Does not fit your need well?
Becoming too expensive for your budgets?
You signed up for a SaaS App or software product because it seemed to solve your organizations problem, or because someone you trusted recomended it.
However, as you dug in deeper, or as you added more users, the flaws and faults started showing up. Your intrinsic process or organization model is different, or some of the deeper features you expected were just not there and some of them are fatal flaws. The pricing seemed affordable as you used its initial core capabilities, but as you added more users, or started using some of the advanced features, the application has become too expensive.
You are now at a point you want to replace, but the budgets are too high to build ground up, and there are no alterative software products you can buy off the shelf or subscribe too.
Stuck?
There is an very good way out - leverage a good low code platform to build what you need.
Using low code platforms, you can model the organization model to what you need, develop processes to suit what you need and the reports/ analytics to what you want. The software is auto developed to your specifications - not too complex, nor simplistic to your needs. Generate the application, write rules on the platform or create custom UI front ends and get your application.
Low Code platforms, are now becoming mainstream. The benefits of lower effort, speed, quality and adapatability are just to high to ignore. In the past they were known to have limitations in what they could automate and hence they were used for not so critical applications. The situation has now changed - serious corporate applications are now being rapidly built using such low code platforms. Going forward it is likely that all custom applications could be built using low code platforms.
Low code platforms can be used not only for custom development, but also for situations where software products are not doing their job well - either in terms of fitment or price. There has been a proliferation of SaaS products that are often not well integrated, and the costs of these applications are high. With the low code approach one can even combine what a few products are doing into one to improve as well as to reduce costs.
However, there are some situations where its worth continuing with your existing products
a) very special and complex functionality that your software product is doing e.g. a trained AI/ ML that gives you crucial insights, then its tough for a LC platform to catch up with the product.
b) The product does exactly what you need and it also includes best practices in the industry. Generic areas like accounting, payroll, hr, crm, help desk, project management and the likely to fall under this category.
So if low code is the way to go, the first step is to determine the right low code platform. Here are the recomendations
Simple application, limited budgets: Try using Bubble, MS Powerapps or even some workflow tools
Complex application, well endowed budgets: Try the big boys of low code - Outsystems, Mendix, Service Now
Mid sized applications, limited budgets: There arent too many options out there and the recomendation is Stragiliti (www.Stragiliti.net)
Small footprint low code platforms have their limitations and you dont want to spend too much time on it if you know you need a large footprint low code platform. Large footprint applications usually have
many processes
many roles
Complex logic
complex workflow
many integrations
So if you have a large footprint software product or subscription that you want to replace and have limited budgets, do get in touch with us at Stragiliti.
Disclaimer. This article is written by the founder of Stragiliti.
Do get in touch and we at Stragiliti are happy to organize a 1:1 free session to discuss the way to go.