ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES OF LOW-CODE PLATFORMS IN SMALL BUSINESS DIGITALIZATION

This study investigates the economic viability and practical challenges of adopting low-code development platforms (LCDPs) for digital transformation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The research employs a systematic analysis of recent academic literature, industry reports, and publicly available case studies from 2020 to 2024. The results indicate that LCDPs can reduce initial development costs by 60–75% and shorten application delivery time by 3–5 times compared to traditional software development methods. However, the study also identifies significant barriers to adoption, including a lack of in-house process analysis skills (noted by ~70% of cases), concerns about platform scalability and vendor lock-in (~55%), and data security considerations. The discussion links these findings to the resource-based view theory, arguing that for SMEs, LCDPs shift the key competency from programming to business process modeling and digital solution design. The conclusion asserts that LCDPs represent a strategically important tool for bridging the digital divide for SMEs, provided that implementation is accompanied by targeted staff training and a clear long-term digital strategy.