The introduction of low-code software development has transformed the landscape forever by enabling a rapid approach to innovation.
While low code is the future, it’s also raised some valid concerns for business and IT leaders. Every business requires scalability to sustain, and for the business to be scalable, the platform itself also has to be scalable.
Low code scalability is an actual concern, and today we’re going to discuss how you can determine the concept for maximum efficiency and better ROI.
Determining Low Code Scalability Through Features
The scalability of a low-code platform can be determined through its features. Here are five core features of a low-code platform that can help you determine the scalability of a low-code platform before making the final choice.
1. API
An API works as a communication medium between multiple applications that you’re working with. When you’re planning to create scaleable low-code applications, it’s a great idea to ensure that all your existing apps can share data between them.
These APIs should also become handy during third-party app integrations, applications used in different departments of your organization, or legacy systems.
If the low-code platform offers good API connectors that enable seamless integration with all of the above, then it’s a platform that can help you scale your system in the future.
2. Data Architecture
If you’re planning to create an architecture where multiple users (software developers) are constantly creating applications and working on scalable code, you need to introduce a system that has high flexibility in terms of data storage and management.
A great choice here is to pick a low-code platform that supports a cloud-based architecture that offers a centralized and secure location for large amounts of data handling, like Mendix.
3. Functionality
Aside from APIs, you can also scale the application with multiple microservices that will allow you to break your application down into multiple modules based on the services it performs.
With the help of a high-performance code platform, breaking the application down into multiple modules allows developers to work faster on multiple applications at the same time, and the process is made much easier.
4. Vendor Agreement
When you’re choosing a vendor for your low code needs, multiple factors rely on the vendor you come into an agreement with:
- Customer Support
- Data Control
- Documentation Access
- Platform Capacity
- Workflow Maintenance
Before you sign the final contract, it’s in your best interest to read the entire agreement thoroughly if you’re getting all the right support at the right time for your software development platform.
5. Platform Documentation
When scaling the infrastructure, it’s better to keep track of everyone who used the platform to modify one or more aspects of the infrastructure with detailed documentation.
The documentation can also allow you to determine the data access rights of every individual, and how the new changes will interact with your system. If a platform allows you to create change logs, then the entire process becomes easier to keep track of through better transparency.
Measuring Low Code Scalability
When choosing the right low-code platform, it’s not just about the number of apps you’re going to develop, it’s also about the people who will be working with the platform.
Some platforms rely on professional developers who can scale the entire system with heavy custom coding. In contrast, some other platforms rely on a mixed effort from both developers and different non-technical personnel and stakeholders.
Based on these characteristics, you can determine the approach you want to take for scalability.
Runtime Scalability
This aspect represents the overall performance of the applications that are created on any low-code platform. The measurements rely on the following metrics:
- Automation speed
- Rapid deployment through containerization
- Hybrid and cloud deployments
- On-demand app deployment support
Dev-Time Scalability
This aspect represents the time it takes to build and launch an application through a manual coding process for scaling. The measurements for this method rely on:
- Time required for onboarding
- Collaboration between professional and citizen developers
- Code customization capabilities
- Team communication
- Tool integration capabilities
How Low Code Platforms Like Mendix Can Deliver Enterprise-Level Scalability
Mendix is the current leader in the low code development industry and has been so for consecutive years. With its ability to align with the developmental needs of any organization and enable dev-time scalability, Mendix can enable better scalability of any organization regardless of the current scale of its operation.
The dev-time scalability features of Mendix include:
- Easy onboarding of new developers to the platform
- Role-based access appointment
- Collaboration opportunities between professional and citizen developers
- Ability to add custom codes to the existing infrastructure
- Variety of collaboration tools for utilizing pre-built elements
Mendix also allows developers to perform CPU-intensive operations (for example, parallel automated testing) with high reliability and efficiency rate with run-time scalability features. These features include:
- Faster deployment
- Task automation
- One-click deployment to any cloud platform
- CI/CD pipeline integration features
- On-demand application deployment capabilities
Mendix’s low-code platform has a lot to offer on its own, but its true strength lies in aligning architectural needs and internal processes toward scalability. To do so, you can easily adjust the platform capabilities of Mendix with its completely customizable development environment.
If you’re working with an agile development team, Mendix can help you improve project management efficiency by adapting a microservice architectural model that allows for easier management, validation, and fixing of large application systems.
FAQ
Low-code scalability is beneficial in industries with rapidly changing requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and e-commerce.
Yes, low-code scalability applies to IoT applications, offering the flexibility needed to scale as the number of connected devices grows.
Low-code scalability facilitates cross-platform development by providing a unified environment that can scale across different platforms and devices.
No, low-code scalability is typically language-agnostic, allowing developers to scale applications regardless of the underlying programming language.
Organizations can assess scalability by evaluating performance under increasing workloads, examining case studies, and considering the platform’s ability to adapt to future needs.
