Time-to-Market — A Key Measure for App Development

The success of an app in today’s world is not only determined by the features and the quality but also the speed of development and Time-to-Market (TTM). TTM refers to the time taken to develop a product from the time of conceptualization to design to audience outreach to relevant users. Those who are able to bring their apps to fruition quickly have a lead over competition and the potential to dominate the market.  

To be able to achieve this, the development process needs to be well-orchestrated from the time of planning to product roll-out and needs modern digital technologies and agile development environments to be able to achieve it. 

Low-code development solutions is fast emerging as the ideal methodology that empowers developers to reduce TTM.  

Related: Low-code in 2021: 5 Key Trends to Watch out for

A research report from Forrester shows that spending in this area will touch $US 21.2 billion by 2022, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 40%. This is driven by a desire to become market disruptors rather than react to market trends and therefore leverage data-driven digital technologies for greater agility and faster TTM. Low code fits into this overall IT strategy by enabling rapid build and deployment of applications by reducing the TTM from months to weeks. 

Features of Low Code Development 

One of the key features that makes low code development platforms (LCDP) such as Mendix ideal for speeding up TTM is its graphical user interface that lets developers use visualization and drag and drop techniques for app development rather than write millions of lines of fresh code. This makes the process more efficient and allows apps to be built faster. Apps can now be created in days which used to take months earlier.

Mendix low-code platform is cloud-native and built on open standards because of which it integrates legacy systems with third-party applications using a bot-friendly interface. This creates automatic workflows to model real business processes. Also, this enables getting the development process started without the need for additional resources or infrastructure.  

Mendix also offers no code tool for web based visual app-modeling studio for business domain experts and robust support for project.

Low code development also enables remote collaboration between teams by facilitating secure access to company data. End-users can be more involved in the development process, thereby aligning IT with business objectives more closely.  

Low code platforms are agile and enable every feature’s look and flow to be tested and any changes are made if required before being moved into production. Changing course and adding or removing a feature without affecting the rest of the app is also possible as a result. 

Virtualization is another key feature of low-code platforms that speeds up development by virtualizing development and test environments or using a cloud service and can be deployed quickly. 

Benefits of Faster Time-to-Market 

Being a disruptor and introducing a feature quickly can in itself be an advantage for the app. However, there are other benefits too that a business can experience by speeding up the time to market for their app and features. These include: 

#1 Lower Cost of Development 

Faster development lowers the cost of development. In addition, it reduces the need for more developers, thereby reducing resource cost as well. This improves productivity while keeping the costs low. 

#2 Improved Productivity 

Due to faster development cycles, more apps can be developed in a shorter duration. From months, apps can be built in weeks or even days, improving resource utilization. 

#3 Improved Customer Experience 

While faster development enables additional features in shorter periods, low-code platforms also help create features with good usability and user interfaces for better customer experiences. 

#4 Better Risk Management and Governance 

The regulatory environment is constantly changing, requiring businesses to keep pace and adapt quickly. With low-code development, changing to meet the deadlines and become compliant becomes easier. 

#5 Keep Pace with Trends 

As low-code development does not need complex coding and is data driven, businesses can quickly add or modify features to suit the changing needs of its customers. 

#6 Transform Quickly 

To benefit from the digital technologies, businesses can opt for low code development to transform quickly. Its ability to integrate legacy systems with third-party applications enables existing businesses to come up to speed and compete with start-ups and more agile businesses quickly. 

#7 Increased Business Agility

Mendix low-code platform is extensible, providing direct integrations with major vendors and enabling IT to turn APIs, web services. This accelerates the time it takes to integrate and deploy new tools and technologies, helping businesses stay ahead of market trends and consumer demands. 

You might also like: Third Party API’s Mendix Integration

#8 Easy Deployment Access 

Mendix low code platform allows us to deploy the application in an easy manner. Mendix offers an option to deploy the application in its cloud as well as in Private cloud.  On-premise deployment option is also available in Mendix Low code platform. 

Working with Indium to build an app with Mendix LCDP  

The low-code platform Mendix enables a close collaboration between business-IT teams, enabling faster innovations and reducing the risk of failure. By integrating emerging technologies and core systems quickly, it provides insights for improving business results. Its open and flexible architecture also future-proofs your investments. 

Its visual modeling and building blocks enable even citizen developers to get involved and improve the productivity of professional developers for faster development. One of the key strengths of this platform is that it enables story-boarding and tracking, sprints and feedback, all in one place, facilitating transparency and efficiency. Automated testing, tracking, and analytics along with role-based platform access ensures governance without compromising on the speed of development. 

Indium Software, a key Mendix partner with more than two decades of experience in cutting edge technologies, offers technology and domain expertise to empower businesses with fast app developments and gain competitive advantage. We have recognized capabilities in the innovative implementation of Mendix development solutions. 

If you would like to speed up your TTM for apps, contact us now.