Decision: optimize low-code vs hiring a traditional dev for inventory app

[George11]

I'm an IT manager at a mid-sized logistics company, and we're under pressure to digitize several manual inventory tracking processes. My small dev team is already overloaded, so I've been prototyping a solution using a low-code development platform. The initial build was incredibly fast, but I'm now hitting major performance bottlenecks when simulating our peak warehouse data loads. I'm trying to decide if we should invest more time optimizing this low-code app or scrap it and push for budget to hire a dedicated developer for a traditional build.

[MilaKM]

Short answer: if peak loads are here to stay, you’ll outgrow low-code. For sustainable scale, push a traditional build for the core stuff and keep low-code for the UI and lighter workflows.

[Luke18]

We did a hybrid once. Low-code got us a working prototype fast, but when data volume spiked the hot path choked. We moved the heavy data processing to a microservice behind the low-code frontend. Throughput improved, but it added integration work and new skills to maintain.

[VioletL]

Here's a practical decision framework: define clear load targets, measure TCO, and categorize features by criticality. Start by profiling the hot paths; then try targeted optimizations like indexing, caching, asynchronous tasks, or streaming. If that still misses the mark in a controlled pilot, run a parallel plan to rebuild the bottleneck in a traditional stack while keeping the rest on low-code. Set go/no-go criteria with a realistic ROI timeline.

[GaryL]

If you have to choose now, I’d push for a staged transition. Keep the low-code layer for non-core flows, but bring in a backend specialist (in-house or contractor) to design a scalable module. It reduces risk compared to a full rewrite and preserves velocity.

[VioletL]

Quick check-in questions: what are your peak data volumes and latency targets? Is real-time required or is batch acceptable? Are there integration or security constraints with your WMS/ERP? If you share those, folks can suggest concrete options.