Demystifying

Low-Code
Speed. Growth. Connection

E-book
Table of Contents

Introduction 2
What is Low-Code 4
Low-Code vs Traditional Development 8
The versatility of Low-Code 12
Who is Low-Code for? 20
Case Study 22

1
Introduction

In a world that never seems to slow down, where digital is king,

every business faces a challenge: how to adapt operations to
keep up with the rapid market changes. Cloud Computing,
Security, Scability, Continuous Integration/Continuous
Deployment (CI/CD), User Experience are some of the demands
of digital transformation.

These rapid digital transformations the world has been

through over the last decade – and especially in recent years
– were the catalyst for the emergence of low-code as the new
business standard.

Low-code platforms are all about fast software development,

process automation, and operational efficiency. As such,
low-code has revolutionised the way organisations build
applications and has even become strategical for business Low-code platforms are all about fast software development,
transformation. process automation, and operational efficiency. As such,
low-code has revolutionised the way organisations build
applications and has even become strategical for business
Digital transformations and evolution affect the very core of
transformation.
businesses, but also the way we work, the nature of that work,
and how humans relate to technology.
Marcelo Ferreira Head of Low-Code
Is low-code the biggest disruption since cloud-based software?
Maybe... What we know is that it is here and is shaping the
future.

2 3
What is Low-Code Speed, cloud, and mobile

The term “low-code” was coined in 2014, but the technology

Take aways
• Traditional development and low-code serve the same purpose:
creating software
Low-code is a visual approach to software development that
allows developers and business users to create digital solutions
and enterprise applications with minimal hand coding. Most
low-code platforms offer an environment where it is possible
to create applications through an intuitive drag-and-drop
graphical interface, where little to no manual code is needed in
order to set up and deploy applications.
had been developing for decades. Key promoters for low-
code go back to the 1990s and early 2000s, such as End User
Development (EUD), Rapid Application Development (RAD)
tools and 4th generation programming languages. In the 2010s,
cloud computing and mobile development provided the final
push for low-code to go mainstream. As we know it today, low-
code is fast, cloud-native, and mobile responsive.
The rise of low-code
In 2023, the low-code platform market is expected to reach 10
billion USD, and the projections for 2027 put it at over 36 billion
USD. Those numbers become even more significant when you
combine both low-code and no-code:

Low-code platforms allow developers to create simple to

complex applications, making use of tools such as drag-
and-drop modelers, pre-built templates, visual workflow
automation, along with a collection of ready-to-go UI
components, boilerplate scripts and integrations, solution
blueprints, and other user-friendly UI.

Nelson André Outsystems Tech Lead

Global market size OS no-code / Low-code solutions

Source: Grand View Research

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It is also estimated that by 2025, 95% of the new digital
workload will be deployed on cloud-native platforms, and 70%
of the applications developed by organizations will use low-
code or no-code technologies.

Leading the digital transformation

As more companies go digital-first, it is essential to rely on

technology that integrates seamlessly with in-house legacy
and external software. Low-code is a multidimensional
technology that does just that: it promotes quick innovation,
Did you know?
enables real-time business insights for rapid decision-making,
and accelerates the digital transformation by democratising In 2027, the low-code
app development.
platform market is
expected to reach over
36 billion USD.
Using low-code not only saves money but also speeds up
development, makes deployment easier, boosts efficiency,
Source: Grand View Research
enhances agility, streamlines transformation, ensures
effective governance, and maintains strict security.

Pedro Veloso CEO

6
Low-Code vs Traditional
Development
Take aways
• Low-code development is faster, more cost-efficient, and agile
• Low-code balances out-of-the-box solutions with customization
flexibility
Traditional development and low-code development can be
seen as two sides of the same coin. In essence, both serve the
same purpose: create great software. However, the difference
lies on development, delivery, and scaling of software.
There is absolutely no question that low-code development
is only possible today because of traditional development.
However, just like in real life, sometimes the pupils surpass their
masters, at least in some levels.
While traditional development is in constant evolution and
will always be the foundation low-code rests on, low-code
development is just better suited for some of today’s needs. In
short, it’s all about speed.
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The need for speed
Traditional development, also called hand or hard coding, falls
short of the ever-growing needs of an increasingly demanding
world. There are over five million apps out there. The mobile
app market alone generates in excess of 520 billion US dollars,
a figure that is expected to increase by at least 15% over
the next two years. Due to the very nature of hand-coding,
traditional development is unable to keep up with the speed
of development needed to meet some demands. Low-code
development, on the other hand, can.
According to Forrester, when it comes to developing simple
applications, utilizing a low-code platform can be up to 10
times faster than traditional development methods when
using the variety of prebuit modules and templates. For
enterprise-grade applications, the speed of development
is still impressive, with low-code delivering a roughly 3x
acceleration in the development process.
Marcelo Ferreira Head of Low-Code
Think of software development as building a house. Traditional Development Low-Code Development

