Solid governance for solid OutSystems applications
Sure, working with OutSystems offers quick results. But Rapid Application Development is not synonymous with improvisation. Building applications on a strategic platform such as OutSystems requires a strict governance policy.
Low-code platform
As a low-code platform, OutSystems allows to visually develop applications. On top of that, you easily integrate them with existing systems and add new code whenever needed. But although deep technical development skills may not be required when starting out with OutSystems, there still is a need for governance. Especially when developing business-critical applications on the platform.
Architecture
We all know that an application’s success depends on various elements. Architecture indeed is a very important one. The application’s architecture defines if it will be secure, scalable, maintainable and available. In the ideal scenario, it is based on best practices and offers the desired level of performance. In order to check all those boxes, it is important to allocate the necessary resources to governance.
Plan ahead
Spending money and time on governance saves even more money and time throughout the application’s development and life cycles. Although OutSystems allows to move forward really quickly during the development phase, we advise to plan ahead and thoroughly analyze the project’s requirements before getting head-first into coding. What functionalities are needed? Which are the user profiles? What is the desired level of security? And what about hosting the application in the cloud? Which level of load balancing will be needed? And many more.
And yes, the development process is based on an agile approach. But then again, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to think everything through before you start working. Don’t assume the platform will generate whatever code you need – although it would – but try and aim for a first time right approach.
Investment with return
Agreed, it all sounds quite logical. However, in reality the combination of low-code and agile often leads to projects spinning out of control quite spectacularly. At Providit, we avoid that sort of drama. We prefer to cover the project’s entire scope: from infrastructure and architecture, to governance, application development, support and training. Obviously, application development is our main focus. But then again, that’s exactly why we know how important governance is for all the steps that follow in the process later on.
In the long run
Would you like to rely on OutSystems as a strategic platform for business-critical applications? Good plan! But it is absolutely essential to make that initial investment in governance. It allows you to lay the foundation on which you build robust applications. In the long run, the initial investment in governance leads to even faster development, with better overall results – and less costs – in terms of performance and maintenance.
