Platform engineering is falling short of expectations

Platform engineering – lauded for its potential to revolutionise software development with automation, self-service, and streamlined workflows – appears to be falling short of expectations in the embedded software world.

A new study by Forrester Consulting, commissioned by Qt Group, reveals a stark disconnect between the perceived maturity of platform engineering strategies and their actual implementation.

The research – surveying 317 decision-makers and influencers – found that a surprising 63% of embedded software within organisations embracing platform engineering is still being created using bespoke, ad hoc solutions. This is despite 65% of respondents viewing their platform as the bedrock of their embedded software development, with ongoing efforts to bolster capabilities and expand automation and use case coverage. 

This disparity highlights the tightrope embedded teams walk as they juggle the need for productivity with stringent quality and safety requirements.

Quality concerns drive platform engineering adoption

The pursuit of enhanced quality emerges as the primary driver for embracing platform engineering among embedded teams.

Among the most significant advantages that are associated with the approach include:

• Improved end-customer experience (68%): Achieved through more dependable, high-quality software.
• Enhanced compliance with industry standards and security (56%).
• Improved brand identity (57%) and workflow efficiency (54%): Resulting from streamlined workflows that ensure a consistent look and feel across products.

However, a significant hurdle arises from the need to balance the reusability of standardised, high-quality components with the adaptation of platforms to diverse use cases, hardware, and software solutions. This challenge resonates strongly, with nearly half (49%) of embedded developers struggling to find this equilibrium.

The study reveals specific pain points:

• 51% find it difficult to work across a range of devices, operating systems, hardware, and form factors.
• 44% cite a lack of unified UI/UX design processes for accessibility and inclusivity in embedded systems. 
• 41% report challenges with cross-functional collaboration across design, development, testing, and deployment phases.
• 43% struggle to maintain self-service capabilities for the majority of use cases.

Despite these hurdles, the research offers a glimmer of hope with 93% of respondents confirming that their company leadership remains supportive of existing platform engineering strategies. 

A need for flexible frameworks

Juhapekka Niemi, SVP at Qt Group, said: “We have noticed a gap in the market between the perceived maturity of platform engineering strategies and actual benefits derived from them. Too much work is still being done manually to address the specific needs, whether it be in sectors like medtech, automotive, or industrial automation.”

He advocates for a paradigm shift: “Platforms should be designed to support change, integrate with evolving technology, and work across a variety of hardware and software platforms. Leveraging a flexible, scalable, and quality-assured framework is key – as is using optimised cross-platform components that are easily deployable.”  

Compounding the technical challenges is the ever-present skills gap. Half of the respondents (50%) identify talent shortages as the primary obstacle to more effective platform strategies. Other significant roadblocks include the integration of legacy platforms (49%) and cultural resistance from product teams (34%).

Maurice Kalinowski, Product Director at Qt Group, commented: “On the one hand, embedded engineers face the challenge of understanding the end-user experience for the technical machines they design.

“On the other, more widely available web developers – who focus on usability – face steep learning curves in adapting to the embedded space and its intricacies like C/C++ plug-ins, cross platform development, etc. This makes the need for unifying standards stronger than ever.”

Tooling up for platform engineering

The study underscores the critical importance of tool selection for a successful platform engineering strategy. Respondents overwhelmingly favour tools offering extensive integration capabilities alongside robust security features. 

More than half (52%) prioritise dedicated, best-of-breed tools that seamlessly integrate with existing technology stacks, while just over a third (35%) favour all-in-one, end-to-end solutions. This emphasis on integration is particularly relevant when incorporating specialised security tools within a development framework to ensure robust protection without compromising performance.

Reinforcing this, 49% of respondents consider safety, security, and compliance as paramount outcomes of their platform engineering strategies. Additionally, approximately 43% highlight the importance of customisable APIs for third-party integrations.

Miao Luo, Director of Technology Strategy at Qt Group, explains: “Different APIs have varying agreements and latency times, exposing systems to more security risks and privacy regulations, as developers need to ensure the third-party software handles sensitive data appropriately.

“The best way for platform teams to mitigate this is by closely monitoring technical debt and minimising the number of third-party elements in play.”

See also: Android 15: Developer productivity and UX take centre stage

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Tags: api, coding, development, embedded, frameworks, platform engineering, programming, report, research, study, tools