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Who uses Directual and why?
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Wikipedia low-code definition:
Low-code platform is software that provides an environment programmers use to create application software through graphical user interfaces and configuration instead of traditional computer programming.
Generally speaking, low-code uses a LEGO-like approach to creating IT-solutions. From a business perspective, low-code enables development to become faster and cheaper. It’s achieved by means of two factors:
From an IT point of view, proper platform helps to avoid a mishmash of different IT-solutions, increase IT-department effectiveness and move on to the stable process of microservices based digitalisation.
According to Gartner, by 2023, more than 25% of the IT-solutions, websites, mobile apps and conversational apps will be built and/or run through low-code platforms (in Gartner terms: “High productivity development platform or multi-experience development platform”).
Let’s dive into details: the origin of low-code technology, variety of low-code platforms on the market, their differences, implementation of low-code tools by large enterprises.
Pace of change on the markets is constantly accelerating leading to increasing business competition. Companies and enterprises are looking for ways of becoming more efficient by creating and implementing new digital products. These can be both: end-user products (e.g. e-catalogs and self-service applications) and products for internal business processes automation and optimisation (e.g. logistics or HR processes optimisation).
There have always been two approaches to digital product creation: development from scratch and packaged solution implementation. For the most part, packaged solutions come with a built-in business process, that company needs to adjust to or develop further, which can take years. Development from scratch, on the other hand, takes business requirements into account, but can also take up a considerable period of time. This is also compounded by a lack of qualified programmers on the market.
It soon became apparent that the market needed an alternative — a solution as flexible as regular development, but much faster and easier. Visual programming concept was developed in the late 20th century, but its implementation was hindered due to a lack of proper ready-made technologies. In recent years such technologies became available and made processing large data flows possible in real time. Consequently, new and effective solutions for low-code development followed and quickly became an alternative to heavy and inflexible packaged solutions and demanding process of development from scratch.
As low-code platforms are gaining increasing popularity, more and more systems position themselves as low-code platforms, presenting in reality BPM, CRM or ERP solutions, or being simply an instrument for creating flowcharts. Let’s try to clear up what fully-featured low-code solution really is.
There are several important features of any low-code development platform:
However, two low-code platforms containing the above-mentioned features will never be completely identical. Some feature better visual forms and tables designer, others — powerful set of ready-made integrations and advanced BI-module. There are very good but niche solutions, e.g. for industrial IoT or CRM. But for the long-term IT architecture development one should opt for highly scalable and universal platforms to avoid dealing with various IT systems.
The reasons behind the rising popularity of low-code development platforms:
Just like any other new technology, low-code was treated with caution at first. Here is a list of popular low-code myths and some arguments to debunk them:
Essentially, low-code platform based digital products development is not very different from traditional development. Although the use of visual tools allows to make this process much more effective and safe resources of highly-skilled professionals for programming and infrastructure management, as low-code provides an opportunity to do it faster with fewer qualified professionals involved.
Directual is an industrial low-code platform. Directual based systems are complex but flexible and, therefore, can easily be adapted to new requirements. Moreover, the platform provides enterprise level of stability and security crucial for business-critical IT systems.
Every application is developed by a separate team, bringing together analysts, business representatives, designers and programmers (if necessary). Teams are operating independently, in sprints, testing and collecting feedback after every iteration. This allows for effective and simultaneous implementation of several large and complex projects with continuous user feedback analysis.
Directual doesn’t impose interface templates, as modern IT systems must be well-thought-out by UX specialist and designed taking all user requirements into account. With that in mind, Directual completely covers logic and API layer functionality, providing opportunity for unique and user-friendly Web interface or mobile app creation.
Rapid iteration is the fastest route to the right solution. Directual allows to create digital products within 1-3 weeks using rapid iterations, collecting user feedback and modifying the product. As a result, it becomes possible to use fully-featured Agile-approach even for enterprise software development.
Directual acts as an application orchestrator by managing all data flows through scenarios, leaving open the possibility to add any specific module and integrate it into scenario logic, e.g. pretrained machine learning model or pattern recognition system. The platform basically “glues” different modules together to fix any specific application data processing issue.
Directual scenarios are essentially based on data processing. Due to this abstract approach it’s possible to implement any logic: from sensor reading processing to entertainment mobile app backend development.
Put it in a nutshell, Directual is an industrial platform with wide range of possibilities. It allows for not only digital product MVP development, but also for its further enhancement without any ultimate limitations.
In order to understand the advantages of low-code technology in relation to your company or enterprise you just have to try it out. We are always happy to discuss possibilities of low-code for your specific tasks, that need high-quality and user-friendly digital products in a short period of time. Do not hesitate to contact us via hello@directual.com
Low-code is a method of designing and developing applications using intuitive graphical tools and embedded functionality that reduces the need for traditional - or pro-code - writing. Pro-code writing is still part of the development process, but low-code development provides an enhanced and simplified experience to help users get started quickly.
Low-code development platforms are based on the principles of model-driven design, automatic code generation, and visual programming. These platforms are intentionally designed to appeal to non-technical users, regardless of their programming experience. Again, this not only empowers non-technical users, but also connects them with experienced developers.
Join 22,000+ no-coders using Directual and create something you can be proud of—both faster and cheaper than ever before. It’s easy to start thanks to the visual development UI, and just as easy to scale with powerful, enterprise-grade databases and backend.