In case you haven’t heard, there’s an ongoing and growing shortage of software developers in the United States, and even worldwide. Currently, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that around 40 million technical jobs are going unfulfilled due to a lack of skilled talent today and that the global shortage of software engineers could creep up to 85.2 million by 2030.
Even though the U.S. produces about 65,000 students with computer science degrees each year, the rates of graduation and the time it takes to move into a software development role aren’t enough to cover the rapidly increasing gap. Even if one were to self-train themselves in software development, as many are after the pandemic, it can take anywhere from three months to four years to become a software engineer depending on your technical experience, professional background, and career path.
Okay, so what does this mean for my business?
Whether you’re in the tech industry or not, the growing shortage of software developers is bound to affect your business operations, especially if you’re planning to invest or already invested in custom software for your company. The custom software development market is expected to grow by 26.74 billion dollars between 2020 and 2024, but who’s going to be around to build the software? Furthermore, custom software still requires maintenance after being built– who’s going to be around and able to manage changes and updates if not a developer?
Okay fine, we’ll take a moment to channel our inner optimism and say that you do find a developer to work with. Everything’s fine and dandy until you get the nearly $30,000 bill that comes with hiring said developer (we did say our optimism would only last a moment…).
The cost of hiring a full-time developer, from recruitment to onboarding, can range from $28,548 to $35,685. In a time where businesses large and small are potentially facing revenue declines due to a looming recession, it’s not a great time to be spending five figures on hiring– and we haven’t even touched on retainment costs.
So you’re telling me I’m doomed?
We know we were the bearer of bad news for a bit there, but there’s a silver lining: no-code platforms.
No-code platforms offer a way for anyone to become a software developer– yes, even you, or Sally from Sales, or Mary from Marketing. They’re exactly as they sound, meaning they come with zero need for coding, not even from a developer. Instead of hiring a developer, your own employees become citizen developers: employees who have little to no coding experience, but are able to create or change business applications without needing to involve IT departments.
There are several benefits to adopting no-code platforms and empowering your employees to use them:
1. No-code platforms take a large portion of the learning curve out of the development process
People from across your company can create custom business applications using intuitive design and familiar drag-and-drop tools in a new way. Think along the lines of website builders such as Wix and Squarespace, where you can easily customize a website for yourself without needing to hire a web designer.
Now instead of a website, employees are building all sorts of business applications, from customer relationship management platforms to project management workflows. Plus, they’re able to be customized to each department, so Sally from sales can create the CRM app of her dreams while Mary builds her campaign management app–all within a single platform.
This low barrier entry means it can be taught and codified into the onboarding process. New employees can learn how to create apps from colleagues so that the ability to develop custom business apps doesn’t remain in the hands of the specialized few, as it would with a developer.
Looking at the big picture, this helps offset potential development losses or delays that could come with maintenance or employee turnover.
2. No-code platforms shorten the development feedback loop
Building custom software traditionally starts with a developer, with whom you go back and forth discussing feedback for a while until you get your business app just right.
With no-code platforms, there’s no need to go back and forth with a developer because you are the developer. You’re the one dragging and dropping, playing around with your business app until it checks all the boxes. After all, you’re the one that knows exactly what your team needs from their software to do their work, right?
By directly creating and modifying the software you use daily, you can make sure the right changes are being made and implemented as needed. No need to communicate additional information to a developer, no need to wait for changes to be implemented. Just you, a newly crowned citizen developer, working with a user-friendly platform.
3. No-code platforms streamline your workflows for less
Is it possible to complete projects when files are scattered, data is siloed, and you’re chasing down stakeholders? Yes. Is it enjoyable and efficient? Absolutely not.
Traditional out-of-the-box software has the tendency to provide several small pictures versus one big one. Even if you were to use a software developer to build custom software that met every business need and gave you the big picture, you’d have to shell out thousands of dollars just to be met with a developer shortage when that custom software needs updating.
No-code platforms allow for higher visibility at a much lower cost, giving every employee the opportunity to streamline files, workflows, and processes. Plus, when you finally have the visibility to see that a process needs improving, you don’t have to run to a developer for help.
Okay, I’m ready to fill that pesky developer gap
If you’re ready to take software needs into your own hands, you’re already in the right place. Drop us a line to learn more about what our no-code software solutions can do for your business, or jump right in with your free 30-day trial.
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