Low-Code Case Study: How Enterprises Are Transforming Operations Without Burdening IT

The promise of digital transformation has never been more urgent. Yet, IT departments worldwide face an impossible equation: business demands are skyrocketing, developer talent is scarce, and budgets remain constrained. The traditional approach to building enterprise applications simply can't keep pace.

Enter low-code development platforms. But beyond the marketing claims and vendor promises, what does real-world success actually look like? This low-code case study collection examines what happens when enterprise organizations invest in these platforms and what kind of return they can expect.

The numbers tell a compelling story. 70 percent of new applications developed by organizations will use low-code or no-code technologies by 2025, up from less than 25 percent in 2020. More importantly, 84 percent of enterprises with the most stringent requirements have seen positive returns on their low-code investments.

But statistics alone don't capture the transformation happening inside organizations. This article examines real implementations across energy, utilities, and manufacturing sectors, showing how companies moved from manual chaos to streamlined operations, from IT bottlenecks to business-led innovation.

Why a low-code case study matters more than feature lists

Every CIO has sat through countless product demos. The features sound impressive. The interfaces look slick. But the question that keeps you up at night isn't "what can this platform do?" It's "Will this actually work in my organization?"

A low-code case study answers that question. It reveals the messy reality behind the polished presentations: the challenges that mirror your own, the ROI that actually materialized, and the unexpected benefits that made the investment worthwhile.

Consider the scale of the challenge facing IT leaders today. Nearly 60 percent of custom apps are now built outside the IT department, and 72 percent of IT leaders report being blocked from strategic work due to project backlogs. The traditional model is broken. Organizations that have successfully navigated this shift offer a roadmap for others.

Low-code case study #1: Building faster solutions without IT dependency at McDermott

McDermott, a global energy infrastructure company with over 30,000 employees operating in 54 countries, faced a challenge familiar to many enterprise IT departments. Six IT staff were supporting 6,000 business users. The backlog of workflow requests had become unmanageable.

The breaking point

Before implementing low-code, McDermott's application landscape was a complex web of discrete systems integrated through countless custom connections. When new leadership took over and began implementing an ERP system, the manual processes that had previously held everything together needed to be automated—fast.

The IT team's standard development cycle (request, requirements gathering, development, testing, go-live) wasn't built for this volume or velocity. Business users, particularly in Finance, HR, and Supply Chain, needed solutions measured in weeks, not months.

The approach that worked

Renee Villarreal, McDermott's Senior Director of IT, knew the solution wasn't to hire more developers. Instead, she needed to empower business users to solve their own problems under IT's governance.

After evaluating multiple platforms, Kissflow stood out for one reason: business users could actually use it. As Villarreal recalls, "One of our Finance Leads said, 'This is so easy, even my mom could do this. It was extremely intuitive and straightforward.' The watermark was, 'I don't need to call IT to do this. I can do it myself.'"

The platform's integration with their existing SharePoint infrastructure sealed the decision. Rather than replacing systems, Kissflow connected and extended them.

The results that matter

Within one year, McDermott achieved results that would have been impossible with traditional development:

• 23,000+ work items processed through automated workflows

• 132 active workflows created by business users without IT involvement

• 5,526 active users out of 6,000 licenses, showing genuine adoption, not shelf-ware

• 10x ROI through reduced development costs and increased efficiency

More importantly, business users could identify and resolve process bottlenecks themselves. What had been an IT capacity problem became a business capability opportunity.

The workflows they automated span the full spectrum of enterprise operations: welding work orders, marine operations approval, ferry ticket requests, routing approvals, invoice processing, accounts payable, CAPEX, intercompany billing, and employee expenses.

Low-code case study #2: Breaking the distance barrier during a crisis at Puma Energy

Puma Energy, a downstream oil and gas retailer operating across Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, faced an existential challenge when COVID-19 hit in March 2020. As an aviation and retail fuel provider, they were among the hardest-hit industries. Operations that depended on people working side by side suddenly became impossible.

When everything came to a standstill

Before the pandemic, most of Puma Energy's processes were paper-based. Approvals required physical signatures. Data entry was manual. When employees shifted to remote work, these processes didn't just slow down. They stopped entirely.

Tanay Tiwary, Global Head of Digitization and Business Improvement, describes the situation: "With COVID, suddenly, everyone was working from home and not in offices. Our industry was one of the biggest hits. Everything almost came to a standstill. And many of our operations that were dependent on us working next to each other started getting delayed or unexecutable at times."

The crisis made the need for digital collaboration undeniable. What started as a pilot program of 200 users suddenly needed to scale enterprise-wide.

The transformation that saved the business

The speed of Kissflow's adoption during this critical period came down to simplicity. Small details, like having the call-to-action button prominently displayed, reduced training time and accelerated change management.

