choice but to make this one expensive and slow” – the echo message for which is “so let’s only do this when we absolutely have to and get rid of these guys as soon as they’re done.” Given either of these perspectives, advocating low-code tools can seem like a bit of an odd choice. Why wouldn’t I just offer a proven COTS solution? And if I’m going to offer something custom, why would I sacrifice billable hours by doing it fast and cheap? The answer to both questions is the same: recurring revenue. And the secret to recurring revenue is to be useful – arguably indispensable – on a recurring basis. Low-code tools and platforms vary a lot. Many, perhaps most, target amateurs (“We’re so easy anyone can use us”), and those won’t be enough. But there are low-code platforms that emphasize productivity rather than simplicity. There are low-code platforms that include tools that address design, documentation, compliance, security, monitoring, structured deployment and more. There are platforms that facilitate change management. You want those kinds of low-code platforms. In fact, it’s that last part – change management – that likely matters the most, because clients with the highest potential for recurring revenue understand and want continuous improvement. Someone who can lower the cost of improvement is someone on whom they can repeatedly rely. Even an organization that lacks a strategic commitment to continuous improvement might admit that, tactically speaking, conditions change and user requests emerge that make continuous improvement necessary. Even without continuous improvement to one application, there’s still the notion of continuous improvement to a client’s organization, and that means delivering more and better applications. Integrators that can do that are integrators that will be regarded less as expensive alternatives to be used only when necessary and more like ongoing strategic partners. What about clients that insist on a COTS offering for perceived risk reduction but then pay someone to customize it heavily and aggressively? That’s even more expensive than custom code, but the (perhaps faulty) perception of lower risk makes it acceptable. Well, instead of standard turnkey applications that must be – let’s face it – hacked, what about standard low-code platforms providing that reassurance benefit – and simultaneously providing a speed benefit, too? There’s also an issue of resourcing. If a repertoire of 10 COTS products requires having 10 times the people on one’s payroll, that becomes extremely expensive. That’s extra true when those people are so specialized that they can’t be easily moved from project to project. Coders can indeed be nimble and adaptable, but time spent on technical prowess is time that can’t be spent on client empathy. There’s a real benefit to spending a little bit less time on technology in order to spend more time understanding a client’s business. What’s more, that low-code delivery model can be used by you over and over again for multiple clients, not just multiple projects. All said, though, this only works if a systems integrator uses a low-code platform that is designed for systems integrators. I’d propose the following criteria to help identify such diamonds in the rough: • Development-testing-production staged deployment • Change management • Dependency and reuse management • Auditing and compliance • Security that defaults to zero privileges unless they aren’t explicitly granted • Metrics and monitoring • Reusable connections to external data and applications • Documentation • User training • IT maintenance training • Collaborative design With a low-code platform designed for system integrators and with these keys in mind, there’s a clear path to client relationships that represent recurring revenue – and that matters. o Mike Fitzmaurice, WEBCON’s chief evangelist and vice president, North America, has more than 25 years of product, consulting, evangelism, engineering, and IT management expertise in workflow/business process automation, citizen development and low-code/no-code solution platforms & strategies. His decade at Microsoft included birthing technical product management and developer evangelism for SharePoint products and technologies. EMERGENT How SMBs are Using Low-code/No-code Create new business rules and process controls 49% Create new process flows to complement packaged products (SaaS/COTS) capabilities 44% Create new user experiences 41% Develop new business applications 37% Develop new customer facing applications 37% Source: Accenture SMB Barriers to Adoption of Low-code/No-code Said data security (e.g., data could be hacked) 45% Noted public cloud sources data availability/credibility 39% Reported data management 35% Said lack of data leak protection 35% Source: Accenture 12 CHANNELV ISION | MARCH - APRIL 2022
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