No-code/low-code solutions enable line of business managers to handle technology needs to automate workflows, develop shared document repositories, construct reporting dashboards and process data without ever having to write a line of code, or visit their IT division.
No-code typically means you are working within a drag-and-drop platform for selecting fields to design an application from something like an Excel spreadsheet.
Low-code goes a step further by giving users more power to modify existing Javascript and other code to build just about any business application they can imagine.
A lot of of aPaaS solutions are both no-code and low-code; it just depends on the user, their skill and what they are trying to accomplish. Some users may only use drag-and-drop features while others may have enough coding experience to manipulate a pre-existing template.
Whether it was built with no code or low code, business applications are designed to solve both daily and long-term problems encountered by large and small enterprises alike. It's an agile way to work that enables teams to thrive in a mobile and data-driven landscape. With powerful features such as real-time reporting dashboards to improve decision making, expose trends and manage projects, these solutions can increase customer satisfaction and propel digital transformation across an organization.
With little or no IT expertise required, organizations are building applications to support:
- Payment processing
- Call center and customer support
- Warehouse and factory inventory management
- Retail development
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
- HR management
- Project management
- messaging and collaboration systems
How can no-code/low-code application development help your business?
How one company uses business apps
When the solar energy wave hit Hawaii in 2010, local contractor company American Electric was pleased with the surge of new business but wasn't prepared to process the new volume of orders tangled in a web of email and spreadsheets.It didn't take long before their customer satisfaction took a hit as teams were focused on putting out daily fires.
Director of Engineering Rehan Siddiqui knew they needed a new solution -- and fast. He set out to look for a cloud-based project management solution that could be easily customized to track ordered parts, warehouse statuses, design plans and project schedules.
After researching no-code/low-code application platforms, he tried out Kintone and with no coding experience, started building apps for design teams and site auditors. Within a short time, those teams had a working app and were able update and view plans on a mobile device from the field.
Rehan considered other ways his organization could use Kintone to automate workflows. He created an app to help accountants with invoices and another for submitting and tracking new work orders. More departments were starting to develop apps on their own without help from an IT team.
Now American Electric uses Kintone for all their document management needs in addition to coordinating tasks between warehouse staff, electricians, installers and salespeople. And best of all, the company is better equipped to manage change.
Final Thoughts
No-code/low-code may not be the answer to every programming challenge, but these solutions are increasingly finding its place within modern development teams to flush out inefficiencies, empower lines of business managers and maintain solid IT governance with minimal overhead costs.
About the Author
Nicole is Director of Marketing at Kintone, with 10+ years experience in content strategy, campaign management, lead acquisition and building positive work cultures of empowered, purpose-driven team members. She spent seven years as a journalist, previously serving as a CBS San Francisco digital producer, NPR contributor, Patagon Journal deputy editor and reporter for several publications, including the Chicago Tribune. She's passionate about the tech for good space, social entrepreneurship and women leadership. On the weekends, you’ll likely find her putting her Master Gardener skills to use in at community gardens in Oakland.
