DEVOPSdigest

In today's dynamic and competitive business environment, development teams are facing unanticipated challenges as they work to meet rising demands for more sophisticated software solutions. Traditional development methods struggle to keep pace with the scale and complexity of modern requirements, a challenge compounded by talent shortages(link is external), strict budgets, long to-do lists and short timelines.

Recent data from the OutSystems 2025 State of Application Development (SoAD) Report quantifies these challenges, revealing just how critical innovation in app development has become, and the opportunities generative AI (GenAI) and low-code present to support development teams in meeting these persistent demands.

The Rise of Customer-Facing Apps: Demand Creates New Pressure for Developers

Developers are managing an ever-increasing number of projects, often balancing multiple initiatives at once: the report found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of IT teams plan to build 10 or more apps over the next 12 months, while 45% anticipate building more than 25 apps over the same timeframe. A significant portion (74%) of these are customer-facing applications, intensifying the demands on IT teams. Unlike internal tools, customer-facing applications must meet exacting standards for usability, functionality, and reliability — adding significant complexity to already overstretched development pipelines.

For developers, this translates to mounting pressure to deliver high-quality, market-ready products on tighter schedules with fewer resources. A misstep — whether in design, development, or execution — can result in missed opportunities, user dissatisfaction, and even reputational harm.

Generative AI Crossroads: Opportunities and Obstacles

Generative AI is emerging as a powerful way for developers to deliver on time-sensitive requests; it's transforming software development by enabling them to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and accelerate project timelines. According to the report, 81% of developers are already using generative AI for coding assistance, underscoring its potential to enhance efficiency and address immediate bottlenecks in the development process. Beyond routine tasks, GenAI-powered platforms provide scalability and enable smarter decision-making, helping teams tackle projects that once seemed insurmountable.

Despite its growing adoption, trust remains a significant barrier to widespread generative AI implementation for IT teams: 62% of surveyed IT professionals expressed security and governance concerns with generative AI. Additionally, only 40% of developers "mostly" trust generative AI to write code autonomously without human oversight, reflecting the need for robust validation processes to mitigate risks like vulnerabilities or non-compliance with organizational standards.

AppDev Reimagined: Combining Low-Code and Generative AI

While GenAI offers impressive productivity gains, its limitations mean it can't go it alone. Pairing the speed of GenAI with the governability and abstraction of low-code empowers IT teams to harness GenAI's capabilities while maintaining control and predictability throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC). More specifically, the key advantages of low-code platforms include:

■ Productivity boosts and accelerated project delivery: Organizations with the highest low-code maturity levels saw a 36% increase in developer productivity and a 34% reduction in time to market. These gains are critical in a landscape where IT teams face mounting pressure to deliver more apps faster and with fewer resources.

■ Built-in regulatory support: Low-code platforms provide a built-in layer of governance, addressing one of the primary concerns raised by GenAI adoption: security and compliance. By embedding guardrails and enforcing standards throughout the development lifecycle, low-code ensures that AI-generated code adheres to best practices and organizational requirements.

■ Fiscal benefits: Low-code also offers a clear financial advantage. The report notes that 62% of organizations using low-code reported better budget predictability compared to 52% relying on traditional coding. The ability to forecast costs with greater accuracy makes low-code an attractive solution for businesses seeking to maximize ROI while expanding their app portfolios.

Low-code platforms step in to provide the structure, reliability, and cost-effectiveness needed to scale development efforts without sacrificing quality. Together, these technologies form a powerful partnership that allows organizations to innovate faster, meet aggressive development goals, and maintain the control necessary for long-term success. For IT teams, it's not just about keeping up with the pace of change — it's about staying ahead of it.

The report highlights the growing pressures facing today's IT teams but also points to a powerful opportunity: leveraging AI-powered low-code platforms to redefine the SDLC. These tools free developers from repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on strategic initiatives that align more closely with business goals. By shifting the role of developers toward innovation and creativity, organizations can better navigate rising demands while driving meaningful business outcomes. With the right approach, IT teams can turn today's challenges into a catalyst for long-term growth and transformation.