When Shweta Srivastava joined JK Cement in the last September as Head of IT Applications, she had quite a task at hand – to oversee the company’s application landscape which encompasses various go-to-market applications. This might seem like a fairly uncomplicated responsibility, but beneath it all, what it really means is that Shweta is responsible for keeping JK Cement’s key stakeholders happy. The brand has a large ecosystem of internal users, partners, distributors and the ever-growing network of influencers like painters, masons among others. And delivering the right experience and value to all these stakeholders through different applications was certainly a tall order.
Thus begins Shweta’s journey with low-code, no-code (LCNC) platforms that have been transforming the application development arena.
Shweta says that LCNC’s visual modelling elements, drag-and-drop interfaces, and pre-constructed templates make it possible for teams to quickly spin up applications that align perfectly with the business requirements.
In this exclusive interview with CIO Dimension, Shweta shares some profound insights derived from her hands-on experience with LCNC tools.
Watch the full video here:
While LCNC tools give an edge, they do come with their own challenges, says Shweta. “The general perception is that citizen developers can just drag and drop a few things and the application is ready in no time. But, such developers are typically biased with the outcome that is attached with their immediate requirements. For LCNC initiatives to be successful and sustainable, we need to follow certain best practices, see how efficiently one can create application objects and use it for multiple applications.”
Scalability is an important factor while working with LCNC tools. You don’t want to make something so closed loop that it cannot be scaled further, she adds.
Shweta also touches upon aspects like API security, shadow IT in LCNC environments and how those can be effectively addressed. She strongly advocates for the synergistic blend of digital technologies and the human touch in crafting optimal customer experiences.
