In recent years, the low-code, no-code movement has significantly helped to democratize the power of software by enabling citizen developers — people with little to no knowledge of any programming languages or software development — to build apps, websites, and other software solutions without writing a single line of code.
This has widened the pool of non-technical users who can develop useful business solutions to solve their workflow issues, speed up teamwork, automate repetitive tasks, and provide more value to customers. Using low-code and no-code tools, teams and organizations can create improved digital services and processes to satisfy customer demands and solve their own internal needs. Even those with a limited budget can pursue ambitious digital transformation goals and keep up to speed with market innovations.
This article talks about the low-code and no-code movement dominating the software engineering space: what it is, how it started, and how it improves the quality and abundance of digital services for businesses and customers.
Before discussing the low-code and no-code movement, let's define the two important terms: low-code and no-code. What do we mean when we use these words?
Low-code platforms or software are tools that enable users to create solutions easily and require minimal coding knowledge to navigate. No-code platforms also help users create solutions but do not require coding skills or programming knowledge. No-code users typically work with simple drag-and-drop graphical user interfaces with fully managed back-end systems, databases, and API integrations to connect to other work-critical tools and applications.
In recent years, low-code and no-code application platforms have become more common, catering to various software development needs such as customizable databases, brand and community building, e-commerce, etc.
It all started with Microsoft Excel and Access, the first Rapid Application Development tools to put development-like functionalities in the hands of users who were not programmers. Now, these tools abound, with many use cases, e.g., WordPress, Webflow, and Bubble, for building websites and landing pages quickly, and Shopify and Squarespace for creating and running online shops or businesses.
It has never been easier to build a tech startup or create a new SaaS product. The no-code ecosystem and its active members support and rally around each other in open forums and platforms where they share ideas, tutorials, products, and answers to questions. This synergy between creators and participants of the low-code, no-code movement adds value to the space and helps business users develop better digital services, processes, and solutions.
The low-code and no-code space continues to grow. In 2021, market leader Zapier, valued at $5 billon with minimal external funding, acquired Makerpad, a no-code education platform with the mission "to educate as many people as possible on the possibilities of building without writing code."
This acquisition, plus many others in the ecosystem, signals the growth of the no-code movement. Many digital services and businesses are increasingly reliant on the sector's tools and services since finding and hiring talented software engineers is especially difficult for small and growing companies with limited resources to compete with bigger firms.
A 2020 survey by KPMG shows that 100% of businesses that implement low-code no-code solutions have recounted a return on investments. Low-code, no-code software tools make it possible for teams of any size to solve their technical problems, improve business processes, and achieve digital transformation goals without hiring more developers and software engineers.
Let's take a closer look at specific ways the no-code movement improves digital services and processes:
Imagine working in a company with hundreds of employees but only a small team of Microsoft Excel specialists. When anyone in the organization needs an Excel sheet or template, they must send a request form to the Excel team and wait to receive the sheet or template weeks later.
Such a process slows down work, especially in digital services companies, where customers expect immediate, if not real-time, solutions. No-code platforms democratize the power of building and creating solutions. They empower digital services team members to build needed solutions faster, without waiting for the coders. This way, the people affected by a problem can quickly create solutions and functionalities to navigate specific programs.
No-code platforms help teams connect apps, devices, and software services to trigger one or more actions without human oversight. Email marketing teams, social media teams, digital project managers, and other professionals in the space can set up recurring, automated workflows to create efficient and reliable systems that free up time for more valuable work.
Empowering team members with the ability to automate redundant tasks significantly increases overall team efficiency and productivity. Fewer people can do more work, and team members can focus on using their unique skills to achieve more of the company's goals.
Whether it's responding quickly to customer messages, smoothly onboarding them, or sending updates about their requests in progress, no-code solutions provide a simple way to complete the tasks that most impact customer experience.
No-code software empowers teams to cater quickly to customer needs and make their experience smoother — a massive advantage in today's intensely competitive market. Where many companies are held back by bulky, legacy operating systems, no-code tools can connect, optimize, or simplify critical client-facing business processes without increasing pressure on budgets, staffing, and training.
No-code development platforms allow a diverse array of business users and collaborators to create solutions for a problem, reducing pressure on IT and software development teams. This creates room for developers and IT teams to focus on the highest value tasks and achieve more in less time while also enabling other team members to contribute to building technical solutions.
Let's take the example of building an internal-facing mobile app. Without no-code and low-code development platforms, your team would have to hire programmers costing anywhere from $40,000 to $300,000 to bring the app idea to life. They may struggle to understand the app requirements before spending weeks or months developing a minimum viable product (MVP) that may not meet your initial requirements.
Compare this with simply using a no-code or low-code tool. In this case, the teams using the mobile app would work together to create the best version of the solution they need. They'd spend less time going back and forth about app needs and requirements and may finish developing a full-fledged, functional solution in a day.
The amount of data entering and leaving many organizations today is increasing at a dizzying rate. More companies are looking to capitalize on their data reserves to make better-informed decisions and create needed solutions for their customers.
However, not everyone can invest large amounts of money to build the sort of data analytics and management systems they need. Low-code and no-code tools (e.g., Airtable) help build and manage database systems that are intuitive and easy for team members to use without technical training. Insights gathered from these tools empower teams to understand their customers better, respond to real-time needs, and build solutions that position their companies in a unique light. Using no-code, more teams can use organizational data in innovative and impactful ways.
Pulpstream provides intuitive no-code software to help you deliver compelling digital solutions and services. Regardless of organization size, you can achieve your ambitious technology and app development goals without breaking the bank or hiring more tech talent.
Pulpstream's no-code software empowers business teams to create unique solutions, digitize and automate recurring workflows, and enhance employee productivity. You can streamline internal processes and allow teams and contributors to work from anywhere, using any device, even when offline.
Are you ready to gain mastery over digital transformation goals and delight your customers with smoother user experiences? Request a demo of Pulpstream to begin building capabilities and processes that set your business up for growth and excellent service. All without any coding skills required.