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A few years ago, I found myself in the (virtual) office of a CIO who had spent decades at the helm of a logistics company. As he sipped his coffee, he shared a concern I’ve heard many times since: “Other industries are adopting modern tech, such as AI, automation, and customer apps so fast, while we struggle to keep up with our legacy technology.”
This sentiment is common among CIOs in established organizations—those with decades, sometimes centuries, of operational success. The systems you’ve built have served you well, but the pressure to innovate is real. Yet the idea of a full-scale digital overhaul is overwhelming, if not paralyzing.
That’s where low-code platforms come in. They offer a sane, incremental way to modernize your business without disrupting everything that works. With low-code, you don’t have to choose between stability and innovation—you can have both.
The Basics of Low-Code
At its core, low-code is exactly what it sounds like: a way to build software applications with minimal hand-coding. Instead of writing lines of code, developers use visual tools like drag-and-drop components, pre-built templates, and automated workflows to build applications faster.
Think of it like assembling furniture from IKEA. You don’t start with raw wood and tools; you start with pre-cut pieces and detailed instructions. Similarly, low-code platforms provide the building blocks you need to adopting modern tech, and create robust applications quickly and efficiently.
Low-Code vs. No-Code
You may have also heard of no-code platforms, which are geared toward business users with no technical expertise. While no-code is fantastic for simple apps, low-code platforms are designed for IT professionals who need the flexibility to build complex, enterprise-grade solutions.
One of the greatest challenges for established organizations is integrating new technology with existing systems. Many legacy systems weren’t built with today’s demands in mind.
Low-code platforms act as a bridge. They allow you to extend the life of legacy systems by wrapping them in modern, user-friendly interfaces. For example, an insurance company we worked with used OutSystems to build a customer service portal that seamlessly pulled data from multiple ERP systems. The result? A cutting-edge claim automation solution without replacing their core infrastructure.
Skilled developers are in high demand, and recruitment can be a bottleneck. Low-code platforms empower your existing IT team to do more with less.
I recall a retail giant that wanted to upscale its application development to improve process efficiency at its retail locations. Hiring a dedicated pro-code development team would have taken months. Instead, a low-code development team uses Mendix to build and deploy new solutions in weeks rather than months.
Innovation waits for no one. Whether it’s responding to shifting market demands or customer expectations, speed is crucial. Low-code platforms enable you to prototype, test, and deploy applications in a fraction of the time traditional development requires.
For instance, during the pandemic, a healthcare start-up we worked with used OutSystems and Vonage to build digital patient rooms in a few months. The app reduced wait times and improved patient outcomes at a critical moment.
“It’s Just for Startups.”
Far from it. Established organizations in industries ranging from manufacturing to finance are leveraging low-code to stay competitive. Low-code doesn’t mean small scale—it means smarter development.
“It’s a Short-Term Fix, Not a Long-Term Strategy.”
Low-code platforms are built for scalability. Many include governance tools, audit trails, and compliance features, making them ideal for enterprise-grade applications.
“It’s Only for Simple Apps.”
This might have been true a decade ago, but today’s low-code platforms can handle complex workflows, integrations, and even AI-powered solutions. For example, a global cargo logistics company recently used OutSystems to completely replace its legacy AS400 system. Together, we replaced it with low-code microservice applications to manage all cargo from orders to invoicing.
Low-code platforms can reduce development cycles by up to 70%. This agility allows you to stay ahead of competitors and respond to customer needs more quickly.
By reducing the need for extensive hand-coding, low-code lowers both development and maintenance costs. One insurance company I worked with estimated savings of over $1.5 million annually after adopting a low-code platform.
Low-code makes it easier to pivot when market conditions change. Whether it’s launching a new product or adapting to regulatory shifts, low-code gives you the tools to act swiftly.
Modernizing an established organization is no small task. But as I’ve seen time and again, low-code offers a practical, incremental path to adopting modern tech. It doesn’t require ripping out your legacy systems or upending your operations. Instead, it allows you to build on the foundation you’ve already created, adding agility and speed where it’s needed most.
If you’ve been holding off on modernization because it feels too daunting, start small. Choose one pain point, pilot a low-code project, and see the results for yourself. You might be surprised how quickly “the mountain” starts to move.
Low-code isn’t just a tool—it’s your sane path to modernizing your business.
Could you also benefit from such a transformation? At LINKITSYSTEMS we would be happy to guide you! Contact one of our experts for more information.
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