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For individuals and businesses who wish to develop applications for their ventures, coding is their nightmare. But now, they can have their dish served with fewer spices.
Welcome to the era of no-code application development.
As the name suggests, we have come across the opinion of many IT aspirants who say that it is too astonishing to be true. It sounds like daydreaming, but it exists. When you dig deeper and extract more information regarding how it works, you will be surprised that it wasn’t coined earlier. No-code development platforms are undoubtedly the future of development, and the end is already here.
No-code development - In a Nutshell
No-code development involves simple operations like drag-and-drop and choosing from the given utilities to develop an app. Thus, the scheme is a visual platform that enables people with zero knowledge about coding or programming to develop a full-scale app.
Ever since the world steps into the digital era, developers’ teams deemed as a frontline force. As a result, their demand has skyrocketed with time, and so does the use of no-code development platforms worldwide. In modern times, with the digital revolution is molding every industry and field, the demand is much higher than ever. This demand upsurge is triggering anxiety in businesses as they would like to adapt to this digital transformation; they cannot afford or find skilled It experts who can drive this change within their organization.
Experts have restlessly been finding a way to reduce this supply-demand gap and burden of finances by suggesting a platform that allows businesses and their employees to develop apps without any prerequisite knowledge or the need for training. This is why no-code development is a game-changer, and the market is evolving rapidly.
Will no-code software replace experienced developers?
Although non-expert staff members can quickly adapt to the no-code environment without assistance or training and effectively deliver enterprise-level applications, experienced technical developers will remain in the picture with slightly different and molded roles. Instead of replacing experienced developers, no-code platforms will allow them to drive governance and focus on higher-level tasks such as improving and building platforms to carry out no-code development and security and scalability of applications delivered by no-code development.
What can you build with no-code?
Now you got an idea about what no-code application development is. But we wouldn’t rely on something that doesn’t give us what we want and add value to the existing utilities.
No-code development is the magic wand. They offer a multitude of possibilities to develop any kind of application as per business requirements. All you need to have is just an idea and an intelligent no-code development platform. Then, you can implement it in hours or days. Some of the applications that you can build using no-code development include:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Project and Task Management
- Travel and Budget Management
- Human Resource Management System (HRMS)
- Staff Management
- Asset Management
- Websites, eCommerce Stores, and Portals
- Mobile Applications
Features of the best no-code development platforms
According to Gartner, no-code/low-code platforms are among the top 10 highs casting contrasting shadows on infrastructure and workflow in 2020. It also reveals that no-code is the future of development. This is because the platform helps in meeting the never-ending demand for app development. Now different questions are going to pop up in your mind. How much can no-code development offer? Why are they so appealing? Let’s find out by discussing their most notable features.
1. User Interface builder
You can build a complete web page with a drag and drop function. Everything that ranges from the header to the footer, the form, tables, and images can be integrated on a page within a few steps. As an output, you will get a web page as per your imagination. If you want further scalability and expansion, you can also merge your web page with a framework such as Angular2.
2. Workflow modeling
Workflow modeling is not just fast, and it is also entertaining. It allows you to handle all your data effortlessly without putting your effort into coding.
3. Reusability
Imagine using multiple small segments of a particular application to build a new one. To employ this utility, everyone is gearing up for no-code development as it allows you to use the part of other’s applications to build their app. Again, all these practices demand absolutely no tech knowledge or experience.
4. Integrations
From Twitter to Slack and everything involved, you can integrate with your no-code app and fully streamline the processes. This utility is particularly attractive as it eliminates the need for human intervention and removes complex Excel sheets in the process.
5. Mobile capabilities
The top no-code app development platforms offer layout compatibility with mobile devices. It means you can determine how your app appears and works on mobile devices and make necessary alterations accordingly. It is crucial to consider this aspect, as it is estimated that 3 billion smartphone users exist today.
6. Reports and analytics
No-code development platforms provide an additional treatment along with all the great utilities that no-code offers; you get to produce customized reports & insights and receive them as and how you want them to appear. In addition, it means that all the analytical insights throughout the process can be saved and displayed visually.
Benefits of no-code application development
Here’s another catalyst for your interest and excitement. With the notable benefits of adopting no-code app development, there will be no door left for you to leave this amazing development environment. So let’s discuss those benefits.