"Kissflow allows us to bring things which were initially complicated, such as developing large workflows through a simple drag/drop model for us," Tiwary notes. This simplicity proved critical when the organization needed rapid transformation.

The platform's smart attachments and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities automated data entry that had previously consumed hours of manual work. Teams shifted from entering numbers to ensuring systems ran efficiently, work that actually added value.

Perhaps most significantly, business users became excited about building their own solutions. "You are able to utilize the business language, which is actually English or Spanish to code. You don't need to learn how to do this on .net or C++ anymore," Tiwary explains.

The scale of impact

Puma Energy's results demonstrate what's possible when digital transformation happens at the speed of business need:

• Scaled from 200 to 1,500 users in under a year during a global crisis

• 40 key processes automated across fuel onboarding, airplane refueling requests, agreement management, accounts payable, CAPEX, and OPEX

• Transformed supplier management from scattered emails to a self-service portal

• Enabled remote operations that kept the business running when traditional processes failed

The transformation extended beyond efficiency. Kissflow enabled Puma to focus on safety and operational excellence, core priorities that had remained paper-based. Digital permits to work and operational checks now happen through automated workflows with proper controls.

Low-code case study #3: Achieving 451 percent ROI by bridging the business-IT gap at SN Aboitiz Power

SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP), a joint venture between Norwegian and Philippine power companies focused on renewable hydropower, exemplifies how low-code can deliver measurable financial returns while solving cultural challenges between business and IT.

The mounting technical debt

SNAP's challenges will resonate with any CIO managing legacy systems. Their in-house developed systems ran on multiple technology platforms, many of which became obsolete. Security vulnerabilities multiplied. Third-party developers commanded premium rates.

Maria Theresa Cabigon (Mitch), SNAP's Chief Information Officer, describes the situation: "Some of the system technologies that we used were becoming obsolete, and we had difficulty addressing or remediating the ever-evolving security vulnerabilities. There was also an increase in automation and integration requirements."

The IT team was stretched thin, unable to keep pace with hundreds of business requests in their backlog. The business-IT gap widened with every passing quarter.

The citizen development revolution

Mitch implemented a Citizen Development program that fundamentally changed how SNAP approached application development. Rather than making IT the bottleneck, she empowered process owners to solve their own problems using Kissflow under IT governance.

The results came fast. SNAP migrated over 95 processes onto Kissflow in just six months. These weren't simple workflows. They were custom applications addressing complex business needs:

• iServe app managing HR processes, including manpower requisition, onboarding/offboarding, and learning and development

• The eRUO system captures electronic recordings of unwanted occurrences for safety

• SNAP Tech Support is handling all IT requests

• Executive Assistants Central manages administrative requests from leadership

• Supply Management Hub for supply-chain processes like vendor accreditation and emergency purchases

• SNAP Customer Portal for customer billing and energy consumption

• Legal and Regulatory Compliance Registry monitors compliance obligations

• Individual Development Plan app tracks employee development

The numbers that proved the concept

When Nucleus Research conducted an independent study, they determined that SNAP achieved 451 percent ROI using Kissflow. This wasn't marketing math. It was measured against reduced software costs, eliminated third-party developer expenses, and productivity gains from burning through their IT backlog.

"Simplicity in Kissflow not only democratizes application development through low-code and no-code solutions but also enhances user experience and accelerates the pace of process innovation within SNAP," Mitch explains.

When asked to imagine work without Kissflow, her response was telling: "Losing Kissflow will disrupt our operational efficiency, complicate application development, potentially increase costs, hinder integration, and negatively affect user experience."

The pattern behind successful low-code case study implementations

Three different industries. Three different scales. Three different challenges. Yet several patterns emerge from these low-code case study examples:

Speed matters more than perfection

All three organizations needed solutions measured in weeks, not months. The ability to iterate quickly—building a prototype, testing with real users, and refining based on feedback—proved more valuable than lengthy requirements documents.

Organizations report up to 90 percent reduction in development time with low-code platforms. McDermott's Finance Lead built exactly what she needed in 30 minutes. That kind of speed fundamentally changes what's possible.

Business users become builders

The most successful implementations empowered people who understood the problems to build the solutions. 41 percent of organizations now have active citizen development initiatives.

McDermott's 132 workflows weren't built by IT—they were built by the departments that needed them. SNAP's comprehensive citizen development program demonstrated that democratizing application development accelerates innovation rather than creating technical debt.

Integration extends rather than replaces

None of these organizations ripped and replaced their existing systems. McDermott integrated with SharePoint. Puma Energy automated data extraction from existing documents. SNAP unified disparate systems under a single platform.

