Low-code technology is emerging as a transformative force in software development, and Michiel Overeem, Engineering Manager at AFAS Software, is at the forefront of this revolution. Under Overeem’s leadership, AFAS has embraced low-code platforms to expedite software development and enhance its quality and adaptability.

AFAS Software, a family-owned company based in the Netherlands, specializes in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and other business automation tools. The company’s journey into low code began over a decade ago, driven by the necessity to overhaul its legacy systems without losing decades of accumulated business logic embedded within millions of lines of code.

The Low-Code Advantage

The primary advantage of low-code development platforms is their ability to reduce the complexity of coding, making it accessible to developers with varied skill levels and significantly speeding up the development process. “Low-code platforms allow us to abstract and automate much of the coding process,” explains Overeem. “This not only accelerates development but also reduces errors and improves maintainability.”

For AFAS, the transition to low-code was not just about simplifying software creation but about restructuring it. The company’s strategic pivot involved encapsulating complex business processes into modular, reusable components that could be easily updated or replaced without affecting the overall system. This approach decouples domain knowledge from the underlying technology, making the software future-proof and more accessible to adapt to changing technological landscapes.

Implementing Low-Code at AFAS

The implementation of low-code at AFAS involved several strategic steps:

1. Domain Abstraction: Overeem and his team first extracted domain knowledge from the existing ERP system, translating intricate business processes into a generic model that describes real-world entities and their interactions.

2. Platform Development: The team developed a robust platform with back-end and front-end frameworks alongside the domain model. This platform forms the foundation upon which low-code components are built.

3. Model-Driven Architecture: At the core of AFAS’s low-code approach is a model-driven architecture that allows the domain model to generate software components dynamically. This architecture ensures that changes in business processes can be quickly reflected in the software without extensive manual coding.

4. Hybrid Coding Approach: While low-code facilitates significant development, AFAS recognizes the need for hand-coded components, especially for complex or unique functionalities. “About 5% of our application is hand-coded to accommodate specific requirements that our low-code model cannot yet handle,” Overeem notes.

Benefits and Outcomes

The shift to low-code has yielded substantial benefits for AFAS. Productivity has soared as developers spend less time coding from scratch and more time refining and customizing business processes. The ability to update and deploy software rapidly has enhanced AFAS’s responsiveness to market changes and customer needs.

Moreover, the low-code platform has democratized software development within AFAS, enabling non-developers, such as business analysts and consultants, to contribute directly to the software’s development. This inclusion broadens the development team’s perspective, integrating deep business insights into the software creation process.

The Future of Low-Code at AFAS

Looking ahead, Overeem is optimistic about the potential of low-code to revolutionize software development further. “As we continue to refine our low-code platform, we anticipate even greater efficiencies and a broader participation base in software creation,” he says. This progressive outlook positions AFAS as a leader in business software innovation and showcases the scalable benefits of low-code development in a competitive technological landscape.

AFAS Software’s embrace of low-code technology under Michiel Overeem’s guidance exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to software development. By reducing complexity and fostering a collaborative development environment, low-code platforms are shaping the future of AFAS and setting a benchmark for the industry.

In a recent video from the GOTO Conferences, Michiel Overeem, an Engineering Manager at AFAS Software, elaborated on the advantages of low-code.