How low-code and AI are empowering forgotten industries

This is a guest post by Youness Outlou, CEO of BSP, a Zoho Premium Partner based in Canada. In this blog post, he highlights how low-code and AI accelerate application development and help businesses achieve greater results in real time.

Technology headlines are full of AI breakthroughs and digital transformation. However, here’s the truth: Many industries are still running on outdated tools that barely keep up.

Think of a tree nursery managing operations with spreadsheets, or an environmental firm managing projects on patchwork databases. These businesses aren’t resisting progress; the right software just hasn’t been built for them yet.

That’s finally starting to change.

Low-code platforms like Zoho Creator, paired with AI copilots like Zia and ChatGPT, give businesses of all sizes the power to build software that truly fits their unique needs. No more “almost works” solutions. These tools make it possible to create tailored applications that are affordable, flexible, and designed for how teams actually work.

And the impact? It’s bigger than one company or even one industry.

The $13 trillion opportunity

The ARK Invest 2025 Big Ideas report, led by Cathie Wood, predicts AI will soon write more code than human developers. That means lower development costs and an explosion in demand for software solutions, creating a $13 trillion opportunity by 2030.

What does that mean for businesses today? SaaS isn’t disappearing. It’s just evolving into something smarter and more adaptable.

From standard tools to custom fit

This evolution is already underway, as companies are rethinking how they use technology. Instead of bending their processes to fit rigid software, they want solutions designed for their unique workflows.

That's where low-code platforms come in.

Low-code makes it easier to build applications by using visual builders, drag-and-drop components, and reusable templates. It reduces development time, limits reliance on traditional coding, and puts more control in the hands of the people who understand the process best. In many cases, that includes nontechnical staff who are closest to the work.

This approach works especially well for industries that have long been underserved by traditional software. Many companies already have ERP systems in place, but they're often missing the final 10–20 percent that would make those systems truly work for them. Low-code helps close that gap with solutions that are flexible, scalable, and designed to grow alongside the business.

AI now takes that even further. By pairing low-code platforms with AI tools, users can get intelligent suggestions, automate logic, and even generate portions of code based on natural-language input. The result is faster development, fewer errors, and smarter applications.

This shift is also gaining momentum outside of traditional IT teams, as more departments look for ways to solve problems directly.

With AI adoption accelerating, Forrester expects the low-code market to hit $50 billion by 2028. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 80% of low-code users will be business professionals, not developers, creating or customizing their own tools.

So what does this look like in real life?

How Groupe GEOS did it

Take Groupe GEOS, an environmental consulting and engineering firm in Québec, Canada. Like many mid-sized businesses, they relied on Excel files and Microsoft Access databases to run critical operations. It worked, but it was limiting and hard to scale.

They knew they needed more.

They wanted a system that could handle time tracking, invoicing, payroll, expenses, and advanced needs like intercompany invoicing and KPI reporting.

We built them a custom internal ERP on Zoho Creator that brought all those workflows into one platform. The result was better visibility, stronger control, and a solution designed to grow with their business.

Here are a few of the key improvements that came out of this solution:

• Contract-aware billing: Invoices are generated automatically based on the specific terms of each client’s agreement, helping reduce errors and delays.

• Built for scale and language: The app supports both English and French and handles operations across all four GEOS business units.

• Integrated time and payroll: Timesheets feed directly into payroll prep, which helps lighten the admin load and cut down on mistakes.

• All-in-one workflow management: From generating quotes to processing payroll, all core functions now run through a single unified system.

• Task-level financial tracking: Managers have access to real-time data that lets them compare budgets to actual costs at every step of a project.

Groupe GEOS isn’t alone. Across Canada and beyond, companies in environmental consulting, manufacturing, and other specialized services have long been underserved by traditional SaaS tools.

That’s why we turned the GEOS solution into a repeatable vertical option within our Averro portfolio, so other businesses can start with a system built for their reality from day one.

Ultimately, empowering these industries is about more than just writing software. It’s about giving them back control, clarity, and room to grow.

SaaS isn’t dead. It’s smarter.

When people say “SaaS is dead,” what they really mean is that businesses are done settling for software that forces them to adapt. They want flexibility, automation, and tools that fit their way of working—and, thanks to low-code and AI, that’s finally possible.

At BSP, we’re proud to help overlooked industries modernize their operations with solutions built to fit, not forced to fit. Whether it’s our Averro offering or our custom ERPs like the one we built for Groupe GEOS, we believe the future of software isn’t bought off the shelf—it’s built for your business.