Fine-Tune an SLM or Prompt an LLM? The Case of Generating Low-Code
  Workflows
Authors: name: Orlando Marquez Ayala; name: Patrice Bechard; name: Emily Chen; name: Maggie Baird; name: Jingfei Chen
Published: 2025-05-30 03:59:35

Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) such as GPT-4o can handle a wide range of
complex tasks with the right prompt. As per token costs are reduced, the
advantages of fine-tuning Small Language Models (SLMs) for real-world
applications -- faster inference, lower costs -- may no longer be clear. In
this work, we present evidence that, for domain-specific tasks that require
structured outputs, SLMs still have a quality advantage. We compare fine-tuning
an SLM against prompting LLMs on the task of generating low-code workflows in
JSON form. We observe that while a good prompt can yield reasonable results,
fine-tuning improves quality by 10% on average. We also perform systematic
error analysis to reveal model limitations.