Civic Innovations

Low-code platforms have become a hot topic in digital transformation discussions, and for good reason. They promise faster delivery of solutions by reducing the need for custom coding and empowering non-developers to create digital solutions. But what if the same principles of low-code platforms—separation of concerns, reusable components, and reduced complexity—are already baked into a solution federal agencies are increasingly using to modernize their digital services?

Enter the software delivery platform. While not explicitly marketed as low-code solutions, these platforms often function in ways that align with the low-code ethos. By creating a clear division of responsibilities between a platform team and product teams, they narrow the footprint in which custom code is needed, enabling agencies to deliver solutions faster, more securely, and with greater efficiency.

Separation of Concerns: A Foundation for Efficiency

One hallmark of low-code platforms is their ability to compartmentalize complexity. Software delivery platforms achieve this by creating a separation of concerns between the platform team and a product team. The platform team focuses on building and maintaining the foundational tools, infrastructure, and shared services that product teams rely on. These might include CI/CD pipelines, monitoring solutions, security controls, and deployment frameworks.

Product teams, in turn, are freed to focus on their core mission: solving real user problems and delivering features that matter. They don’t have to reinvent the wheel by building their own security tooling or managing deployment pipelines from scratch. Instead, they can rely on the platform to handle these tasks, reducing the complexity of their work and accelerating development timelines.

Narrowing the Scope for Custom Code

Another key feature of low-code platforms (or at least how they are marketed) is that they reduce the need for custom development. Software delivery platforms accomplish this by narrowing the scope in which teams must write their own code.

For example, a well-designed platform might provide pre-configured templates for common use cases like web applications, APIs, or batch processing jobs. These templates can be designed with security, scalability, and monitoring baked in, allowing product teams to focus on the unique logic and functionality of their solution rather than foundational plumbing.

Additionally, platforms often porvide reusable components—such as authentication services, logging frameworks, and notification systems—that teams can integrate into their applications. By reusing these pre-built capabilities, product teams save time and reduce the risk of introducing errors, while ensuring their solutions align with agency standards.

Shared Tools, Shared Knowledge

Low-code platforms often focus on reusable components and shared knowledge, and software delivery platforms excel in this area as well. As teams use a software deliver platform, they naturally build up a library of reusable tools, patterns, and workflows. Over time, these shared assets can become an invaluable resource that accelerates future development across the organization.

Just as importantly, the shared use of a platform can foster a collaborative culture. Teams working on different projects can share insights, troubleshoot common challenges, and build on each other’s successes. This cross-pollination of ideas creates a multiplier effect, amplifying the value of the platform for the agency over time.

A Low-Code Mindset for Government

Federal agencies don’t need to look far to embrace the low-code revolution. By investing in and leveraging software delivery platforms, they can achieve many of the same benefits associated with low-code solutions, without the drawbacks: faster delivery, reduced complexity, and enhanced collaboration.

More importantly, these platforms can be aligned with the unique challenges and constraints of government work. They can be configured to ensure that security, compliance, and scalability are baked into every solution from the start, rather than being added as afterthoughts.

At their core, both low-code platforms and software delivery platforms share a common goal: making it easier to build digital solutions that meet the needs of users. For federal agencies, software delivery platforms represent an opportunity to do just that—without sacrificing the rigor and resilience required for public-sector innovation.

By adopting a platform-first approach, agencies can embrace the best of what low-code offers while maintaining the flexibility and control they need to serve the public effectively. Platforms may not wear the “low-code” label, but they embody the same spirit, enabling teams to deliver value faster, with less friction, and with greater impact.