Building a scalable low-code approach
The first Mendix app is live. The organization sees results, users are enthusiastic, and then soon the question comes up, "Can you build this for our process too?" Great, because that means the Start phase has succeeded. But now comes the moment when speed alone is no longer enough. If you want to follow through here, you need to create structure. Welcome to the Structure phase. Indispensable in the digital transformation journey with Mendix.
In this phase, you lay the foundation for scalability. You make it possible to deliver value more often, faster and more consistently. Not just by building more apps, but by making your organization ready for it.
From pioneering to professionalizing
The Start phase is all about pioneering: starting small, learning, testing and improving. In the Structure phase, you will replicate and scale up that successful approach. This requires more than enthusiasm and creativity. A structure and strategy are indispensable, before you run ahead of yourself.
What will change?
- You no longer work with one team, but with several teams at once.
- You no longer build a single application, but a portfolio of solutions.
- You make knowledge, choices and successes explicit and transferable.
What worked in the beginning "because everyone knew each other" or "because we wanted to get something down quickly," must now be formalized. Only then can you grow in a controlled way.
The 5 Ps in the Structure phase
Also in the Structure phase, you work with the five Ps: People, Process, Platform, Portfolio and Promotion. These are effectively your tools. The content and meaning remain the same, but the focus shifts from experimenting to structuring.
Your team is growing, so you're re-examining roles, knowledge and responsibilities. Maybe you need new developers, or you want to train internal people. A role as Product Owner will play an important role here, for example. Processes also require attention: what worked ad hoc in the Start phase, you now need to establish. Think of clear working methods for development, testing and management, but also issues such as security and CI/CD.
Preparing to scale
Your platform itself must scale with you. Component management, monitoring and lifecycle management become important to keep a grip. At the same time, your application portfolio is growing and with it the need for prioritization and direction. Appointing a Program Owner helps to maintain overview and make choices that fit within the broader strategy.
And above all, don't forget to keep communicating. Show what you are achieving with Mendix. That motivates, inspires and ensures that your digital transformation does not come to a standstill. Even better: it only encourages people to continue. Success is addictive!
The foundation for scalability
In this phase, you lay the foundation for a robust, repeatable and scalable low-code program. And you can only succeed if you organize people, processes and technology intelligently.
That's why you often see the creation of a Mendix Competence Center or Low-Code Center of Excellence (CoE) during this phase. This is not an extra layer or bureaucracy, but a flywheel for your growth.
What does a Competence Center do?
- Documenting best practices
- Centralizing knowledge, training and tooling
- Monitoring quality and compliance
- Facilitating collaboration between IT and business
- In practice: keeping a grip on growth
At a logistics provider, we saw how the Structure phase made the difference. The first Mendix app was a success. But with the second and third apps, questions arose: are we using the same components now? Where do we capture the data? And who decides whether an idea becomes a project?
By setting up a Mendix Competence Center at this stage and establishing processes, they were able to accelerate without chaos. Within a year, the number of apps grew from 3 to 15, without the management burden or technical debt exploding.
Finally, without structure no scale
The Structure phase is perhaps less spectacular than the Start phase, but at least as important. This is where you show whether you are using Mendix as a tactical tool or as a strategic platform.
With the right structure, roles and processes, you don't just build more apps; you build a flexible and future-proof digital foundation.
The key to repeatable success? Structure before you accelerate.