Low Code Platforms Enable Rapid Applications for SAP

Low code has developed into an approach for building better user applications rapidly, sometimes even by business users.

Almost half of the respondents in SAPInsider research on Application Strategies and Development for SAP S/4HANA and Cloud are planning or evaluating low-code platforms. There is an expectation of significant impact from these platforms such as ability to deliver applications rapidly, reduced IT costs, and enabling industry standards. Almost half of the respondents in the survey expect reduction in IT costs and 45% want to deliver rapid applications using low-code/no-code platforms.

Low Code Platforms Enable Rapid Applications for SAP

Low code has developed into an approach for building better user applications rapidly, sometimes even by business users.

Almost half of the respondents in SAPInsider research on Application Strategies and Development for SAP S/4HANA and Cloud are planning or evaluating low-code platforms. There is an expectation of significant impact from these platforms such as ability to deliver applications rapidly, reduced IT costs, and enabling industry standards. Almost half of the respondents in the survey expect reduction in IT costs and 45% want to deliver rapid applications using low-code/no-code platforms.

Use cases for Low code platforms

Low code platforms enable rapid delivery of applications by providing visual approaches such as drag-and-drop that involve minimal coding. A more user-friendly and packaged approach enables programmers to deliver applications faster. However, low code also promises to put the ability to create at least basic applications at the hands of even non-technical business users.

With labor and skillset in short supply, low-code platforms allow for professional IT talent to focus on high-complexity, high-impact applications while avoiding business user frustration due to inordinate delays to meet their demands. In addition, many low code platforms also offer functionality to assist with migration of code such as ABAP code to the cloud, as well as data to the cloud.

Components of Low Code Development Platforms

A typical low-code development platform comprises the following components:

• Visual Integrated Development Environment to define application logic and data models
• Integrations to SAP and non-SAP applications or data sources to manage access, modifications or storage of data
• Application Life Cycle Manager to build, deploy, and manage applications for testing, staging and production environments

While low code holds promise, there are challenges cited by SAP customers in the above-mentioned survey such as security (45%), governance (34%), and migration satisfaction (34%). Read article “Governance for Low-code Platforms” on recommendations on governance for low code platforms.

SAP is investing in its own platform to provide strong low code capabilities to its customers. Several other vendors are innovating with special functionality, sometimes for specific industries.