What does low-code actually mean for companies? Can it really speed up enterprise-grade development?
Marcelo Ferreira, the Head of Low Code at Near Partner, shares his take.
Meet Marcelo Ferreira. An experienced OutSystems developer, and a mentor here at Near Partner, Marcelo Ferreira has been involved with low-code for several years. Now, he shares his unique knowledge after many projects, and explains how to create an excellent application at lightning speed.
OutSystems creates mission-critical applications and updates them quickly. It’s a state-of-the-art visual tool to speed up development, while AI-based automation throughout the SDLC ensures updates in hours, not weeks. Quickly and securely scalables applications for more than 100 million users in a modern, cloud-native architecture.
Why low code?
Low code is a growing force nowadays, and while there are many ways low code can improve a business’ performance, it is always best to listen to the pros. We asked Marcelo why he made the switch from traditional development – in which he has his academic background and years of experience – to low code development. “Look, the world is changing at a very quick pace. High code languages are no longer the right answer for every use case – as they can’t keep up with the rapid rate the world’s changing.”
“What attracts me most in low code is not having to do those repetitive tasks every project needs, over and over. With low code, those necessary parts are already wrapped in pre-built building blocks that can be used and adapted easily.” This way, he adds, “I can free up my time to focus on the problem-solving part of my work and deliver maximum value for my clients.”
Marcelo vividly recalls how a former client of his team was dealing with manual processes and falling behind because of it. “In just a few months we were able to digitise their entire business with low code.” Similarly, another big tech client chose Outsystems for their framework: “Redoing all the applications with recent technology would take over a decade; with low-code we were able to redo and improve them in only one year.”
How do you work and guide your team through challenges?
Being Head of Low Code at Near Partner means Marcelo is responsible for the low code team – the same team he helped put together. “My job is to nurture my team, help them develop into the best skilled professionals they can be.” Marcelo achieves this not only by mentoring individual developers, but also by finding the right projects. “I try to find and assign interesting projects to every one of them, projects that are a challenge and can help them tap into their potential.”
However, there are always obstacles along the way. “It may seem contradictory”, he adds, “but a project that moves too fast can overload the client’s in-house team. When this happens, teamwork between us at Near Partner and them is essential.” In such cases, it is paramount to manage expectations and have a share a common purpose. “For us at Near Partner, the most important of all is the connection with our clients. We want to speak the same language, share the same culture, be on the same page. We understand their business and their success is our success.”
Also part of our Low-Code team is an OutSystems Champion, Nelson André. He’s been with Near Partner since 2018 and, during that time, he’s improved as a programmer and contributed to a fantastic workplace. We can say that, like the OutSystems community, Nelson has learnt a lot and given a lot in return. If you are not familiar with the OutSystems Champions Program, it essentially identifies, recognises, and rewards community leaders. The program provides a framework for collaboration between community enthusiasts and OutSystems teams. Champions are there to guide and help the whole OutSystems community.
Is low-code really for everyone?
Low-code was always meant for “citizen developers”, meaning everyone should be able to partake. But is it really so? “All the low code platforms we work with have learning paths available that any beginner can absolutely follow. The best part, though, are the communities!” He adds “It is easy to learn the technology with so much support from the communities – any doubt you may have will for sure be answered in the forums and dedicated learning channels.”
“If I could go back in my low code journey, one thing I would do differently is I would have started interacting and learning from the Outsystems community much earlier. It took me a while, but I figured it out: cooperation, collaboration, no man left behind… that is low code!”
About Marcelo
Marcelo is an OutSystems Most Valuable Professionals, that is, a valuable member of the Outsystems community, recognised for his outstanding contributions to the platform and ecosystem. A MVP is an individual whose technical expertise has impacted the community for the better via the creation of Forge components, additions to Outsystems documentation, and designing new functionalities and improvements for Outsystems products. OuSystems recognizes these valuable experts and introduces them to the OutSystems ecosystem of partners and customers as the best developers on the market.
“It is truly an honour to be a part of the MVP programme. The most rewarding is to see Outsystems grow, in part due to my support and contributions.” However, Marcelo feels the Outsystems’ community also gives back to him. ”When I see that the functionalities I helped create and design are working properly I feel I get back as much as I give. I am also a user of those very same functionalities.”
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