Configuration Made Simple: Why Low-Code Fits Government Procurement

Government procurement is anything but one-size-fits-all. Each agency’s unique mission drives the need for procurement flexibility—from the data they need to capture to the systems they connect with.  What works for defense organizations may not align with a civilian agency’s processes. Procurement systems shouldn’t hold the mission back—they must be flexible enough to move at mission speed.

Yet too often, agencies are forced to choose between rigid, legacy-coded commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software or expensive custom-coded systems. Hard-coded COTS tools can handle common processes, but the moment you need something unique—say, a new supplier onboarding flow or an additional approval tier—the system resists. Custom-coded software offers flexibility but at the cost of long development cycles, higher expenses, and years of technical debt.

This is where low-code development platforms change the game.

Procurement isn’t just about buying goods and services. It’s about doing so in a way that:

• Meets federal regulations like the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
  

• Ensures transparency and auditability
  

• Accommodates multiple stakeholders—from contracting officers to program managers to suppliers
  

• Evolves alongside new priorities such as sustainability, supplier diversity, and cybersecurity
  

• Incorporates the latest technology innovations like AI
  

These demands require technology that can adapt quickly. For example:

• A new rule may require additional justification documents for certain contracts.
  

• An agency might need to integrate the acquisition system into an incident management system to better support field operations.
  

• A department may restructure approval thresholds to give program managers more autonomy.

Each of these changes can upend a rigid system. With low-code, updates are handled through visual modeling and modular components instead of custom coding. Agencies can make adjustments in days or weeks—not months or years.

Agencies sometimes settle for legacy-coded COTS procurement solutions because they appear to solve the problem “out of the box.” But what’s good enough today can quickly become a liability tomorrow. When new requirements emerge, these vendors may take months (or even years) to update their systems. Agencies are left waiting—or worse, working around the software with manual tools like spreadsheets and emails.

Low-code avoids this trap by providing a platform approach:

• Agencies get prebuilt templates for common procurement workflows.
  

• Developers (and even business analysts) can tailor those templates through drag-and-drop configuration.
  

• Unique needs—like an additional compliance step or integration with a legacy system—can be added without destabilizing the entire application.

The result? Agencies get a system that fits their processes instead of forcing their processes to fit the software.

Procurement regulations don’t stand still. Consider, for example, the impact of recent executive orders (EOs):

• EO 14240 consolidates common goods purchases under the GSA.

• EO 14275, the most significant overhaul to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in history, aims to streamline and simplify the FAR to reduce bureaucratic complexity and enhance efficiency in federal acquisitions. 

Each of these requires fundamental changes to the acquisition process. With custom code, that means rewriting workflows, testing integrations, and scheduling releases. With low-code, the vendor can adapt in near-real time—adding new data fields with a visual designer, extending approval workflows with drag-and-drop tools, and deploying updates without disrupting ongoing procurements. 

That agility isn’t just convenient—it’s essential to compliance and mission success.

For example, imagine an agency that needs to implement changes from a recent FAR overhaul update—requiring them to revamp their documentation requirements and approval workflows for a more streamlined contracting lifecycle. With traditional development, this might take months of coding and testing.

With low-code:

1. A business analyst models the new approval workflow visually.
2. The policy team updates agency document templates to match compliance needs.
3. The change is tested and deployed in a fraction of the time.

The agency stays compliant, contracting officers stay productive, and mission delivery stays on track.

One of the most powerful aspects of low-code is that it bridges the gap between business and IT. Contracting officers and procurement specialists don’t need to become developers, but they can collaborate directly with IT teams to design solutions. Instead of writing a long requirements document and waiting months to see results, they can sit side by side with IT to adjust workflows in real time.

This co-creation model reduces miscommunication, speeds up delivery, and ensures the system reflects how procurement really works on the ground.

Customization isn’t just about convenience—it’s about ensuring procurement systems remain aligned with mission needs, regulations, and evolving policy priorities. When agencies can adapt their systems quickly and affordably, they reduce risk, improve efficiency, and deliver better outcomes for taxpayers.

Low-code platforms make that possible by offering:

• Flexibility. Tailor workflows without heavy coding.
  

• Speed. Deploy updates in weeks, not years.
  

• Collaboration. Bring business and IT together in real time.
  

• Future-readiness. Stay agile as requirements evolve.
  

Government procurement is too important to be constrained by inflexible, hard-coded systems. With low-code, agencies no longer have to choose between rigidity and complexity. They can build procurement applications that are customized, compliant, and future-ready—without the cost and burden of traditional development.

When policy shifts, markets evolve, or missions change, low-code ensures that procurement systems can keep pace. And in government, where every contract supports a critical mission, that adaptability makes all the difference.

Learn more about the benefits of a low-code COTS solution for government procurement.