Where Should We Use a Low Code Platform Like Mendix or OutSystems
Disclaimer :
While most of the content of this article are compiled based on the resources available with the Low Code product vendors (Mendix & OutSystems), some of the content are opinionated views of the Author based on market research & customer feedback. Reader’s discretion is recommended while making any decision based on the content of this article.
Objective :
The objective of this article is to empower the decision makers of an organization to choose the right IT platform in their Digital Transformation journey ensuring that the enterprise is equipped with future-proof technologies to succeed in this VUCA world.
While the IT landscape of an organization may encompass a wide variety of toolsets, this article specifically focuses on the criteria to choose a Low Code Application Development Platform that can meet & address the needs of the business at the pace & accuracy of market demand and customer expectations.
Audience :
The primary audience of this article are Decision Makers of an Organization, like CXOs, IT Heads, Architects, Delivery Heads, Program Managers etc.
This article is also targeted towards Client Partners/Relationship Managers, Solution Architects and Sales/Pre-Sales Teams of SI & MSP organizations, who help in IT enablement of different enterprises across industries, to pitch/propose the right platform for the right requirement.
What is a Low Code Application Platform (LCAP) ?
Low-code is a visual approach to develop software solutions.
It abstracts the complexities of the underlying code and gives a platform for Business & IT to come together fostering the participation from Business SMEs and Business Analysts in solution development by democratizing the software delivery model.
It automates every step of the application development lifecycle and promotes continuous collaboration between business & IT.
Low Code platforms help enterprises to stay relevant and meet the needs & demands of today’s customers at a rapid pace breaking the traditional myths & models.
Top LCAP Players :
Best Place to get the top LCAP players in the low code space is to visit Gartner’s MQ.
Focus of this Article :
While there are many players, this article solely focuses on 2 of the top hpaPaaS platforms, namely Mendix & OutSystems. Lets understand what they are from the horse’s mouth
What is Mendix ?
“Mendix is a high productivity app platform that enables you to build and continuously improve mobile and web applications at scale. The Mendix Platform is designed to accelerate enterprise app delivery across your entire application development lifecycle, from ideation to deployment and operations.” — Source : https://mendix.com
What is OutSystems ?
“OutSystems is a modern application platform designed to dramatically accelerate the development of your most critical applications while also delivering unprecedented levels of flexibility and efficiency. Address your top digital transformation priorities with applications that make a difference across all areas of the business — from customer experience transformation and workplace innovation to process automation and application modernization.” — Source : https://www.outsystems.com
Who is using OutSystems/Mendix ?
Enterprises of all sizes across 20+ industries use OutSystems/Mendix to deliver solutions for multiple use cases and applications. The solutions range from simple mobile front-ends to complex BPM workflows, from Education Portals to Comprehensive Corporate Services as well as large Enterprise migrations and CRM/ERP/BFSI solutions.
OutSystems is featured with 150+ Case Studies with 200+ Testimonials in “featuredcustomers”.
https://www.featuredcustomers.com/vendor/outsystems/testimonials
Mendix is featured with 60+ Case Studies with 100+ Testimonials.
https://www.featuredcustomers.com/vendor/mendix/testimonials
OutSystems/Mendix — Industry Coverage :
Real Estate
Aviation
Banking
Other Financial Services
Insurance
CPG
Consumer Durables
Education
Retail
Pharma
Life Sciences
Healthcare
Government
Legal
Logistics
Supply Chain
Energy & Utilities
Telecom
Travel & Leisure
Entertainment
Manufacturing
Non-Profits and Charities
Corporate (Business) Services
When to use OutSystems/Mendix — Driving Principles :
Gartner’s Pace-Layered model segregates the IT landscape of any organization into 3 layers.
1. System of Record — This layer is well defined and more or less common for all enterprises and has a very slow rate of change.
2. System of Differentiation — This layer focuses on fostering customer-centric approach with a higher degree of change to keeping the enterprise unique sustaining the differentiation factors.
3. System of Innovation — This layer attempts to implement out of the box ideas for the organization and thus has fuzzy requirements and a high rate of change.
Low Code Platforms like Mendix & OutSystems empowers Business & IT to come together and deploy the end product/service at a pace that market demands.
