Professional services companies and consultants frequently charge their clients by the hour, so for them, billable hours are the name of the game.
Looking at low-code for professional service companies simply through billable hours is misleading though, and it misses the key point - you want to offer your clients the best possible service.
While you’re focusing on billable hours, other professional services are focusing on their service, and they could be using low code development tools to take business away from you (check out our low-code development handbook to see how they’re doing it).
Best Low-Code Development Platform for Professional Service Companies
Low-code tools are professional services businesses’ and consultants’ best friend because they help give their customers exactly what they want – the best value for the best solutions.
Here are some of the benefits consultants are seeing:
- Digitally transform companies more quickly and effectively
- Reduce costs
- Become more competitive
- Boost capacity
- Find the right talent more easily
As Jason Bloomberg, founder, and president of the digital analyst firm Intellyx, says in this Silicon Angle article, the value proposition for consultants and professional services firms “has always been about more than billable software development hours. For these companies, low-code only strengthens their strategic value proposition.”
He points out that “In many cases, the big win for customers centers on digital transformation” – and low-code tools help developers digitally transform companies more quickly and more effectively. Bloomberg notes that companies don’t want to engage with professional services organizations in digital transformation projects that take three to five years. They want to see results much more quickly, and low-code tools can help deliver that.
Changing the Way Professional Service Companies Work
Over the years, customizing off-the-shelf enterprise applications for companies has been a cash cow for professional services groups, but Bloomberg warns, “today, enterprises have little appetite for such money pit projects.”
Instead of customizing existing applications, he says, professional services organizations can build them from scratch using low-code tools, giving enterprises better, more customized applications at less cost.
Low-code development tools can also help professional services organizations scale more easily. It’s harder than ever – and more expensive than ever – to find and hire qualified developers. In the past, without qualified developers, professional services groups haven’t been able to take on new work because they didn’t have the workforce to handle it.
However, low-code tools allow professional service companies to hire less-experienced developers to tackle ever more complex projects.
As Mathieu Drouin, solution architect and owner of Division 61, a boutique consultancy specializing in intelligent automation says in the same article, “True full-stack developers — ones that master the software development stack from end to end — are rare and very hard to find. A low-code platform can be a very powerful tool for reducing technological complexity and allowing your organization to concentrate on building applications that provide real business value.”
The result of all this? Low-code for professional service companies can fatten the bottom line for consultants because it allows them to deliver more value at less cost, take on new work and gain greater loyalty from their customers.
Which Is the Best Low-Code Platform for Professional Services Organizations and Consultants?
Low-code for professional service companies can have a big impact on your business. Alpha Software has helped companies improve productivity by over 75%, with clients noting, “it lets us build cloud-based applications quickly while being very versatile and flexible. It allows us to show our clients the work as it proceeds, so they can make changes, and we can respond to them quickly. That way, they get the exact features they want, and we don’t have to spend extra time delivering it to them.”
Here are some of the reasons professional services are turning to Alpha Software:
- The Alpha TransForm no code app builder and Alpha Anywhere mobile app development platform can work independently or together as a single platform and are ideally suited for digital transformation projects, building custom applications, and more.
- Alpha TransForm helps non-professional developers craft online or offline mobile apps in minutes that utilize the latest mobile features (camera, GPS, etc.) for fast, accurate data capture.
- Alpha Anywhere has the unique ability to rapidly create mobile-optimized forms and field apps that can easily access and integrate with any database or web service and can exploit built-in role-based security or robust offline functionality.
- Alpha Shell, our free app can be downloaded from the Apple and Google Play stores, allowing you to quickly test your mobile app during development.
- We’re always making improvements to keep you and your clients safe and secure. With new security features, you know you’re in safe hands.
Conclusion
Low-code and no-code are completely compatible with professional services and consultants. While some might look at low-code for professional service companies as a way of cutting into billable hours, your competitors may be looking at it as a way to offer a superior service.
By utilizing low-code development software, you can not only cut expenses, but you can do so while giving your clients a superior product. Many Alpha Software customers note how it allows them to get the most out of their talent, and give clients more say in the development of their apps.
If you’re looking to take your professional services company forward, then low-code development could do the same thing for you.
Learn more about Alpha TransForm and Get Your Free license.
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