Speed Apps take months to a year Apps can be developed

from start to completion and deployed in less than 1
Traditional development is like building a house from scratch,
month
brick by brick, nail by nail, where you can choose everything Skills Requires specialized expertise Requires basic knowledge of
from the size of the first brick to the colour of the cabinet with a certain programming coding for simple tasks; may
language or development require specialised skills for
knobs. In such a scenario, low-code development is like setting platform complex tasks
up a prefabricated house. A prefabricated house still has a Cost Can become very costly very Uses up to 70% less
quickly resources and 90% less time
foundation, solid walls, adequate plumbing, and all the must-
Agility Making changes can be slow Low-code platforms are
haves of a house, but is pre-built and ready to be assembled. inherently agile

Customisation Total freedom in Decent freedom for

You can choose from a wide range of styles, as well as the customisation out-of-the-box solutions;
customisable with
colour of the walls, the window finishes, or the backsplash in custom code
the kitchen. Omni-channel Requires manual coding to Integrated responsiveness
support multiple platforms

Deployment Able to deploy anywhere Possibly reduced option

such as some specific clouds

Integrations Achievable through custom Built-in integration

coding capabilities

Business Analytics Possible but needs to be Integrated BA tools provided

coded in by most platforms

Maintenance Needs dedicated attention Easy maintenance provided

by platform (updates,
upgrades, etc)
Debugging Debugging takes time Live debugging is provided

Scalability Highly scalable, but needs Easy to scale

dedicated work to enable
scalability
Security Entirely reliant on
development team
Source: Outsystems
(e.g., add more users)
Built-in security and
compliance features