1. Anyone can build
The primary and most important benefit has already been discussed in this article as a spirit of No-code development. It is a fact that anyone can develop apps using no-code development platforms easily. You are not required to have technical experience or any prerequisite knowledge about coding or programming.
2. Reduced costs
Professional developers don’t settle for the less. They charge a very high amount for their services. As No-code allows everyone to have their hands on development, it results in reduced costs. Secondly, it saves your work hours and efforts, which interns translate into less expenditure in the long run.
3. Reduced time
As we have discussed earlier, developing apps via no-code development platforms are fast and quick. A decent app can take only an hour to complete.
4. Excellent agility
Agility is always a savior in any development process. No-code development affirms agility by streamlining everything from development to testing. It allows the teams to have their hands on actual work instead of wasting it preparing for work. Also, if you are required to roll back any step, make changes, or update, you can do it quickly without being bothered to change any logs or code lines, etc.
5. Enhanced innovation
No-code development lessens the burden on the IT sector by allowing every individual to develop their apps. It pushes them to try their innovative ideas and turn them into digital reality.
6. Business alignment
When the employees linked with internal operations and core business tasks engage themselves in app development, inefficiencies reduce up to a large extent because they have experience working across different departments, and they are well aware of the problems. This helps align business goals with digital solutions and reduce the chances of any clash and failures.
7. Rogue IT risk alleviation
Rogue IT means the unsanctioned information technology resources within any facility. The use of no-code development platforms, when implemented with a pre-planned strategy, policies, and assistance from the centralized IT staff, bring accountability to the rogue IT activities, turning them into a regulated mechanism for the greater good.
Comparing no-code development with alternatives
1. No-code development vs. custom development
While custom software development has its perks, no second thought is that no-code development is quick and cheap. According to statistics, a custom software application development takes months, requires much more sophisticated development and maintenance, and more than 80% of them fail to meet the project deadline. However, as far as no-code development is concerned, the overall aspects of no-code apps are positive regarding quick availability, costs, and maintenance.On the other hand, the extreme scalability of custom app development may be suitable for businesses with thousands of users and require more complex functionality in digital solutions.
2. No-code application development vs. COTS
More advanced and updated products are required in dynamic market conditions that meet the demands of evolving industry patterns. A lack of freedom in terms of scalability and changes can clog your entire business process in the long run.No-code development lessens this burden by allowing businesses to freely customize and build an app that exactly meets their needs and can be elastic enough to be changed easily with their evolving business requirements.
3. No-code development vs. low-code development
Now, this is the most frequently discussed aspect. Most companies get confused and think that both terms can be used interchangeably. But this is not the case. Low-code development requires minimal coding, while no-code doesn’t require coding at all. Apart from the requirement of at least basic coding skills for low-code development, some other parameters differentiate these two development models. Such as:
| Feature | No-code Development | Low-code Development |
|---|---|---|
| Coding Knowledge | Not Required | Minimal to Moderate |
| Complexity of Projects | Suitable for Simple to Moderate Applications | Suitable for Moderate to Complex Applications |
| Speed of Development | Faster | Fast, but typically slower than no-code |
| Customization | Limited | Extensive |
| Flexibility | Less flexible, follows templates | More flexible, allows for custom coding |
| Learning Curve | Minimal | Moderate |
| Applicability | Well-suited for Rapid Prototyping | Well-suited for Custom Business Applications |
| Integration Capabilities | May have limitations | Strong integration capabilities |
| Scalability | Limited | Scalable, but may require custom code |
| Maintenance | Easier, automatic updates | Requires more manual maintenance |
| Cost | Typically Lower (initially) | May be higher due to additional features |
| User Interface (UI) | Pre-built, limited customization | Customizable, but may require some coding |
| Security | Generally handled by platform | Requires more attention and coding |
| Complex Logic | Limited capability for complex logic | More capable of handling complex logic |
| Control over Code | Limited control, follows platform rules | More control, can add custom code as needed |
| Suitability for Business | Small to Medium-sized businesses | Medium to Large-sized businesses |
Conclusion
The demand for digital solutions is increasing with every passing day that the IT industry fails to supply. There are not enough software developers on board to meet the increasing demand. This supply-demand gap is fueling high costs, and no-code is the ultimate solution to these problems.No-code application development is the future of rapid application development, and the future is already here.
