code development. [email protected]

Have a look at some of the business applications

that were built using LANSA's professional low- +1 (630) 874-7000

code:

08
Case Study [Honda Australia]

The first business application that we will examine is that of Honda Australia.
According to the automotive company, Visual LANSA allowed them to be more
responsive to enhancement requests and problems.

Part of the global Honda Company, Honda Australia MPE was using a service that had
too many errors and was not up to par. Furthermore, with their old infrastructure, there
were cases where order information would get lost because the database of the
hosted system was separate from Honda’s systems (i.e., the data had to be
synchronized in bulk). The users (dealers) were having many issues with the system
until Visual LANSA came into play and changed the whole game.

Using Visual LANSA, Honda Australia built an online sales registration, cash back
management, order uploading, and warranty solution. According to the team, the site
experience is quite good, customers are happy, and the staff appreciates the changes.

Case Study [Elders]

Elders, a leading business in the agriculture sector, used Visual LANSA to extend their
ERP system to a sleek mobile web portal in which their clients could access account
balances, invoices, and other operational information.

Prior to this, Elders had already used Visual LANSA to modernize parts of its internal
ERP applications. When they learned about its web design capabilities, Elders enlisted
the help of LANSA services, and after two weeks of consulting and mentoring, two of
Elders’ developers were able to build their portal in just over two months. They opted
to use Visual LANSA’s professional low-code capabilities because they wouldn’t have
to learn new technologies or languages to build the web portal. To them, the speed of
development, simplicity, and cost savings of reusing LANSA were strong reasons.

After building their web portal, Elders was able to efficiently extend their ERP system,
making it more accessible for customers and the distributed mobile workforce.

Like these companies, you can also adopt professional low-code technology and reap
the perks, leading your business to new heights by building stunning, robust, and user-
friendly applications.

09
Checklist for Buying a Low-code
Platform for Enterprise Application
Development
Low-code application development
platforms have transformed how
applications are built and maintained.

As more companies find success with

low-code solutions, it would be wise to
take advantage of such a platform. But
with so many low-code tools on the
market, it is easy to get confused over
which one to choose.

You should ensure that the following

points are offered by the low-code
platform you are about to use for your
application:

Does the Low-code Platform Have a Convenient Repository?

It’s vital to check whether your proposed low-code platform has a convenient
repository to manage the modules, components, and business rules necessary to your
applications in one place—then use them across every app. This helps to eliminate
redundancy, reduce development, and improve efficiency.

Does the Platform Have Easy-to-use Integration?

For some businesses, an application that was built using low-code can only be helpful
if it can be connected to their existing legacy systems, regardless of how quickly and
beautifully it was constructed. Therefore, you should check your chosen low-code
platform for the ability to offer connectors and APIs. That way, you will not have to
redo your clients’ entire existing systems in one go.

10
 Does the Platform Offer Visual Modeling Tools?

The platform should have separate visual IDEs and visual modeling tools for smooth
app development. It helps reduce development time and increases overall
productivity.

Does It Provide Customizable Components?

The platform must enable business and tech professionals to build cross-platform
applications with pre-configured logic, connectors, and data modules. They should
also be able to customize it according to their needs and requirements.

Can It Provide Security with Compliance?

Ensuring that your applications have been modeled, documented, and automated
following accepted security practices and current compliance needs in today's
complex and always-changing corporate environment is crucial. A good low-code
platform will make it easy for you to follow the best practices when it comes to
security and compliance with various data regulations.

Does the Low-code Application Support Drag and Drop Interface?

Low-code platforms should offer simple drag-drop interfaces that enable developers
to build applications easily, leading to rapid development.

Can It Support Cross-platform Functionality?

Cross-platform functionality must be standard in applications due to the constantly

increasing usage of mobile devices like cell phones and tablets. With low-code
development, everything should take place automatically behind the scenes with no
additional work, coding, or resources.

11
 Does the Platform Offer Post-development Support?

Once you've built your application, the low-code platform should allow you to quickly
edit, update, and bug-fix without disrupting the existing architecture.

Does It Support Full-stack Development?

A perfect low-code solution will provide a full-stack environment that supports client-
and server-side development, all within the same IDE. Normally, developers would
have to learn multiple languages or use multiple platforms to accomplish this, which
can lead to inefficiency or difficult maintenance. With a low-code platform that
supports full-stack development within the IDE, you can transform your existing
development team into full-stack experts with minimal training.

Does It Support Debugging?

You need to ensure that your proposed low-code platform supports debugging your
applications. It’s an essential feature of every development environment because it
helps with detecting and fixing errors before the application is deployed.

Contact us to learn how you can harness a powerful professional low-code

platform to develop your applications.

[email protected] +1 (630) 874-7000

12
Visual LANSA's Best Features for
Enterprise Application Development

Using the power of low-code technology, Visual LANSA is revolutionizing the

development process by requiring only fundamental coding knowledge. Thanks to its
straightforward learning curve, even developers with minimal experience can quickly
become proficient in using this cutting-edge platform.

By using LANSA, the development process is streamlined. Instead of having multiple

specialists dedicated to individual languages come together for a project, one person
can take care of all elements - resulting in faster and more cost-efficient coding. Here
are some of its exceptional features for enterprise application development:

Single IDE for web, mobile, and desktop application development

Visual LANSA offers a single IDE for each type of application development. It helps
build apps faster and easier than traditional methods.

One language for building software end-to-end

With Visual LANSA, instead of relying on multiple languages to manage backend,

middleware, and frontend components separately, programmers can take advantage
of a single language to accomplish their goals - all while keeping it simple like
traditional drag-and-drop solutions!

13
 Repository for reusable parts and business logic

Visual LANSA provides a "toolbox" of reusable components and business logic to help
bring digital ideas to life quickly. With the right resources at hand, development teams
can focus on creating innovative products that meet their customers’ needs without
spending valuable time reinventing the wheel.

Code once, and deploy on IBM i or Windows

With Visual LANSA, you no longer need to worry about manually coding for different
systems - just write your application once and deploy it anywhere. Our software
supports both IBM i and Windows, so you get the maximum flexibility when
developing.

Easy integration via REST APIs

Visual LANSA enables seamless integration with different APIs. It accelerates the
application development process and makes it easier for you to add new feature
updates to your application's functionalities.

14
Simplify Application Development with
Professional Low-code
Low-code platforms have helped developers streamline their work since their
introduction. In contrast with traditional development methods, they allow developers
to design applications visually, minimize coding, and include ready-to-use or prebuilt
components. However, regular low-code platforms still lack a high degree of
customization and are limited in terms of functionality. Fortunately, professional low-
code platforms have emerged. These tools take low-code several steps further by
providing better customization, integration, and scalability.

Visual LANSA is among the best low-code platforms in 2023, with its many features
designed to make developing any application faster without sacrificing quality. With it,
developers can create mobile, desktop, and web applications and deploy them to IBM i
and Windows servers using one IDE and language. Developers can also reuse
business logic and components straight from a shared repository for different
applications. Schedule a demo of Visual LANSA to experience professional low-code
development firsthand.

15

[email protected] +1 (630) 874-7000