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The versatility of Low-Code
Take aways
• Low-code is versatile enough to impact various industries and is
suitable to different user roles.
In short, low-code is for everyone who needs to build
enterprise-grade applications fast. These can be anyone in
an organisation, from IT leaders to Business Analysts. And, of
course, low-code is for developers too.
Low-code developers
Yes, low-code is also for developers, and there are even low-
code developers. There are two main reasons for this. For one,
low-code still requires hand coding in medium complexity
apps. Although it is not strictly necessary, low-code platforms
allow for some code to be added in order to create custom
features or to extend software functionalities.
Low-code Solutions
Low-code development platforms allow you to build business
automation solutions, web and mobile apps, workflows and
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workflow management apps, as well as data visualization and
reporting tools.
High performance low-code tools are great for developers,
namely for improving development speed of any project.
Low-code helps developers automate much of the
development process, requiring only a minimal amount
custom hand coding for each project, thus freeing their
time for more specialised work. Programmers are less
focused on the technical aspects of the project, as many
of these challenges are handled by the low-code platform.
They can invest time and effort to focus on solving
business problems and creating value for their company.
Marcelo Ferreira Head of Low-Code
An enterprise-level low-code platform will focus more on
automation of business processes, enabling business users to
create cross-departmental apps that require compliance with
regulations such as purchase orders, employee and customer
onboarding, BPM management solutions, among others.
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 Near Partner partnered up with an insurance company
in the United States, successfully digitizing 23 complex
processes within a mere six months. Previously, these
processes were dependent on inconvenient and
time-consuming paper files. Now, they have been
seamlessly streamlined and made easily accessible
through a user-friendly application, requiring just a few
clicks for efficient management.
High-performance low-code platforms
High-performance low-code allows developers to create
complex and strategic applications and workflows, extending
the capabilities of traditional coding with visual development.
These high-performance low-code platforms enable cloud-
native development, promote high scalability and comply
with advanced security mechanisms and routines. High
performance low-code is suitable for building, deploying and
company-specific internal and external solutions, customized
mobile and web applications, portals and/or systems systems.
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Low-code impacts various industries
• Digital banking: the finance and banking industries require
secure applications and software that operate on multiple
devices, for online transactions, identification, scheduled
online payments, or monitoring accounts.
We collaborated with JTC group which has deep expertise
providing software for Fund Managers. We created from
scratch a business ecosystem with various applications to
facilitate every dimension of the workload of Investment
Managers. From portfolio management, transaction
reconciliation, document management, to communication/
collaboration, and much more. It is currently being used by
one of the world’s largest banks.
• Healthcare: low-code tools allow developers to build
customer-centric applications that integrate with
enterprise systems, allowing for a two-way secure access to
patient information and records, maintaining compliance
with different frameworks. Other examples are form
submission, symptom research, appointment booking or
cancelling, and even billing.
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 Our team worked closely with Ezfy to create a platform
capable of provide a more effective and safer health
journey for pharmacies and their users. EZFY required
a reliable, user-friendly platform to cover the entire
healthcare journey, and capable of support a vast array of
unique cases and exceptions. Modern solutions have been
implemented as well, such as a mobile application, a portal
and others.
• Education: hybrid and remote learning has brought forward
the need for reliable software that keeps up with the new
and ever-changing teaching and learning strategies.
Low-code can be used to create applications for taking
attendance, informative websites, scheduling, etc.
• Government: Government digital transformation is essential
for improving efficiency, transparency, service delivery and
to develop an approach citizen centric. Addressing these
challenges requires careful planning, strategic partnerships,
and a commitment to evolving with technology while
maintaining a focus on the needs of citizens and the
security of sensitive data. Low code can be a powerful
tool as it is cost-effective, provides the flexibility to scale
applications as needed and ensures the security of data.
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Near Partner developed a suite of applications tailored
to various departments within the Northern Ireland
Government, actively contributing to their digital
transformation initiatives which has the ultimate purpose
of enhance their engagement with citizens. This project
was particularly challenging, as it demanded universal
accessibility for all residents across the country. The
applications we designed covered a wide spectrum
of services, ranging from school admissions, debt
management, labor market resources, career planning,
and numerous other crucial functions.
• Retail: the top priority when it comes to retail is to
seamlessly manage customer interactions as well as
inventory, process orders, and coordinate communications
between brand and customers. Low-code is a powerful tool
for retailers to build the software they need at a fraction of
the cost of traditional development, with assurance of data
protection, secure transactions, and flexible templates.
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 We developed an internal application that encompasses
order management and logistics, a mobile frontend for
store stock control, and seamless integration with multiple
logistic transport companies, as well as SAP. Today, it
supports more than 11k deliveries per year and more than
60 internal users.

Mitigating shadow IT

Shadow IT consists of any IT resource used by employees

or end users without the approval or supervision of the IT
department. The use of these unauthorized IT tools has
significantly increased due to the popularity of consumer
cloud-based software. This can range from using Google Laetitia Vanden Balck
Sheets for project tracking to employing entire web apps Project Manager
outside the organization’s approved software.

The main reason for the growth of shadow IT is simple: users

need these tools urgently and can’t wait for IT to provide them.
Instead, they resort to third-party applications like productivity,
workflow, cloud storage, and messaging because IT is
overwhelmed and unable to handle more requests for internal
apps. Having solutions available in a low-code platform can
reduce the need and risk for shadow IT solutions, which will in
turn decrease technical debt, and potential security risks.

