4 Reasons Low-Code Tools Will Never Replace Software Developers While low-code tools have become a go-to solution for companies and businesses, they'll never replace developers. Here's why.
By Steve Taplin Edited by Chelsea Brown
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Low-code tools are evolving as companies build applications to meet their needs. Its flexibility and scalability have become a go-to solution for companies and businesses. Companies can now create custom applications with ease and meet customers' demands. But it's logical to imagine that low-code tools will replace developers.
However, low-code tools will never replace developers, especially those working with C++, Python and Java languages. Though low-code tools could replace handwritten codes, companies and businesses need developers to optimize the software and its applications.
Even if low-code is for all developers, it's handy for high-code developers as it eases building applications faster. Ideally, low-code is a powerful software development tool designed to make a developer's life easier. Since most companies are in the early stages of transformation, there is so much that developers need to work on, and they are not getting replaced anytime soon.
In this article, we'll discuss what exactly low-code tools are and why they'll likely never replace developers.
Related: Are Low-code And No-code Platforms the Next Big Thing In the IT Sector?
What are low-code tools?
Low-code tools are software applications assisting tech and businesses in elevating coding from textual to visual. It operates in a model-driven and drag-and-drop interface. Low-code tools build value-driven enterprise applications, making them suitable for all development skill levels.
Although there is a rapid change in the digital era with businesses digitalizing their operations, companies in the early stages of machine learning and artificial intelligence are set to benefit from low-code tools. Plus, there are no specific code tools for various industries — meaning it's getting more complicated to design new programs without hiring a developer.
Why low-code tools will never replace developers
1. High-level of flexibility:
With a team of developers, you can easily add in-depth functionality to a solution and maintain it without worrying about outages. Sharing responsibilities and allowing professionals to connect and share their ideas is the best way for a business to grow.
Besides, it becomes easier to implement the requested functionality with a dedicated team of developers. Low-code platforms cannot provide this flexibility, especially when creating complex software solutions.
2. Collaboration:
The emergence of low-code tools doesn't mean everything built by then will get destroyed; its emergence is due to increased demand on the market. Generally, low-code tools came to make old coding methods fast, efficient and exciting to both developers and businesses.
These tools push developers towards collaboration. They are forced to improve their communication skills, interact directly with clients, sharpen their skills and channel their skills to meet business needs. It brings together businesses, engineers and developers. It invites all developers to teamwork and closes the gap between departments.
3. In-demand low-code skills:
Businesses always have issues to solve. This means that developers with low-code skills will remain in demand. Companies always have improvements they can make. Companies will not only need developers who can use low-code tools, but they may also need written code in areas where low-code does not solve complex issues.
According to IDC, the global population annual growth rate of low-code developers is expected to be 40.4% in 2021-2025. This is an increase of 3.2 times the general developer population growth rate.
4. Avoid repetitive tasks:
On average, developers spend lots of time dealing with technical debt. But the low-code platform handles loads of work, making it easy to introduce the debt. For instance, developers must refactor the code every time an operating system update is needed. Low-code platforms can handle such types of tasks. Also, it means developers will focus on inventing new code rather than repeating the same code multiple times.
Related: Why Low-Code Platforms Are the Developer Shortage Solution People Aren't Talking About
The odds favor the developers because they did not come to the industry to fix and maintain the old but to build new things. They will have enough time to focus on more complex software solutions and applications, eventually improving companies.
With business competition increasing, there is an urgent need to develop new software solutions fast. But developing complex software is time-consuming. Writing code takes hundreds of hours and even more time to customize and improve efficiency. And since low-code platforms need minimal handwritten code, developing an app on low-code platforms will take a few days.
Developers will now spend less time creating new codes and focus on developing responsive software that meets customer needs. This means businesses will now have sufficient time to predict customers' needs and develop new software based on that data.
According to Gartner research, no-code applications will improve innovation and ensure the adoption of composable enterprise. This software application allows real-time adaptability and resilience in unsettled times.
Also, no-code or low-code tools help developers to recompose packed and modular components, thus improving business capabilities and creating an adaptive custom application.
With the ongoing advancement in the tech sector, there is still a software developer shortage. Low-code software and applications can support developers by helping them create applications and features fast. So, low-code tools will never replace developers. Developers must embrace low-code tools and see their career prospects thrive. They should explore low-code tools, build apps, learn how to use the tools and become more productive.
