The challenges posed by COVID-19 and technological advancements have profoundly transformed the way online services are designed and used in the public sector.
This transformation has increased the pressure on public organizations to deliver rapid and effective digital solutions that meet the growing expectations of users.
The adoption of No code and/or Low code platforms, supported by growing ecosystems, has become essential for these organizations to reinvent the services they offer.
01. Reducing time-to-market of solutions
In a sector often marked by urgency (health crises, natural disasters, political changes), institutions must be able to:
How to deliver faster?
In No code
→ Allowing business teams (non-technical) to directly develop applications tailored to their needs.
- It empowers individuals to address needs they previously expressed to the IT department, which often delivered solutions late due to ever-growing project backlog.
- Reduces dependency on those IT departments.
Measurable result: A significant decrease in the IT backlog indicates that business teams are more autonomous in developing their tools, which optimizes resource allocation.
Important : The implementation of No code solutions is not magical. Without IT department supervision, it can lead to increased shadow IT, security risks, vulnerabilities, and additional costs—especially when urgent corrections are needed to meet performance standards.The IT department must be involved in:Training business teams, providing continuous support, and monitoring new applications.Governance by selecting secure tools, educating teams on data usage, defining use cases, and validating the security of implemented solutions.Establishing a catalog of applications and promoting it through workshops and webinars.
Important 2 : No code and Low code approaches are development-oriented and intervenes after the requirements definition. The value of NCLC lies in:The rapid creation of solutions.The ability to iterate and evolve these solutions.Simplified maintenance.
How to deliver faster?
In Low code
→ Enabling professional developers to accelerate strategic IT developments.
- With pre-configured tools and blocks, as well as a more visual approach (often referred to as visual programming), repetitive development tasks are eliminated.
- Simplifies integration with data (APIs and Enterprise connectors) and CI/CD pipelines (version control and multiple environments).
- Makes complex developments accessible to junior developers.
Faced with growing budget constraints, institutions must adapt to limited resources—this is the essence of NCLC.The TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) is a relevant financial metric to assess cost logic.One can ask:What would have been the cost of increasing IT resources or outsourcing services to develop the applications created by business teams using No code?→ The modular components of NCLC platforms allow for targeted updates without extensive interventions, avoiding impacts on the entire system.→ By reducing reliance on manual and paper-based processes, organizations can save on administrative and material resource costs.
The IT sector faces a talent shortage, particularly in the public sector, due to competition with private-sector salaries.NCLC platforms promote the internalization of skills and projects, thereby reducing dependency on external providers without replacing them entirely. It is impossible to internalize 100% of projects because of their volume and specificities.Advantages:The ability to respond quickly to requests.A “simple” solution to the difficulty of recruiting and training internal talent.Adaptation to the increasing technical complexity of software.Disadvantages: → Loss of project control.→ Skills drain and complex knowledge transfer. Reducing dependency through No code/Low code? Definitely.
No code and Low code answers to three major specificities of public sector digitalization.
1. Bringing together existing systems.
It is essential to ensure seamless communication between public entities. However, it is often hindered by:The diversity of professions and regulations, which require domain-specific software (administration, transportation, energy, etc.).The siloing of entities and the absence of a global roadmap, limiting the unification of methods and tools.The public sector is characterized by a wide variety of systems and applications, often inherited from older technologies. While these legacy systems are robust, their lack of flexibility presents significant challenges.→ NCLC platforms provide public administrations with the means to unify processes, connect entities, and consolidate these systems.
2. Addressing internal needs, but also external ones.
Internal: to modernize and simplify business processes, improving team efficiency and productivity.External: to offer effective and accessible digital services to citizens.Citizens’ expectations are rapidly evolving, aligning more closely with private-sector standards. They demand fast, intuitive digital interactions and simplified processes.→ NCLC platforms address these needs by:Integrating into complex environments:Facilitating the connection of modern solutions to existing systems.Navigating heterogeneous IT environments seamlessly. 2. Deploying scalable solutions:Enabling adaptation to a large number of external users.
3. Enhanced security.
NCLC platforms play a crucial role in creating a reliable digital identity, allowing citizens to easily and affordably access e-administration services.To achieve this, it is essential that:Citizens trust that their sensitive information is collected, stored, and secured rigorously. 2. Public institutions can exchange and validate these digital identities, creating digital identity ecosystems.→ Secure and simple connections to various authentication systems are mandatory.
Digital transformation in the public sector is fraught with challenges, but the emergence of No code and Low code platforms offers a way forward. By addressing systems harmonization, both internal and external needs and ensuring data security, these platforms empower public institutions to evolve into modern, efficient, and citizen-centric organizations.With NCLC solutions, the public sector can navigate the complexities of digitalization and position itself as a leader in delivering accessible, scalable, and secure services for all.
