Thanks to low-code and no-code platforms, employees don’t need to know how to code to become a coder. This reality has increased low-code and no-code platform usage across businesses small and large.

For some developers these platforms are a welcome time-saving solution to focus their efforts on other higher-value projects. While other developers might disagree and instead fear that low-code and no-code platforms will result in fewer jobs for developers.

TechRepublic Premium conducted a survey to uncover the good–and the bad–of low-code and no-code platforms and what its usage means for the enterprise.

The survey asked the following questions:

• Does your organization currently use low-code or no-code platforms?
• Does your organization plan to use low-code or no-code platforms in the next 12 months?
• How is your company currently using or planning to use low-code or no-code platforms in the next 12 months?
• Which of the following benefits does your company get or expect to get from low-code or no-code platforms?
• Which low-code or no-code platform is your company currently using or planning to use?
• Why isn’t your organization currently using or planning to use low-code or no-code platforms?
• Do you think low-code or no-code platforms will result in fewer jobs for developers overall (not just in your organization) in the future?
• Why do you feel that low-code or no-code platforms will result in fewer jobs for developers?
• Why do you feel that low-code or no-code platforms will not result in fewer jobs for developers?

Low-code and no-code (LCNC) software development platforms are steadily gaining in popularity as businesses seek to streamline workflows and digitize business processes. Nearly half (47%) of those surveyed currently use LCNC in their organizations. Of the 35% who are not currently using LCNC, one in five (20%) said they intend to adopt the technology in the next 12 months.

Most respondents are using LCNC to automate workflows (17%), create new applications (15%), speed up development time (15%) and automate data collection and reporting (14%). Another 10% of respondents mentioned reducing the burden on developers and connecting and creating inter-departmental applications, workflows and business processes for reasons to incorporate LCNC.

The survey found that the ability to utilize LCNC to provide business solutions provides many benefits to organizations. The top benefit survey respondents receive or expect to receive from LCNC platforms is improved productivity (15%), followed by reduced application development time (14%), and automating manual processes (12%). Rounding out the ranks of top benefits was increased use of automation in business processes (11%), and at 10%, streamlined, easier-to-use workflows, empowering users to solve problems, and reducing dependence on spreadsheets.

The majority of survey respondents (67%) do not think low-code or no-code platforms will result in fewer developer jobs. However, 16% of respondents do. They cited that developers are too slow to help businesses respond to fast-changing market conditions and opportunities and that developers will feel undervalued and will quit instead of working on these platforms as the top reasons why.

To read all of the results from the survey, plus analysis, download the full report: Research: Increased use of low-code/no-code platforms poses no threat to developers.