In a highly competitive market, companies face the challenge of building new systems and applications with speed and efficiency. Practical solutions must be delivered on the timeline the market demands.

In this context, low-code and no-code development have been standing out as tools that help both citizen developers and professional developers rapidly assemble systems using pre-built application components for the business.

According to “The State of Low-Code 2021” survey, conducted by Mendix, 77% of companies across six countries already use low-code to respond to rapidly changing needs.

The study’s data confirms it: IT departments are working to democratize software development, bringing professionals from other areas into collaborative projects.

In this article, we present the survey’s key findings so you can evaluate whether low-code development is worth it for your organization. Enjoy the read!

Survey Shows Low-Code Adoption and the Technology’s Growing Popularity

Conducted by Mendix, the State of Low-Code 2021 report is the industry’s most comprehensive study of low-code adoption among IT leaders and developers, surveying 2,025 IT professionals across six countries.

The results point to important trends:

  • 77% of companies across six countries have already adopted low-code;
  • 75% of IT leaders said it is a trend they cannot afford to miss;
  • One-third of respondents said they are accelerating their use of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data with low-code.

Today, the prevailing view is that this development model makes it more practical, dynamic, and productive to execute innovation and digital transformation strategies.

Low-code development represents a break from the traditional programming approach.

Over the past few decades, developers have built an immense community with deep expertise in traditional projects.

Low-code development, however, requires a culture shift.

Professionals now face the challenge of adopting the new platforms, earning certifications, learning their scripting languages, and pursuing continuous improvement.

According to the Mendix survey, professionals are well aware of how important this approach is.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the IT staff surveyed agree that low-code is their go-to workaround development solution.

The numbers also show that up to 59% of projects using low-code are the result of collaboration between business and IT groups.

How Are Organizations Adapting to Low-Code?

This is an important question, and the Mendix survey offers interesting insights into how companies are behaving when it comes to systems development strategy.

Among companies that have embraced low-code development, its use for mission-critical applications (33%) is quickly catching up with more traditional uses such as data modeling and visualization (38%).

At these companies, more than half (56%) of employees already use applications built on low-code platforms.

This kind of tool has a very positive impact on management because it frees up professionals to work on new projects.

According to the study, 51% of software developers say that half of their daily development work could be done on a low-code platform.

In other words, using this type of tool represents an enormous productivity gain.

Especially in the post-pandemic world, with the challenge of digitizing the business, having the right tools to respond to new demands quickly and effectively is fundamental.

To get there, companies must provide solutions capable of optimizing how professionals work.

After all, according to the Mendix study, 58% of IT staff are genuinely excited about the acceleration of technology.

Moreover, 45% believe this new wave of innovation has created an urgency for faster, more collaborative development.

In short, the survey reveals that companies across every industry have understood that the current software development model cannot keep up with growing demand. The findings illustrate the trend:

  • 76% of the IT professionals surveyed said demand for developers has reached a fever pitch;
  • The cost of software development is rising, according to 61% of organizations;
  • Two-thirds of software projects are being delivered late;
  • Despite working tirelessly, 62% of organizations are watching their backlogs grow.

In this scenario, moving to a low-code development approach is the smartest strategy and should deliver strong results in the short, medium, and long term.

Low-Code: The Best Alternative for Companies Pursuing Agile Development

Low-code and no-code platforms are revolutionizing how systems and applications are built.

With these tools, professionals can devote more time and energy to the most complex development tasks.

That is because the platforms take care of the simpler programming challenges.

Recognizing this potential, TrueChange brings Mendix to Brazil — the Siemens solution that dramatically streamlines and simplifies systems development.

With Mendix, you can build applications and programs quickly and effectively. Often without writing a single line of code.

It is increasingly clear that low-code development solutions meet the demands of a market in transformation. Little by little, they are set to replace more “traditional” software development.

With this approach, far beyond IT professionals, employees from other areas can take part in programming tasks without needing technical training to do so.

Mendix is a visual, intuitive, and simple platform. That means marketing and human resources professionals, for example, can build system functionality using low-code development.

The Mendix platform can also connect to a wide range of enterprise data sources, such as CRM, ERP, and others.

Enjoyed this topic and want to learn more about low-code development? Then keep reading the TrueChange blog!