As enterprise architects, your role is to bridge the gap between business and technology. You're responsible for identifying opportunities and challenges and using enterprise architecture through software assets like citizen development platforms to achieve business goals.

Low-code development platforms, which enable non-technical users to build apps without writing code, are quickly becoming a go-to option for many companies looking to speed up their app delivery cycles without sacrificing quality or security. But with so many different interests involved in every decision, it can be hard to know if the solution you're considering will meet those needs.

This guide will help enterprise architects through this process by highlighting ten features they should look for when choosing a low-code development platform that works for their organization!

1.   Application Platform as a Service

An Application Platform as a Service (APaaS) provides the core functionality of a low- code development platform, including application design, data model, integration and configuration management capabilities with pre-built connectors to third-party apps and services supporting complex business processes. Because it offers desktop-like functionality, it is one of the most common ways to interact with low-code development platforms.

APaaS is provided through an intuitive, user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to drag and drop files onto the platform, open documents from their computer or other digital storage location within the application itself—allowing them to access those same files on multiple devices.

Another benefit of an APaaS platform is it helps organizations create applications more quickly than traditional software development methods because it makes use of prewritten code modules—known as building blocks—that provide application functionality to users without having to write new code every time they want something new added to their app.

2.   Standalone Process Engine

As an enterprise architect, you should look for a low-code development platform with a standalone process engine. A standalone process engine enables users to build an application with its workflow logic that isn’t tied to one particular cloud or environment so that it can be used anywhere on any device in any situation.

This feature allows the process to be executed outside of the application server and, therefore, can be used in different environments and platforms. This is particularly useful when you want to reuse existing business processes across your organization and across different applications.

3.   Stateless Process Engine

Enterprise architects who need their enterprise applications built quickly without fear of losing data should look for platforms that offer stateless process engines instead of stateful ones.

Why? Because stateless systems send a request to the server and relay the response (or the state) back without storing any information. This design characteristic limits the system memory required, which is especially important as enterprise architectures grow in scale and complexity.

With stateless process engines, users can manage their own storage space on behalf of their applications instead of relying on a centralized database or cloud service provider. Enterprise architects should strongly consider these advantages when evaluating low-code development platforms.

4.   XML-Driven Process Engine

XML-Driven Process Engine (known as XPDE) is a low-code development platform feature that allows developers to define their processes using an XML file.

The XML files are used as input data for automated applications without the need for complex programming languages like Java or C# which may be difficult for non-technical users who want to create their own applications without devoting too much time learning how programming works from scratch.

XML, the eXtensible Markup Language (or a set of rules for encoding documents), has become an industry-wide standard for representing data and interfaces between applications. It's accepted as being an ideal vehicle—for sharing structured data across organizations as well as within them.

5.   Mid-Execution Updates

Enterprise architects are tasked with building applications that meet their organization's business requirements, but they also must be able to adapt them quickly as circumstances change. One way to do this is by using a low-code development platform that offers mid-execution updates. This means that you can make changes in real-time without having to take an application offline and redeploy it. This allows you to respond quickly and more effectively when your needs change, or new opportunities present themselves.

Enterprises often need to take an application offline to make changes. This means that if you want to add new functionality or fix a bug, you have to stop using the application while it's being updated, which can cause your team to lose hours of productivity—and sometimes even more than that!

If you're using a low-code platform that supports mid-execution updates, you can make changes in real-time and see them reflected in the application instantly.

6.   Application Models

As the business environment changes, an application model should be able to change with it. This means that a model should be able to be easily modified and tested. It also means that the model should contain all of the necessary information so that it can function as an API for each department within your company.

A good way to ensure this is by making sure that your application models are easy to understand and modify—practically self-explanatory in their design and function. Suppose they contain all of the necessary information in one place. In that case, anyone from IT or operations can use them as visual guides for operational procedures without having to refer back or consult other documents constantly during deployments and updates.

7.   Embeddable Forms

Forms are a key element of any business application. They allow users to interact with an application and provide (or receive) information from the system. While forms may seem simple, they can be extremely complex in nature, depending on the requirements of your project.

For example, there could be many different types of data to collect or send depending on the enterprise. You might have to collect data about a person's credit score or their address details as well as other sensitive information such as their medical record number or social security number—all within one form! If you need to create this type of form, it would take hours (even days) by hand without using low-code development tools.

8.   Integrated Development and Management Environment

The biggest challenge that enterprise architects face is how to manage a variety of stakeholders while dealing with an array of different systems and applications.

To meet these challenges, they need a low-code development platform with an integrated development and management environment. An integrated citizen development platform allows you to view all of the custom reports in one place, manage apps while they're running, control access and user rights, and establish system-level controls—all from one place.

This will help you make sure that every part of your application is working together seamlessly. With an integrated platform, you can easily see if something has gone wrong or if any changes need to be made across the enterprise architecture.

9.   Built-in Governance Functionality

Highly regulated industries such as healthcare, financial services, and government are looking for low-code development platforms to add governance functionality to their existing processes.

The best platform for this will have a layer of built-in governance capability. This is a necessity for organizations with compliance-sensitive and security-conscious environments. The platform should ensure that you can maintain control over your data without getting bogged down in complicated tools or manual processes.

To meet these needs, low-code platforms should include features like:

• Easy-to-use governance capabilities that don't require an IT team member to manage it daily
• Flexibility and extensibility to customize policies based on unique needs (e.g., industry regulations)
• Integration with other tools within the organization so they work together seamlessly (e.g., HR systems)

10. Cross-Platform, Cross-Cloud, Cross-Environment

Another important feature is cross-platform, cross-cloud, and cross-environment compatibility. The platform should be able to span platforms (Windows/J2EE), cloud-native services (Salesforce, NetSuite, etc.), and hybrid environments (on-premises/cloud). With this feature, enterprise architects can create applications that can run anywhere without changing their code or configurations.

This will save you valuable time and reduce the number of errors you could encounter when deploying your application into production systems.

Key Takeaway

With so many options, it can be difficult to choose the right one. However, with this ten-point checklist highlighting the best features to look out for when choosing a low-code development platform, we’ve made it easier for you to make an informed decision.

AgilePoint NX has a unique architecture that combines XML-based application models with a standalone, stateless process engine. This architecture allows you to modify and update applications at runtime, embed HTML5/JavaScript forms anywhere, compose multiple and programmatic configurations of components, and deploy the same application in parallel across different configurations.

Get a free personalized demo now to experience how AgilePoint can help you build robust business applications faster on a low-code development platform. We also offer AgilePoint NX Getting Started Training, a self-paced online course that will help you learn the basics of low-code/no-code automation.