The low-code platform became connective tissue, extending the value of investments already made while adding agility where it was needed most.

Governance scales with empowerment

The fear of "shadow IT" runs deep in enterprise IT departments. But these organizations demonstrate that low-code platforms can actually increase governance while increasing autonomy.

IT sets the guardrails: security policies, integration standards, and data governance. Business users build within those guardrails. The result is faster delivery with proper controls.

What the market data tells us about low-code case study results

Individual success stories are compelling, but the broader market trends confirm these aren't isolated cases. Every low-code case study we examine is part of a larger revolution reshaping enterprise software development:

• The global low-code market is projected to generate $187 billion by 2030, up from $10 billion in 2019

• 75 percent of large enterprises will use at least four low-code development tools by the end of 2024

• Companies using low-code platforms see an average payback period of 6-12 months with potential ROI exceeding 260 percent over three years

• Organizations save an estimated $1.7 million annually by utilizing no-code platforms

The developer shortage continues to drive adoption. 82 percent of companies struggle to hire qualified engineers, while the average software developer salary exceeds $110,000 in the United States.

Low-code platforms aren't eliminating the need for developers. They're multiplying their impact. 80 percent of organizations report freeing their developers for higher-level projects after implementing low-code solutions.

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The real competitive advantage revealed in every low-code case study

The organizations profiled in this low-code case study didn't transform overnight. They started with pilot programs, proved value, and scaled based on results. They encountered challenges with change management, integration complexity, and organizational culture.

But they persisted because the alternative was worse. In a business environment where 72 percent of IT leaders are blocked from strategic work due to project backlogs, standing still means falling behind.

The competitive advantage doesn't come from the technology itself. It comes from what technology enables. Faster response to market changes. Business users who can solve their own problems. IT teams focused on strategic initiatives rather than tactical requests. Reduced dependence on scarce developer talent.

McDermott's 10x ROI wasn't about the platform. It was about business agility. Puma Energy's transformation during COVID wasn't about technology. It was about survival through digital collaboration. SNAP's 451 percent ROI wasn't just cost savings. It was about bridging the business-IT gap. Each low-code case study proves the real value comes from organizational transformation, not just software implementation.

How Kissflow helps enterprises transform without disruption

The success stories above share a common thread: they didn't require wholesale replacement of existing systems or months of custom development. Kissflow's low-code platform enables enterprises to automate workflows and build custom applications without burdening IT departments.

The platform's visual workflow designer lets business users map out processes in minutes, not weeks. Drag-and-drop interfaces mean that teams can build what they need without waiting for developer resources. Pre-built integrations connect to existing systems like SharePoint, SAP, Salesforce, and hundreds of other enterprise tools.

For IT leaders, Kissflow provides the governance controls needed at enterprise scale: role-based access, audit trails, security policies, and compliance frameworks. Business users get the autonomy to solve problems quickly. IT maintains oversight without becoming the bottleneck.

Whether you're processing 23,000 work items like McDermott, scaling from 200 to 1,500 users like Puma Energy, or achieving 451 percent ROI like SNAP, Kissflow's low-code capabilities adapt to your organization's needs without forcing you to adapt to rigid software.

Frequently asked questions

1. How long does it take to see ROI from a low-code platform?

Most organizations see measurable results within 6-12 months. SNAP achieved 451% ROI and migrated 95 processes in six months. McDermott processed 23,000+ work items within their first year. Start with high-impact processes in departments like Finance or HR to prove value quickly, then scale.

2. Will low-code create shadow IT problems or reduce IT control?

No. IT maintains governance while business users gain autonomy. IT sets security policies and integration standards; business users build within those guardrails. McDermott's six-person IT team successfully supported 6,000 users by shifting from builders to governors. This increases IT's strategic impact while reducing tactical burden.

3. Can business users really build enterprise-grade applications without coding experience?

Yes, with proper training. McDermott's Finance Lead built applications in 30 minutes. Puma Energy scaled from 200 to 1,500 users with business teams building solutions. Success requires citizen development programs with training, templates, and IT oversight. Business users handle departmental apps while IT manages complex integrations.

4. What types of processes are best suited for low-code platforms?

Processes currently relying on email chains, spreadsheets, or manual handoffs work best. Examples from the case studies: invoice processing, employee onboarding, CAPEX approvals, supply chain management, customer portals, and compliance tracking. Start with painful but contained workflows where success is measurable, then expand to complex use cases.

5. How do we prevent technical debt when non-developers build applications?

Through governance and platform choice. Use platforms that generate clean code automatically. IT should establish approval workflows, conduct reviews, and provide reusable templates. SNAP migrated 95 processes without technical debt through strong governance. McDermott's IT reviews and approves workflows before production. IT builds the highway; business users drive on it.