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Who is Low-code for?
In very simple terms, low-code can be a powerful, agile and
cost-effective tool for organizations that want to stay at the
forefront of the constantly evolving wave of technology.
Business Leader
You can be a business leader demanding a faster
application development that will help you respond
quickly to market exigencies. Low code will help you with
innovation, time–to-market and cost-efficiency;

There are no limits of what you can do with low-code. Even

if you are in the Healthcare industry and in need for tools to
Large Enterprise
monitoring; Manufacturing and Logistics, and you want to
You may be part of a Large Enterprise in need for
optimize the chain operations with custom applications, or
large-scale digital transformation. If so, do not despair,
have concerns about your inventory. There are no of few limits
you can guarantee legacy integrations and tools to
of you can dream with low-code. ensure regulatory compliance and governance;

Small-Medium Business Government or Non-Profit

You may be part of a Small Medium Business in need of a If you are a Non-Profit or a Government sector, low-
competitive advantage or with limited resources, low-code code gives you the power to nurture transparency and
can help you reducing costs and with speed to market; accountability, reducing development costs and securing
development of citizen services and applications;

IT Department
You may be part of an IT Department with limited
resources to modernize and integrate old systems or
to ensure security and compliance; Low-code enables
IT teams to do more with limited resources;

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 Case study
Our story transforming paper-
-based workflows into efficient
digital solutions
We worked with an electronic giant with hundreds of facilities
around the world, with around 80 000 employees and a
customer base of over 1.4 million companies. For multinationals
like this, paper records are still a reality, be it for legally binding
documents, insurance details, complaints, or invoices. This
poses a challenge of securely and efficiently store, organise,
and access millions of documents.
The challenge
There was a pressing need to digitize and automate repetitive
and time-consuming tasks, which was a more complex
challenge than expected. The organization already had an
innovative IA system that allowed customers to scan their
paper documents, such as invoices, letters, complaints – and
automatically read different fields of information. The one step
that was missing was proper routing, organising, and storing of
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data for future use. Another pressing matter pertaining to data
handling and storing is compliance with RGPD laws across
Europe.
With no established workflow and no supporting software,
customers lacked access to the digital version of the data, as
well as a reporting tool, which would later provide actionable
insights. And so, our work began.
A custom solution
Immediately, we set out to develop an interface that could
gather all the different types of data from the AI system and
store it. Our solution also had to be intuitive enough so that
thousands of users from different countries could analyse and
act on the data.
Our first goal was overcoming the unstructured nature of
the scanned documents. Each had its own format, fields,
heading and content, which had to be sorted, categorised, and
processed before the “real” automation work could begin. We
also developed a new workflow that enabled getting the most
information out of their database.
Upon delivering the physical documents, customers would
then have access to them digitally, through the interface, being
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able to consult them in a more interactive way. Customers The results
would have the option of filtering information, specifying what
information was relevant at each time. The custom solution
would also enable a more individualised treatment of the
data. As a result, users could identify and use data in a more
structured way. The end user get access to a
digital version of any physical
information in an easy, interactive,
Leveraging OutSystems
fast and cost-effective way.

With this exciting and complex challenge ahead, we chose the

best asset for this project: low-code development platform
OutSystems.

Why OutSystems? For us, it was a logical conclusion. We were A faster and less bureaucratic
way of working that can store
looking for automation, user-friendly interfaces, intuitive
data from thousands of customers
workflows, high-level security, and compliance, as well as the
and millions of documents.
ability to handle very large volumes of data, and multi-system
communication.

Plus, since they relied on outsourcing for this large-scale

project, we needed to make sure the sensitive data and
information were safe and protected. OutSystems ensures Both the end-user and the company
maintenance and automatic updates, which, in turn, itself have access to a dashboard
where they can see the
guarantees the data is safe. Additionally, an OutSystems
main process metrics.
solution allowed us to deliver a product, including multiple
tests, in a matter of days.

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Both the end-user and the company itself have access to
a dashboard where they can see the main process metrics.
Customers now have a better understanding of the lead-time,
We thrive in helping businesses accomplish
workload, and defect rates. Such data provides greater control
their goals and embrace the changes
and an undisputed basis for continuous improvement.
brought by digital transformation.

In short, the major benefit of the project was greater control of

all documentation assuring compliance with GDPR. It is a faster Get in touch!
and less bureaucratic way of working that can store data from
thousands of customers and millions of documents.
Let’s talk about your next Low-code project! No
project yet in mind? Perfect, we love to brainstorm
custom solutions with our customers.

This project was successful in digitalizing what was

essentially a paper-based workflow. Building on the new
AI software, we created a system that provided the end
user with greater access to the digital version of physical
information in a fast, cost-effective way.

Nelson André Outsystems Tech Lead

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www.nearpartner.com