From Parallel Paths to Crossroads: A Study of DevOps and Low‐Code Development Platforms Through Practitioner Insights

ABSTRACT Low‐Code Development Platforms (LCDPs) and DevOps share a common motive to increase agility during the software development process. DevOps focuses on automation, continuous delivery, and rapid response, whereas LCDPs support these practices by simplifying automation through visual programming and rapid prototyping, enabling teams to focus their expertise on decision‐making and other strategic tasks. To investigate how the crossroads of LCDPs and DevOps are valuable in achieving better agility and efficiency, we have conducted interviews with 12 IT project team members who deal with LCDPs and the DevOps environment. The objective of this study is to understand the concept of DevOps with LCDPs and to explore how their integration can contribute to the software development process and organizational agility from practitioners' perspectives. To analyze the interview data, we employed a Grounded Theory (GT) approach to systematically code the data and identify emerging categories and themes. The findings suggested that the crossroads of DevOps and LCDPs serve as an effective channel to operationalize the concept of continuous everything in a more efficient manner. However, to achieve this integration successfully, organizations must consider factors such as bridging gaps between talent needs and the available employment pool, governance, scalability, and a collaborative culture. Finally, we discussed the implications of our findings for practitioners and researchers, as well as opportunities for future research.