Low-code apps: Accelerate development without complexity

This approach dramatically reduces the complexity of traditional coding, allowing for accelerated development of business software applications and their delivery.

What are the benefits of a low-code app builder?

Using a low-code app builder for application development has many benefits that can speed up the development process, increase productivity, and lower costs.

Here are some of the main advantages:

• Accelerated development
• Reduced development costs
• Improved productivity and collaboration
• Flexibility and scalability
• Cross-platform development
• Enhanced security and compliance

Take a deeper look at the benefits of low-code

Low-code use cases

Picture yourself in a meeting, and the pressure's on—your team needs a new app, fast. Maybe it’s a customer portal, a CRM, or an internal tool for onboarding new employees. But there’s a problem: the app development backlog is long, and waiting months for deployment isn’t an option.

This is exactly where low-code steps in, cutting through the delay and making rapid app development possible, without compromising on quality—if anything, you’re supercharging how quickly you can bring your ideas to life.

Low-code development is changing the game. Let’s break down where this technology really shines by looking at common low-code use cases.

Customer portals: The front door for modern businesses

These days, your customers want to self-serve. They don’t want to call support or wait on hold—they want access to their accounts, services, and tools, all at their fingertips, whenever and wherever they need them. And that’s exactly what customer portals provide: a seamless experience for customers to interact with your business.

Low-code development is transforming how quickly and efficiently organizations can create customer portals. You can spin up portals that look great, work smoothly, and are tailor-made to fit your business needs in a fraction of the time.

Create scalable customer portals

Core systems: Streamlining business operations

Low-code apps aren’t just for the customer-facing applications and services; they’re also a powerhouse for core business systems.

Core systems are the back-end systems that keep things running smoothly. They are key in operations such as financial management, inventory tracking, or handling complex workflows and data to ensure that business processes are running smoothly.

With low-code platforms, building and maintaining core systems stopped being a lengthy process, making it easier to develop, customize, and deploy them in months and not years, while providing the flexibility for core systems to adapt to business needs or market changes.

Elevate your business with custom core systems

Employee applications: Making life easier for your team

Employees want tools that help them work smarter, not harder. They want applications that simplify workflows and enhance productivity without the frustration of handling outdated systems. This is where low-code comes in–to provide organizations with the opportunity to build employee apps that are intuitive, simple, and customizable.

Whether it’s process automation for daily tasks, simplified data entries, or providing real-time insights, low-code platforms make it possible to build apps your team will actually want to use.

And the best part? Low-code rapid app development capabilities enable these apps to be built quickly and efficiently, without bogging down your IT team for months.

Develop cost-effective employee apps

Practical examples of low-code apps

From healthcare to insurance or banking, here is an overview of some low-code apps that are changing the way organizations from different industries work.

• Citizen Portals: Think of a government portal where people can apply for permits, pay their bills, or even check their tax records—all in one place. With low-code application development, setting this up is more intuitive than ever, saving you time and money.
• Mobile Banking: Banks are using low-code to roll out apps that let customers check balances, transfer money, and even apply for loans, without needing a huge dev team or endless development cycles.
• Insurance Portals: From policy management to claims processing, low-code technology simplifies what could be complex, making it easy for customers to manage their policies and file claims, while you automate the behind-the-scenes work.
• Virtual Care: Telehealth has exploded in recent years. Using a low-code platform, healthcare providers can quickly build apps that schedule appointments, manage patient records, and provide remote consultations. It’s a win for both doctors and patients.
• Digital Lending: Automating the loan application and approval process becomes painless with low-code. You can customize workflows, automate approvals, and provide transparency to customers—all with less effort.
• Claims Management: Instead of manual processes that drag on forever, insurers can streamline claims processing, speeding up settlements and improving customer satisfaction.
• Field Service Apps: Need to dispatch workers or manage a team in the field? Low-code apps make it easy to manage logistics, track resources, and ensure that your team delivers great service, no matter where they are.
• Supply Chain Systems: From inventory management to order fulfillment, low-code can help you keep everything in sync, reducing waste, increasing efficiency, and saving money.
• CRM and ERP Enhancements: You can leverage low-code to add custom features to your existing CRM or ERP platforms, making them work better for your specific needs.
• Employee Onboarding: The days of endless paperwork are over. With a low-code onboarding app, new hires can fill out forms, complete training, and get up to speed faster than ever.
• Self-Service Portals: Let employees manage their own HR needs, from filing leave requests to updating personal details.
• Office Management: Need to streamline room bookings, equipment checkouts, or maintenance requests? Low-code tools let you roll out an office management app in no time, with the exact features you need.
• Internal Case Management: Whether it’s IT issues or employee grievances, low-code apps help you handle internal requests and cases more efficiently, ensuring no ticket gets lost in the shuffle.
• IT Service Management: For IT teams, low-code development makes it possible to manage support tickets, monitor systems, and keep everything running smoothly without needing a complex development process.
• Performance Management: Regular feedback, goal tracking, and performance reviews—you can build it all into an app with low-code, making sure that employees stay engaged and managers have everything they need to help their teams succeed.

See the low-code apps that customers are building with the OutSystems platform

The skills required depend on the platform used. For simpler, no-code tools, you shouldn’t need any development skills. For more advanced low-code platforms, a development background is advisable.

With OutSystems, for instance, basic programming acumen and an understanding of relational database concepts are all that is required to master OutSystems out of the box.

Explore the main reasons why pro developers are embracing low-code

The ultimate low-code app builder

Theory is one thing, but real-world applications provide clarity. Imagine a business revamping its inventory system. The OutSystems low-code platform allows developers to create applications that enable sales representatives or warehouse teams to update stock information or view product details, all by modeling workflows in a single environment.

Key benefits of using OutSystems' low-code to build web apps or for mobile app development include:

• Rapid app development: Offering tools and templates for quick app creation.
• Enterprise applications: Ensuring robust, secure, and scalable applications suitable for large-scale operations.
• Flexibility and integration: Providing extensive integration options and flexibility to meet specific business requirements.
• Community and support: A strong community and expert support system for guidance and best practices.

Low-code app development is more than just a passing fad; it’s an essential tool for achieving long-term growth. Low-code apps can be a beneficial solution for businesses striving to stay ahead in a wide range of industries, including retail, healthcare, insurance, and finance.

Hear directly from leading companies that are using the OutSystems low-code platform and how they’re accelerating digital transformation, or see for yourself and schedule a demo.

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Low-code apps frequently asked questions: