Fueling Innovation: The Launch of Low-Code Platforms

By Aditya Gavvala

In the ever-evolving application development landscape, low-code and no-code platforms have emerged as game-changers, revolutionizing the speed and accessibility of custom application software at companies of all types, including those in the insurance industry.

Low-code and no-code platforms minimize or, in the case of no-code platforms, eliminate traditional, intricate hand-coding tasks to speed up the app development process and make it more approachable and inclusive for novice coders, experienced coders and their business unit partners.

At Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, these platforms are pivotal in enabling secure, cost-efficient, and rapid development of business productivity applications for teams.

Several robust low-code application technologies – including PowerBI, PowerApps, PowerAutomate, Robotics Process Automation, ServiceNow, and Salesforce – have already been introduced at Citizens and are empowering our teams.

These platforms feature friendly visual programming interfaces with drag-and-drop capabilities, automating tasks required for coding and user interface generation. This enables faster delivery of applications because they require minimal hand-coding while automating aspects of the development process.

Key Benefits of Low-Code Application Platforms

Faster time to market: As mentioned, automation generates a significant portion of the code, expediting application development.

Lower investment: No special-purpose software or hardware is required, and technical expertise is not a barrier.

Supportability: Easier to maintain and enhance with support from the Citizens Information Technology (IT) team when needed.

Unlock opportunities: Innovation within governance, fostering experimentation and ideation.

Enhanced security: Compliance with data loss prevention policies ensures secure deployment on managed cloud platforms.

So, what types of applications are suitable for low-code platforms? Here are a few examples, some of which are already in use at Citizens:

PowerApps: This technology is ideal for departmental or personal productivity tools, especially those involving user interfaces, database tables, and business workflows.

PowerAutomate: It is also suitable for business workflows triggered by emails, instant messages, or changes in database tables.

PowerBI: Low-code platforms are perfect for data analytics and visualizations.

Low-code platforms support collaborative development between business and IT users. While some coding may be required for complex integrations, the degree of technical expertise needed is significantly lower than in traditional development.

Establishing a Center of Excellence

Citizens' IT division is working on establishing a Center of Excellence (CoE) team that will provide continuous guidance, training, and assistance for developing end-user business applications using low-code technologies.

As popular core insurance vendors transition supporting configuration tools into both standalone offerings and application programming interfaces, low-code application platform vendors are advancing their platforms with artificial intelligence and predictive capabilities that are compatible with these core insurance platforms.

This convergence promises significant productivity gains and positions low-code platforms at the forefront of innovation in the insurance sector. Embracing low-code platforms at Citizens is not just a technological shift – it's a strategic move to empower our teams, foster innovation, and meet the dynamic demands of the future.

Aditya Gavvala is Chief Information Officer at Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.