Hence, as per Gartner’s Pace-Layered Model, a System of Differentiation or System of Innovation is the right fit for their adoption.
For a system of record, they may be a good fit if one of the following criteria is met.
1. The application is not available as a COTS product.
2. The COTS solution is too complex and/or or too expensive.
3. The customer needs more than 25% to 30% customization on top of the COTS product.
4. The customer is in Digital Business & The System of Record is also a System of Differentiation for the customer.
5. The customer wants to future-proof their IT investment.
OutSystems/Mendix — Use Cases :
OutSystems/Mendix - FAQs :
Q1. Should I choose a LCAP platform like OutSystems or Mendix when I can buy the product off the shelf ?
Ans : It depends. If the COTS product available in the market meets all of your business needs, with little or no customization, its recommended to go for the same as it may save your time & money. However, in case the COTS product requires more than 30% customization and the cost of the COTS product along with the cost of customization is on the higher side of your CAPEX curve, choosing an LCAP platform may be a better choice.
Q2. I want to build a multi-channel e-commerce Application. Should I use OutSystems/Mendix ?
If you are just getting into e-commerce business, then you may choose low cost off the shelf solutions or simply start with Wordpress/Wix etc. When your business grows and you want an enterprise grade platform to meet the features, scale & availability requirements, start looking at the products offered by Shopify, Adobe(Magento), Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, commercetools etc.
Leverage LCAP platforms to build the solutions adjacent to your core e-Commerce platforms such as Loyalty Portals, Customer Service workflows etc.
Q3. I want to implement an ERP Solution in my enterprise. Should I use OutSystems/Mendix ?
Ans. While OutSystems/Mendix should not be used as a replacement of an ERP platform, they can very well complement the platform enhancing the customer experience through innovative & engaging portals, with ERP workflows running in the background.
Q4. I want to implement a Core Banking Solution. Should I use OutSystems/Mendix ?
Ans. Core Banking Solutions typically belong to SOR (System of Records) in Gartner’s Pace-Layered Model and hence they have well defined requirements. There are well established market leaders in this space like Finacle from EdgeVerve(Infosys), BaNCS from TCS, T24/Transact from Temenos, FLEXCUBE from Oracle etc.
Leverage the LCAP platforms to build modern digital channels to rich out to the new age customers that may differentiate your product portfolio. Examples include e-Banking & Mobile Banking portals, Self Service onboarding & KYC portals, Agent Portals, Back office workflows etc.
Q5. I want to implement a CRM Solution in my enterprise. Should I use OutSystems/Mendix ?
Ans. Recommendation is to evaluate the market leaders in the CRM space first, such as Salesforce, Pegasystems, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Microsoft, Oracle etc. Check your requirements as well as the pricing options available from the vendors. Most of the CRM vendors themselves are Low Code platforms. Hence, there are high chances that you may be able to meet your custom requirements, too, using those platforms. Choose Mendix/OutSystems only in case the solution from them seems too expensive and/or customization cost is too high.
Q6. I want to implement an Insurance Solution. Should I use OutSystems/Mendix ?
Ans. Insurance is a big space and there are plenty of legacy as well as new age players out there. COTS solutions for P&C insurance are available from vendors like Sapiens, Guidewire etc. Life Insurance Solution leaders include Oracle, Accenture, Infosys, Verisk/FAST, Vitech etc. to name a few.
Low Code Platforms should be leveraged to complement the investment in Core Insurance solutions to build engaging customer self service portals for Policy Administration, Claims Management, Agent Portals, Quote Engines etc.
Q7. I want to build a Gaming Application. Should I use OutSystems/Mendix ?
Ans. OutSystems/Mendix is not optimized for the rich interactive Audio/Video experience required by modern Gaming Applications, and hence should not be used.
Q8. I want to build an ESB Solution. Should I use OutSystems/Mendix ?
Ans. No. While both OutSystems/Mendix come with tons of OOTB connectors to integrate external systems, they are not purpose built to support the Enterprise Integration requirements of an organization.
Conclusion :
The possibilities in the LCAP world are truly limitless. In this article, I just made an humble attempt to point out the low hanging fruits, that can be leveraged. Comments & suggestions are welcome to improve this article.
