How to transform your company into a flexibility machine

Flexibility is at the heart of every forward-thinking company's strategy. In this blog, Maud van Paassen, Business Technology Consultant at Quatronic, shares how OutSystems can help you transform your organization into a true flexibility machine, so you can innovate and move with today's dynamics.

The need for flexibility

Flexibility in IT is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. We explain this on the basis of the bimodal model introduced by Gartner. This is an approach that distinguishes two distinct layers in IT. On the one hand, you have a foundation of traditional, stable, and predictable systems — a solid foundation that guarantees reliability. On top of this foundation lies a layer that offers space for innovation, rapid change, and agility. This layer is indispensable if you want to stimulate innovation and weave new ideas into an organization's strategy. OutSystems fits this adaptive layer perfectly by using low-code, which offers the possibility to quickly create customization, linked to a strong architecture: a powerful combination that promises flexibility, speed and scalability. OutSystems therefore facilitates exactly what is needed to succeed in today's rapidly changing IT environment.

Why OutSystems is synonymous with flexibility

Many people associate OutSystems with low-code and automatically think of speed and therefore flexibility. Yes, OutSystems is a low-code platform, so you can develop quickly. But the real challenge of a good solution lies in carefully designing your system and architecture — and that's not necessarily faster with low-code. So what really makes OutSystems so flexible and fast?

1. Built-in security and scalability

OutSystems simplifies much of your work. The platform offers a comprehensive library of ready-to-use components that are built according to best practices and are constantly updated to meet the latest safety (OWASP) and scalability guidelines. They are designed to meet common business needs and can be customized and combined to meet specific needs. You can compare it a bit with LEGO blocks, which also all fit neatly together at all times. In this way, OutSystems deals with essential things such as: securitisation and performance management for you automatically. This means considerable time savings. Although this is rarely necessary, there is always room for adding your own code.

2. Strong architecture for solid systems

There is a persistent misconception that low-code has its limitations. That's why I think it's important to clarify that OutSystems, despite being low-code, has a very robust architecture. This makes it not only suitable for developing separate applications on top of other systems, but also as a solid basis for complex systems. For example, we have Container Centrals a whole new ERP system developed based on OutSystems. Bee Cheesepop food group with OutSystems, we have optimized the entire production process from purchasing to production to transport, so that we can guarantee the necessary traceability. Flexibility is very important to this organization, because they have built a new factory where they will produce completely new products and there are regularly new insights into how this works. And at Next Energy OutSystems is even the foundation of a complete energy management system. This proves that OutSystems is perfectly capable of functioning as the heart of powerful systems with a solid architecture.

3. Easy learning and transfer

As a low-code platform, it's relatively easy to get started with OutSystems. OutSystems also offers good training and excellent support. As a result, it is not only very accessible, but you are also less dependent on individual programmers. In the world of traditional coding, everyone creates their own “language,” and it's always hard to decipher someone else's logic. Low-code is much less dependent on the individual developer's interpretation, which greatly facilitates the transfer of projects. An additional advantage is that you can spend more time collaborating with the business.

4. Fewer resources required

Because OutSystems is a low-code platform, developers and consultants can combine roles. As a result, you need a smaller team with fewer communication links and the entire development process is not only faster and more efficient, but you are also more flexible.

5. Advanced quality control tools

In addition to comprehensive security and performance support, OutSystems also has advanced AI tools for quality control. These tools analyse the structure of your application, identify the 'technical debt', and verify that all best practices are being followed. By properly managing these aspects, you get applications that are easier to maintain, and therefore also offer more space for developing new functionalities. Large, cumbersome systems require a lot of maintenance, at the cost of innovation. OutSystems helps prevent this by simplifying maintenance, paving the way for continuous development and improvement.

6. Excellent integration opportunities

Another major advantage of OutSystems is the integration option with external systems. This brings me back to the concept of the bimodal model, where OutSystems fits perfectly into mode 2, the layer that offers flexibility and agility within your IT landscape. This is why it is important that that layer can work seamlessly with other systems or tools that you may already be working with. And this is exactly where OutSystems shows its strength; it facilitates simple and flexible integration options, making it easy to connect to a wide range of systems and tools.

7. Simplified releases and updates

OutSystems has greatly simplified the process of bringing applications live and running new releases. The platform guides and validates each step in this process, resulting in faster iterations and the ability to respond quickly to changes through shorter release cycles.

9. Scalability

Finally, one aspect that is often overlooked is OutSystems' scalability. Thanks to the platform's modular architecture, you can easily add modules. Plus, because it's cloud-based, you can easily scale performance by adding extra computing power as the number of users grows.

In short

In summary, OutSystems offers a combination of speed, ease of use and a strong architecture that together provide the flexibility that modern organizations need to innovate and grow.

Curious?

Ready to transform your company into a flexibility machine with OutSystems? Take contact set out to explore the possibilities and take the step towards a more agile future today.

Want to stay up to date?

Is now not the time, but are you curious about our blogs and articles? Then follow our LinkedIn page and you'll be the first to know about our latest contributions and future events.

‍