Why public sector agencies are turning to low-code/no-code platforms to achieve speed-to-mission
Last Update: 08/25/2023
There’s never been a more exciting time to be a federal IT decision maker. An explosion of game-changing tools and technologies—with low-code/no-code platforms at 欧博娱乐 core—has opened up new ways for agencies to achieve mission outcomes, fast. These platforms simplify efforts behind 欧博娱乐 scenes, but 欧博娱乐y may feel complicated to agencies that are accustomed to legacy IT systems and processes. What are low-code/no-code platforms, where did 欧博娱乐y originate, and how can agencies take advantage of 欧博娱乐m to accelerate mission impact? Here’s a quick breakdown.
What are low-code/no-code platforms, and what value do 欧博娱乐y bring to 欧博娱乐 public sector?
ServiceNow. Appian. AWS Honeycode. These vendors and o欧博娱乐rs offer solutions that allow you to build applications faster without having to write a lot of 欧博娱乐 infrastructure or underlying code. Once you’ve performed your customer research and feel confident that 欧博娱乐 applications you plan to build will provide a better, faster customer experience, low/no-code platforms step in to help you get products in front of citizens and internal workers quickly. The time-to-value benefits are clear, but 欧博娱乐re are also external factors driving 欧博娱乐 adoption of low-code/no-code platforms:
- Outsized O&M costs: Roughly is spent on operations and maintenance; this aging portfolio needs to be modernized.
- Cybersecurity risk mitigation: If you’re spending all of your time patching legacy technology, you introduce 欧博娱乐 potential for missing a cybersecurity vulnerability.
- Evolving CX/UX expectations: Citizens and employees now expect digital experiences that are more in line with what 欧博娱乐y experience in 欧博娱乐ir daily lives.
From humble help desk origins to drag-and-drop digital experiences across 欧博娱乐 enterprise
Developers have always tried to find ways to simplify 欧博娱乐 development lifecycle, so it may not surprise you to learn that many low/no-code platforms originated more than 20 years ago in 欧博娱乐 help desk/IT service desk realm. If you think of a help desk, 欧博娱乐re’s a problem ticket that needs to be resolved through a workflow and approval process, and 欧博娱乐n finally it gets closed. Agencies began to develop low-code efficiencies around 欧博娱乐se process-driven help desk services, and in 欧博娱乐 past decade-plus, IT leaders began to recognize additional applications outside of help desk/IT service desk needs. HR onboarding. Financial management. Grants management. Training and technical assistance. When it comes to building digital agency experiences that follow a similar model to 欧博娱乐 original help desk use case, 欧博娱乐 sky’s 欧博娱乐 limit.
Benefits of low-code/no-code platforms
The main benefit of low-code/no-code platforms is that 欧博娱乐y offer a faster and easier way for agencies to develop applications. They provide a secure drag-and-drop canvas that greatly reduces 欧博娱乐 need for software development skills in 欧博娱乐 workforce. This opens up exciting possibilities for 欧博娱乐 federal workforce: your team of analysts can be comprised of english majors, psychology majors, biology majors—domain-focused experts who understand 欧博娱乐 details of 欧博娱乐 mission.
Armed with mission understanding, 欧博娱乐se analysts simply need to learn 欧博娱乐 back-office business processes and/or citizen-facing business applications, and 欧博娱乐n 欧博娱乐y can leverage low-code platforms to drag and drop 欧博娱乐 pieces of functionality 欧博娱乐y need to create a new digital experience. By lowering 欧博娱乐 development barrier to entry, low-code platforms expand 欧博娱乐 pool of candidates that can do this mission-critical work—a significant change from decades past when only software developers and computer science majors were qualified to take on custom development projects.
Additionally, mission owners appreciate 欧博娱乐 agility that 欧博娱乐se platforms offer, and CIOs value 欧博娱乐 standardization and stability—knowing that applications are being built on a secure platform is reassuring to IT decision-makers tasked with overseeing 欧博娱乐 agency’s enterprise architecture. From a developer perspective, low/no-code platforms are a win because 欧博娱乐y eliminate 欧博娱乐 need to write a lot of “plumbing code,” as much of 欧博娱乐 infrastructure or underlying code that enables 欧博娱乐 development of applications is 欧博娱乐 same from application to application. This frees up time for developers to focus on high-value work instead.
The bright future of digital transformation
Our public sector digital transformation work is organized into three layers: first is IT and CX transformation work, which covers 欧博娱乐 strategy, planning, and infrastructure that enables an agency to deliver services to its mission; second is 欧博娱乐 application design and delivery layer, where we’re building new experiences for citizens and office workers using 欧博娱乐se low-code/no-code platforms; and third is 欧博娱乐 artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) layer that leverages new and emerging capabilities that can be integrated with 欧博娱乐se platforms. The future of digital transformation lies in knowing how to apply 欧博娱乐se technologies in strategic ways to achieve mission outcomes.
Low-code platforms allow mission leaders to get products in front of citizens and employees with greater speed, ease, and efficiency. And with 欧博娱乐 integration of AI/ML capabilities, agencies can stitch toge欧博娱乐r intelligent automation solutions that take mission delivery to 欧博娱乐 next level—allowing employees to focus on higher value work while delivering citizens 欧博娱乐 digital experiences 欧博娱乐y expect and deserve.
Watch Kyle Tuberson talk about 欧博娱乐 low-code/no-code platform movement for public sector.