The 5 Reasons Why Low-Code Projects Fail and How to Avoid Them

Low-code project development has become a powerful solution for organizations seeking to speed up application development and reduce complexity. By 2024, over 65% of non-IT professionals will use low-code tools to develop IT products. 

Low-code provides developers and non-technical users with visual development tools and pre-built components to build applications quickly. Nearly three-quarters of IT leaders say low code is a trend you can’t afford to miss. It’s time to pay attention if you aren’t already.

But like anything in business, low code isn’t a magic pill for project success. This article explores the top five reasons low-code projects fail. We’ll also share actionable insights to avoid these pitfalls. Your business can achieve better outcomes with low-code projects by addressing these challenges head-on.

Let’s get started. 

What is a Low-Code Project?

A low-code project is a software development approach that utilizes visual development tools and pre-built, drag-and-drop components to create applications. It enables developers to build applications with minimal coding. Low-code reduces project time and complexity. 

Nearly any kind of application can be built from a low-code platform. Imagine you want to create a simple app for employee recognition that your staff can download to their phones to track, acknowledge, and celebrate employee achievements.

This low-code project removes the need to hire a developer and speeds up deployment. 

How Do You know if a low-code project is right for your project? 

Embracing a low-code development approach offers numerous benefits. However, before fully committing, it’s important to assess the suitability of low-code for your company’s specific needs. This will help ensure that your low-code projects will not fail.

 Here are the main elements for you to consider:  

• Project Complexity: Low-code platforms build straightforward applications. Low-code is ideal for small to medium-sized projects. Check if the project’s complexity aligns with the platform’s capabilities. 
• Time Constraints: Are you trying to seize market opportunities or meet changing demands? Does your business need a rapid application deployment? Low code will reduce timelines. 
• Resource Constraints: With low code, you can leverage citizen developers and empower existing IT teams to build applications utilizing available resources. 
• Scalability Needs: Consider if a low-code platform can accommodate your application’s scalability requirements as your business grows. 
• Integration Requirements: Do you depend heavily on legacy infrastructure? Assess the platform’s ability to integrate with existing systems seamlessly. 

 By weighing these factors, you can make informed decisions about adopting a low-code project. Maximizing low-code advantages will drive efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage. 

5 Reasons Why Low-code Projects Fail and How to Avoid Them

1. Insufficient Planning and Requirements Gathering

In the fast-paced world of low-code development, diving into the project headfirst is tempting. But since almost 40% of projects fail due to lack of planning, first things first. Take the time for meticulous planning and requirements gathering. 

Skipping this crucial step can lead to disastrous consequences. Inadequate planning often results in missing precise objectives and requirements, which must be communicated to stakeholders. 

To avoid this pitfall, involve all relevant stakeholders from the beginning. Conduct workshops and interviews with key representatives, end-users, and IT teams. You’ll then be able to identify the project’s true scope and objectives. The only way to ensure everyone aligns with the project’s goal is to be clear on the requirements.  

Another challenge specific to low-code environments is the dynamic nature of requirements. As low-code platforms enable rapid development, it’s tempting to change requirements frequently. That’s how scope creep happens, which disrupts the project’s timeline and budget. To address this challenge, set clear boundaries for requirement changes. Ensure all stakeholders understand the impact of alterations on project delivery.  

Prototyping and mockups play a vital role in the success of low-code projects. Creating interactive prototypes allows you to validate requirements early on in development. Stakeholders can give feedback during these iterations. This agile approach allows for continuous improvement. You’ll see a better representation of the final application in each process stage.

2. Overlooking User Experience (UX) Design

One of the most common misconceptions about low-code development is that UX design is automatic. Low-code platforms indeed offer pre-built user interface (UI) components. However, neglecting UX can result in functional applications that lack user-friendliness and appeal.

User experience is a crucial aspect that can make or break the success of any application. It doesn’t matter how great the content on your software or app is. If the user can’t use it, run it, or find the information needed, it’s worthless.  

A well-designed user interface increases user satisfaction, adoption rates, and positive reviews. Avoid tarnishing your application’s reputation and the organization behind it. Be sure to focus on user experience!  

Understand your target audience’s preferences, pain points, and expectations. Ask, “What do they feel? Think? Want? Don’t want?” By putting yourself in your customers’ shoes, you empathize with them. If you can do this, you’ll design a custom app that caters to their needs. One example of low-code UX customization is creating dynamic QR codes that change content based on certain conditions or user inputs. This could include generating personalized QR codes for each customer with specific offers. 

