Here’s how IT leaders can do more with less

Here's how IT leaders can do more with less

Business expectations around technology and digital dividends are rising as global economic headwinds tighten IT budgets. IT leaders are already tasked with clearing technical debt, innovating fast, attracting and retaining tech talent, and managing risk. In 2024, they will need to do even more with fewer resources.

According to Daniel Sanchez-Reina, VP Analyst at Gartner: “CIOs expect IT budgets to increase 5.1% on average in 2023 – lower than the projected 6.5% global inflation rate.”

At the same time, IT leaders are struggling to deal with the backlog of digital initiatives fuelled by the pandemic, which need to be evolved and maintained. Customers and employees are demanding more, technologies are becoming obsolete faster, and backlogs keep growing. Gartner forecasts that, in 2023, software and IT services spending will grow 9.3% and 5.5%, respectively. The uncertain outlook is changing the context of business decisions, with many IT leaders under pressure to cut costs.

9.3%

Software spending will grow

5.5%

IT Services spending will grow

How can IT leaders cut costs when they need to deliver more?

Usually, the first response to tighter IT budgets is to review and optimise the company’s current applications. Are they fully adopted? Can they use what they already have to better deliver their backlog? 

Some companies will turn to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software packages if they can’t reuse existing software. While COTS packages promise “ready-to-go” and reduced time-to-market, it’s not always that simple. COTS solutions don’t always meet a company’s exact needs, leading to customisations that can be expensive, time-consuming and hard to manage when upgrades are released, creating technical debt. It’s also hard to differentiate and innovate using COTS. Further, organisations end up paying for many functionalities they don’t need and pay a licensing fee for each user.

When a COTS solution is not the right fit, companies must build software. However, developing custom software solutions using traditional approaches is complex, costly, and slow. Projects can take many months or years to complete. The scope often changes mid-execution, leading to delays and additional costs. Updating and altering hard-code applications is equally complex, expensive and time-consuming. Also, this approach requires an army of highly skilled developers with varied skill sets using multiple languages and tools. The right tech talent can be difficult and expensive to attract and retain. 

Companies need flexible and scalable digital solutions delivered faster and more cost-effectively than traditional software development and COTS approaches.

Low-code development platforms can be the key to attaining these capabilities

More organisations are turning to low-code development technologies to speed up application delivery and time to value. According to Gartner, 70% of new custom-built enterprise applications will use low-code or no-code technologies by 2025.

Forrester reports that software can be developed 10 times faster using low-code. These platforms automate the development process, enabling a small team of skilled developers to deliver more than a large team of traditional developers in less time. The platforms come equipped with pre-built modules and drag-and-drop components, reducing the amount of code required to build an application by 80%.

However, not all low-code platforms are created equal

When choosing a low-code platform, companies should consider the platform type, pricing models, development tools, platform features, DevOps, and vendor must-haves.

High-performing low-code platforms such as OutSystems are even more productive than run-of-the-mill low-code platforms. OutSystems provides a complete suite of UX and DevOps tools, including pre-built components, making it easy for small multifunctional teams to prototype, change, evolve and scale an application as demand grows. 

The platform allows developers to deploy mobile (iOS and Android) and web applications from the same code source with pixel-perfect UI. Together, these capabilities significantly reduce development time and costs and cater to multiple use cases. A Forrester study found that companies using OutSystems achieved cost savings of 38% and an ROI of 506% over 3 years. In addition, when you build your own application, you don’t have to pay user licence fees.

38%

Savings by using OutSystems

506%

ROI over 3 years

It's not all about technology - your team matters

Even if you use OutSystems, the most powerful low-code platform on the market, you still need the right technical talent using best practices to achieve more with less. Many IT leaders have experienced the pain of being unable to deliver on a business vision because their team lacked the necessary skills. It’s even more challenging for non-technical companies to attract and retain high-quality technical talent.

Companies should consider joining forces with a highly experienced technology partner, such as PhoenixDX, who can provide access to a motivated team of multi-skilled professionals that can help you deliver digital initiatives from idea to go-live… and beyond. This approach removes the need to hire, onboard, train and manage highly-skilled professionals across each area of specialisation, enabling IT leaders to reduce their costs and risk while delivering better results faster.  As a partner of OutSystems and AWS, PhoenixDX is ready to maximise the power of these technologies to help IT leaders accelerate time to value and achieve more with less.

Like Certis Security, who had just 45 days to deliver an MVP to win a major tender

Certis Australia, a leading security services company, turned to PhoenixDX and the OutSystems platform when faced with the challenge of retaining their largest client. Time to value was critical as the company had just 45 days to deliver an MVP to win a major tender. They had already spent three months searching for a COTS solution and couldn’t find anything that could digitalise their manual processes, simplify user experience and seamlessly integrate with their existing core systems. They had considered adapting a program used in their Singapore office, but this was not viable.

Certis chose to partner with PhoenixDX, and in just eight weeks, a small team built the first module of its Business Operational Support System (BOSS) using the OutSystems platform. Certis won the tender, and their client was blown away by how effective and easy the custom-built solution was to use.

"PhoenixDX came at a crucial time where we needed results fast to improve our relationship with our biggest customer. They gained my trust with high-quality delivery and a dedicated team willing to go the extra mile to meet our needs. I feel they were an extension of my team. In just 12 weeks, we built a tailored solution that our staff and customers love to use."

The BOSS digital solution was incredibly successful, winning an innovation award in 2018. Certis Australia’s digital transformation journey began here, driving innovation and competitive advantage through digital solutions – The Certis Difference.

Looking for ways to achieve more with less? Let’s talk.