Low-Code – How Companies Bridge The Gap Between Business And IT Departments

Divergence instead of synergies is seen as an obstacle to digitization in companies.

Mendix, Siemens subsidiary and provider of low-code and no-code applications for companies, has now published the results of the new study “Digital Disconnect: A Study of Business and IT Alignment in 2019”, which was created together with Dimensional Research. It shows a division emerging in companies that no longer have anything to do with the silo thinking of earlier years. Implementing low code can help.

Low-Code: IT Budgets That Are Too Low

The study results show that this gap is mainly caused by different perceptions of budget and operational issues. For example, 50 percent of the IT managers surveyed worldwide think that the IT budget is insufficient to deliver tailor-made solutions on a large scale -. In contrast, more than two-thirds of business decision-makers see no challenges in terms of budget size.

At the same time, however, both sides recognize that the pipeline for change requests for IT solutions is getting fuller. These can hardly be met, or only after months or even years. More than two-thirds (69 percent) of the business stakeholders surveyed stated that not even half of their inquiries would even reach the implementation stage.

Low Code: No Shadow Without Light

Ninety-five percent of those surveyed state that it has a negative effect if IT cannot deliver new solutions. In IT departments, this is particularly evident in employee satisfaction because frustration increases with every incomplete project. However, on the business side, it is about missed strategic goals, key figures not achieved, and falling behind the competition.

Unsurprisingly, this development shows that unregulated IT projects, so-called shadow IT, have been on the upswing for several years. A majority of both sides agree on this. Especially the managers from the departments see advantages in shadow IT. Sixty percent of those surveyed are convinced that the use of shadow IT should be rated positively.

This contrasts with the concerns of the IT experts, who for the most part (92 percent) think that it is dangerous to develop applications without a clear understanding of the rules of governance, data security, and compatibility – whereas, at least in German-speaking countries, the majority of both sides agree are (54 percent) that shadow IT has advantages if it can be appropriately managed and supported.

Connection Of Shadow IT And Software Development

There is a technology that meets these administration and support requirements precisely and at the same time brings the advantages of shadow IT and classic software development. Low-code and no-code platforms offer the potential to bridge the growing gap between business and IT. The respondents in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland also see this. Around half of the companies in these countries want to develop applications with the help of low code in the coming year at the latest, 71 percent within the next two years.

“That’s precisely why we founded Mendix and developed our unified low-code and no-code platform to bridge the divide between business and IT and encourage real collaboration. Years of budgeting and managing IT as a pure cost center has led to a business crisis. Application development decision-makers need to redefine teams and empower new makers to create value, create software solutions, and maximize business performance, “.

“Each iteration of the Mendix application development platform has further developed the tools that are necessary for business departments and IT to work together successfully. This allows all team members to work together to develop creative and value-adding software solutions that contribute to the company’s digital agenda. This is essential for success in today’s market situation. Our study reveals the pain points and communication gaps that executives need to address to break away from their attachment to legacy systems and outdated ways of thinking and to shape a meaningful digital future,”.