Usability testing is a vital step in the UX design process. By conducting usability tests with representative users, you can gather valuable feedback. This testing allows you to identify and rectify issues early. 

Keep the design simple, intuitive, and aligned with your brand identity. Focus on providing a clean and consistent user interface that guides users through the application’s functionalities.

3. Integration Challenges with Legacy Systems

Integrating low-code applications with existing legacy systems to modernize them can be daunting. This is true even for established organizations with dedicated IT staff. Legacy infrastructure often has unique data formats, protocols, and architectures. To tackle integration challenges, start with a comprehensive analysis. Understand the architecture and data flow of the existing systems and identify potential integration points. You can expect and address potential roadblocks early in the project by conducting a thorough analysis. 

Utilizing middleware and API management tools can simplify the integration process. Middleware is like a bridge connecting different systems together. It allows for smooth data exchange and communication. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) provide standardized methods for systems to interact with each other. Another way to integrate with 3rd-party systems is to use Comidor’s RPA functionalities, specifically, the RPA Caller and Receiver bots that enable businesses to retrieve or exchange data with other systems. The purpose of these tools is to allow data to move between the low-code application and legacy systems.

An agile approach to integration can be beneficial, especially when dealing with complex systems. You can integrate all components at different times. Rank the most critical integration points and deliver incremental updates. This iterative integration approach allows you to confirm each integration step. It also has the benefit of reducing the risk of major disruptions to existing systems. 

Comidor’s low-code platform provides complete solutions to modernize legacy systems. Read a case study on how we helped a company deliver apps 12x faster and significantly reduce costs.

A caution in all this: It’s critical to involve experienced integration specialists in the process. Experts will identify potential issues and suggest the best strategies to connect the two systems. Collaborating with IT specialists ensures the integration process aligns with the organization’s IT strategy.

4. Performance and Scalability Concerns

Low-code platforms are designed to get apps made quickly. But this must not come at the expense of performance and scalability. Nearly 90% of users have stopped using an app due to poor performance. When users are frustrated due to performance, it negatively impacts their perception of your brand. 

To ensure optimal performance, conduct thorough load testing and performance tuning. Load testing simulates real-world user traffic. It identifies the application’s behavior under different conditions. You can identify potential improvements by testing the application’s performance under heavy loads.  

Performance tuning involves optimizing the application’s code and infrastructure for greatest efficiency. Addressing performance issues early in the development process can save valuable time and resources in the long run.

Scalability is another significant aspect. You need a growth plan if you expect your low-code application to attract a growing user base. Cloud-based industry platforms offer an excellent solution for scalability. 

Continuous performance monitoring is vital. Otherwise, you won’t immediately detect and address any performance-related issues. Monitoring tools allow you to track the application’s performance metrics in real-time. Notice a hiccup somewhere? Take immediate action to maintain optimal performance. 

5. Security and Compliance Lapses

Security, including low-code projects, is paramount in any software development project. An astonishing 83% of apps have at least one security flaw, and three-quarters wouldn’t pass a basic security test.

The misconception that low-code applications are less susceptible to attack leads to complacency. This leaves the application vulnerable to potential security breaches and data leaks. 

You’ll avoid this mistake by implementing robust security measures from the beginning. Make sure to conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to stay one step ahead of potential threats. You reduce the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access by staying proactive in identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities. 

Adherence to industry-specific regulations and data protection standards is essential. This is especially true if your application deals with sensitive user data. Non-compliance can lead to severe legal consequences. This can tarnish your organization’s reputation and result in severe financial loss.

Educating developers and users about security best practices is non-negotiable. Get ahead of the game by providing training and resources to your team. Ensure everyone involved understands their role in safeguarding the application and its data. By taking a comprehensive approach to security, you can ensure that your low-code application is well-protected and meets the highest data security and compliance standards. 

Wrapping it Up 

Low-code development has emerged as a game-changing solution in the marketplace. They are revolutionizing the software development process for businesses across various industries. Low-code projects offer quick application development, reduced complexity, and increased efficiency by leveraging visual development tools and pre-built components. 

To avoid low-code projects to fail, it’s crucial to address the common reasons behind their failure. Insufficient planning and requirements gathering can lead to misaligned goals and missed opportunities. Overlooking user experience (UX) may result in applications that need more user-friendliness, leading to low adoption rates. Integration challenges with legacy systems can hinder seamless data flow and functionality. Performance and scalability concerns can impact user satisfaction and application growth potential. Finally, security and compliance lapses pose significant risks to data integrity and user trust.

Tackling these challenges maximizes the benefits of low-code development. You will deliver applications that meet user expectations and achieve business agility.