BES Playbook

1.1 Play 1: Understand how Low-Code can be applied to your project

We must begin projects considering Low-Code frameworks by exploring the benefits and trade-offs of these software development platforms. It is important to realize that these platforms are not a silver bullet for all software development projects. This playbook chapter highlights several of the benefits and risks of implementing a Low-Code framework. Some of the biggest risks with implementing these types of development frameworks is vendor lock-in with limited ability to customize. The trade-off for accepting the risk of vender lock-in and lack of fine-grained customizations is the ability to empower some end-users known as “Citizen Developers” to rapidly change system functionality to meet their needs based on graphical user interface (GUI) programming tools and the use of pre-determined templates.

Checklist

  • Spend time evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of Low-Code application development frameworks
  • Clearly identify the problem you are trying to solve with Low-Code
  • Understand the types of software applications a Low-Code solution is best suited for: Business Process Automation (BPA), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Mobile App Development, Rapid Application Development (RAD), etc.…
  • Determine if Low-Code is the right technical solution
  • Test prototypes of solutions with real people, in the field if possible
  • Perform Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) using evaluation template in this playbook chapter as a guide
  • Document the findings about product evaluation, costs, schedule, risks, and benefits
  • Share findings with the team and program leadership

Key Questions

  • Does the Low-Code technology stack meet your technical, functional and programmatic requirements?
  • Does the Low-Code platform sufficiently meet requirements with an acceptable level of system customizations required?
  • How will you avoid vendor lock-in over the life cycle of the program?
  • Who are your primary users, and do they have any specific needs or desires that will or will not be met by a Low-Code solution?
  • Are there enough functional SME’s qualified and available to act in the “Citizen Developer” role?
  • What level of training will be required for functional SMEs and for end users?
  • Which users will have the most difficulty with the system and can that difficulty be mitigated?
  • Are there security concerns with this type of system in your environment?
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