Topics In Demand
Notification
New

No notification found.

Scaleups are turning to low-code to build modern internal app ecosystems
Scaleups are turning to low-code to build modern internal app ecosystems

January 20, 2025

8

0

Low-Code for Engineering Scalability: Insights from PhonePe, Yubi, and DronaHQ

For most engineering teams, internal tools are indispensable but notoriously resource-intensive. Whether it’s admin panels for configuration, dashboards for analytics, or operational systems, these tools demand continuous updates, customizations, and maintenance. Due to the lack of developer capacity, long implementation times, and the buildup of technical debt from hardcoded non-scalable solutions, traditional development methods frequently result in bottlenecks.

That being said, low-code platforms are transforming this narrative. Choosing the right low-code platform for your team could mean enabling faster development, empowering junior developers, and reducing the maintenance burden.

Drawing from experiences shared by engineering leaders at PhonePe, Yubi, and DronaHQ, this article explores how engineering leaders are adopting low-code to reshape the development of internal tools and drive operational excellence.

Why low-code?

Addressing Legacy Issues and Bottlenecks

For any engineering team, dealing with legacy code and configurations can easily be a recurring theme. Shikhar Kapoor, Software Architect at PhonePe, described how a compliance-driven audit forced the team to update legacy consoles across the organization. “Low-code isn’t just about speed; it’s about letting developers move forward without being tied to the past. A developer shouldn’t be dragged back into legacy work. They should be solving new problems, not reconfiguring old ones.”

For a firm where compliance is paramount and scalability is a given, the mindset shift was essential. By centralizing updates through low-code, PhonePe has avoided the time drain of manually updating multiple consoles, directly impacting the developers' productivity.

Enabling Reconfigurability for Scalability

Software, ready to use or custom built, will create challenges as your firm scales. Dinesh Kailash Kumar, VP Engineering of Yubi, shared how building hardcoded solutions for every new customer became unsustainable. “We discovered that building custom solutions is wasteful in terms of effort because you’re tied and can’t scale. Configurability is key. With low-code, we’ve been able to package configurations, enabling teams to build custom solutions that scale effortlessly.”

Yubi’s approach to low-code focused on creating a headless, configurable architecture. This shift empowered teams to dynamically adjust workflows without needing developer intervention for every change. By enabling non-developers to make updates, Yubi significantly reduced their operational overhead and improved scalability.

Reducing Turnaround Times with Low-Code

Kapoor shared how adopting low-code at PhonePe compressed project timelines from three months to just three weeks. “This isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about creating a responsive and agile engineering environment,” he said.

By identifying bottlenecks in their traditional development process, PhonePe introduced low-code to centralize configuration management, streamline workflows, and improve responsiveness to both internal and external requirements.

Overcoming Resistance and Building Trust

Adopting new technologies, especially something as fundamental as low-code, often meets resistance from within the organization. Developers accustomed to traditional workflows may view low-code as a compromise on quality. To address this, Kapoor described a unique strategy PhonePe employed during a company-wide hackathon. “We set up our low-code tool and encouraged teams to use it for their projects. Instead of pairing up with a UI developer, we asked them to try building front-ends themselves. The hands-on experience helped evangelize the tool and build trust in its capabilities.”

Surprisingly, backend engineers adapted to low-code tools faster than frontend developers. Kapoor noted, “Backend engineers had fewer preconceived notions about how UI should be built, making them more open to experimentation.”

Choosing the Right Time to Invest in Low-Code

When should you consider low-code? Jinen Dedhia, Co-founder of DronaHQ, suggested that the best time is when workloads begin to bottleneck. “There’s always a point where you can see your workloads increasing. That’s when you realize your team is becoming a bottleneck for growth,” he said.

For organizations like Yubi, this realization came as they scaled rapidly and needed a solution that wouldn’t require constant developer intervention. By transitioning to low-code, they were able to address scaling needs without expanding their engineering headcount.

Enabling Customization Without Overburdening Developers

Customization often slows progress in traditional development, as developers must revisit and reconfigure settings repeatedly. Jinen explained how low-code disrupts this cycle: “Building configurable platforms that don’t rely on developers for every change means faster turnaround times and happier clients. With low-code, developers can move on to more complex problems without being dragged back into configuration tasks.”

Kapoor shared how low-code tools enabled product managers to make changes independently. “The introduction of a WYSIWYG editor meant product managers could sit alongside developers and make real-time changes to dashboards, reducing back-and-forths and shortening delivery timelines,” he said. Interestingly, this empowerment also encouraged some non-technical team members to learn basic JavaScript for further customizations.

The Future of Low-Code in Scaling Engineering Teams

Looking ahead, low-code platforms are becoming integral to tech stacks. Kapoor shared PhonePe’s vision for expanding low-code usage, “We’re looking to integrate low-code even further by making control panel features a part of our design stage, not just an afterthought.”

Yubi is exploring ways to templatize configurations, ensuring that 80% of a customer’s needs are pre-built. Dedhia explained, “By making tools modular and reusable, we can handle diverse requirements without starting from scratch, enabling faster and more consistent rollouts.”

Is Low-Code Right for Your Organization?

Low-code platforms aren’t just about efficiency gains; they enable engineering teams to innovate, reduce repetitive tasks, and scale solutions seamlessly. The decision to adopt low-code should align with an organization’s growth trajectory and scalability needs. As Jinen advised, “Identify the bottlenecks, focus on scalability, and don’t underestimate the importance of training and education. Low-code platforms can be transformative, but only if the team is ready to embrace the change.”

 


That the contents of third-party articles/blogs published here on the website, and the interpretation of all information in the article/blogs such as data, maps, numbers, opinions etc. displayed in the article/blogs and views or the opinions expressed within the content are solely of the author's; and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of NASSCOM or its affiliates in any manner. NASSCOM does not take any liability w.r.t. content in any manner and will not be liable in any manner whatsoever for any kind of liability arising out of any act, error or omission. The contents of third-party article/blogs published, are provided solely as convenience; and the presence of these articles/blogs should not, under any circumstances, be considered as an endorsement of the contents by NASSCOM in any manner; and if you chose to access these articles/blogs , you do so at your own risk.


© Copyright nasscom. All Rights Reserved.