“Will Low-Code Replace Developers? This question has become a clear concern in the tech industry, echoing from the voices of junior developers and seasoned professionals alike.
Low-code boost app creation but won’t replace developers especially those working with C++, Python and Java languages. Professionals can build applications with minimal coding, complementing developers’ skills. However, expertise is still vital for complex projects, customization, performance, and security.
With the rapid rise of low-code development platforms, they have become a significant player in the software development field promising to improve the speed of application creation and streamline workflows. As organizations continue to adopt low code to meet their digital product’s needs, it sparks debates about the potential consequences for the traditional developer role.
There are certain challenges being faced when using low code however following up with the latest developments and implementing common guidelines shall position your organization on the right track to unlock its full potential.
In this article, we will examine whether low-code presents a direct threat to the future of developers as we know them.
7 Reasons Why Low-Code Won’t Replace Developers
Even if low-code is for all developers, citizen developers are the most to benefit from it as it provides a relatively easy way to develop digital products without being knowledgeable in the software development lifecycle or acquiring skills related to low level development.
Organizations should not fear low-code, in contrary they should embrace it. Here are seven reasons why:
1- High-level of flexibility
High-level flexibility stands as a crucial reason why low-code cannot replace traditional developers entirely and it is also a major factor in low code limitations. While it excels in streamlining the creation of basic applications with their drag-and-drop interfaces, they will struggle when dealing with complex and highly customized projects.
Organizations can use low code when building simple to medium complexity applications where no extensive customization is required. For projects with medium to hard complexity, it will become extremely difficult to progress.
Having a team of developers is always handy as you have the potential to extend the capabilities of your product even if it requires advanced customization and personalization.
2- Performance optimization
One of the critical aspects where developers outshine low-code is in performance optimization. While low code provides an easy and quick way to create digital applications, most probably you won’t be able to fine-tune the underlying code to improve the performance if needed.
Developers have the expertise to delve deep into the codebase, analyze performance metrics, and implement optimizations to ensure the application runs smoothly and efficiently. They can utilize various techniques like caching, asynchronous processing, and database optimizations to improve the overall performance of the application. Additionally, developers can conduct load testing and stress testing to simulate real-world scenarios and assess how the application behaves under heavy user loads.
3- Security concerns
The convenience that low code offers come with a price! It may not provide the ability to future proof your products and overcome the related security concerns. On the other hand, developers possess in-depth knowledge to secure their products by addressing vulnerability assessments or penetration testing conducted by their quality control engineers.
Using only low-code in your organization could expose you to different vulnerabilities which will allow the intruders to have direct access to your sensitive data or on-premises servers. Developers have greater control over applying the highest level of security possible making their work less exposed and comply to different security regulations available.
4- Integration limitation
While some low code provides a built-in integration connector to allow you to easily integrate with other systems being used in your organization, most often you will need to integrate with a system that is not available within the out of the box libraries provided. That is why a senior developer is needed to delve deeper into the traditional code and provide a seamless integration.
5- User experience (UX) design
Low-code offer a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, simplifying the design of user interfaces for your applications. They provide built-in components for easy integration, though customization options may be limited.
Conversely, opting for a custom-built app developed by a team of skilled developers and UX designers grants you complete control over the interface. This level of control enables you to cater precisely to the complex requirements of your stakeholders, ensuring a tailor-made and seamless user experience that aligns perfectly with your business objectives.
6- Avoid repetitive tasks
On average, developers spend 6 hours per week dealing with technical debt. Low code will significantly help in this manner as it is designed to handle the generation of code where citizen developers are only worried about implementing the logic required related to the requirements gathered.
This can free up developers and allow them to focus on other critical aspect of their daily work to improve performance, scalability, and collaborate with their colleagues to achieve deadlines without any delay.
For instance, when a new operating system for mobiles is available, you may need to refactor the code to align with the latest release. However, low code can automatically take care of this aspect of mobile development for you without losing time to reinvent the wheel.
7- In-demand low-code skills
Organizations will require to build custom products to address specific business needs to improve the overall operations and low code can’t cover all this range of future needs. That is why professional developers will always be needed to help these organizations build custom products to help their team operate faster and beat their competitors.
In fact, the US Labor Department estimates that the global shortage of software engineers may reach 85.2 million by 2030. With these surprising statistics, the global market will always need more skilled developers!
