Improved Application Development Using LowCode and NoCode Platform Solutions

NoCode:

A recent phenomenon in the software industry, LowCode and NoCode (LC/NC) technologies, are becoming popular and are changing the way applications are developed. This paper explores what LC/NC is about and how it will affect people outside the software industry. It also provides an overview of the history of software development and explains why LC/NC is the next evolutionary phase in software technology.

The Evolution of Technology

People often cannot predict the future of technology, but LC/NC seems like a clear tech trend. Many in the software industry are racing to adopt LC/NC and it may be the revolution that people have been waiting for. The evolution of technology should never be bet against in the long run and LC/NC is a transformative technology that will be counted on.

A Brief History of Software Development

A brief history of software development provides perspective on the LC/NC trend. In the earliest days of computers, the challenge was finding a way to communicate with machines. The only language both humans and machines understood was electrical current. However, software technology has advanced and is now moving forward to make it easier for people to bring their ideas to life without needing to learn complex and rigid code languages.

The Future of LC/NC

Software development is well beyond the primitive phase of floppy disks and 8-track tapes. The technical challenge of getting software developed efficiently has been an ongoing challenge for years, but developers have overcome much of it. LC/NC is the next rational evolutionary phase in software development, enabling those with ideas and clearly organized workflows to create robust applications without writing code.

The LC/NC movement will proceed with confidence, understanding that there is a solution for every technical challenge. This is a liberating technology that will free clever and creative people from the task of learning complex code languages and allow them to bring their ideas to life.

Transforming Information into Binary Code

That’s it, binary code transformed information into 1’s and 0’s. From there, early IT pioneers created methods of feeding strands of binary pulsations into machines to generate output.

Early IT Languages

From there, they started to take long and tedious, repetitive efforts and bundle these logical algorithms into more efficient “languages”, written as “CODE”. Early languages from the 1950’s include business and engineering languages such as COBOL (common business-oriented language) and Fortran (formula translation). These provided a trajectory still guiding much of what we do in IT.

IT Today

Fast forward to 2022; the methods of efficient communication through the bundling of algorithms have become almost child’s play. In fact, children do play plenty using graphical interfaces on wireless devices able to clump together logical thought, displayed as graphical icons, and assembled into rational workstreams. The average teenager can now create, communicate, collect, and share their ideas with others in ways that their grandparents could hardly have imagined 50 years ago. It’s not an exaggeration to say the technology of today would have sounded like science fiction in the 1970s, yet here it is.

The Emergence of LowCode/NoCode (LC/NC)

So, one might ask; where does technology go from here? Using applications is one thing, but creating them? Difficult, unless of course, you are one of the well-educated software developers with an intimate knowledge of writing code, until now. It is now possible to put your slide rule away and perform differential equations on a free cell phone app. Developers need not worry and will still be around and in high demand. In fact, the ever-growing demand to satisfy the craving for more development is precisely why LC/NC exists and will continue to evolve and flourish. High demand for developers and an expectation of high-quality products will become overwhelming without some efficiency gain. LC/NC is one of the solutions to provide that anticipated efficiency gain.

The Purpose of LC/NC

The insatiable demand for application development has driven the emergence of LC/NC software technology. Although much of the LC/NC was created to improve developer efficiency in getting products done, the result has also provided the opportunity for any clever, creative citizen developer to create apps without knowing anything about writing code by using a NoCode tool (application). Several NoCode applications exist and given the right tool, a citizen developer can create a broad range of applications, benefiting from the many years and hard work of professional developers.

Limitations of NoCode

But can NoCode do everything? No, not yet. But it can do an awful lot and it will continue to evolve and solve those challenges as needed.

LowCode vs NoCode

LowCode

A useful bundling of modular methodology is employed in LowCode development, taking blocks of coded algorithms that are proven, tuned, and efficient. Professionals use LowCode extensively to streamline their efforts and produce clean products faster and more competitively. LowCode is considered an incremental step towards NoCode.

NoCode

So, if LowCode exists, what is NoCode for and why is this important? Will NoCode ever make LowCode obsolete? To answer these questions, please consider this: If you have the skills to write a bit of code and the time to weave together some code, LowCode might be just fine. But if you are the owner or management of an enterprise that has no interest or desire to either learn code writing or hire a development professional, NoCode provides a great new alternative.

NoCode allows for the creation of applications without writing any code. This is achieved through the use of visual interfaces and drag-and-drop functionality, making app development accessible to a wider range of people including citizen developers. NoCode provides a convenient solution for those who do not have the technical skills or resources to hire a professional developer, while still enabling the creation of robust and efficient applications.

With NoCode, the focus is on the logic and design of the application rather than the technical implementation. This means that business leaders and other non-technical stakeholders can be more involved in the app development process, leading to faster and more efficient development.

Simplifying Entrepreneurial Efforts

The advancement of NoCode technologies has opened a new paradigm for small to medium size businesses. They are now provided with products that they can control and understand, tweak, and manage on their own, without the need to hire professional code developers. Will this support the refinement and enhancement of NoCode technologies? The answer is clear, as proven by the momentum of value and demand for improvement in other areas. Many knowledgeable professionals believe that the same will occur with NoCode platforms as they gain strength through use and demand. With NoCode in their toolbox, businesses can become comfortable and proficient enough to instantly modify their own mobile device applications at any time, without needing to consult with anyone.

The Purpose of NoCode

There are several specific purposes for NoCode, but the primary focus is the customer experience. Studies show that over 40% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience, and almost a third will switch service providers after a single bad experience. NoCode empowers entrepreneurs to quickly improve their product and provide a better customer experience. It simplifies and accelerates the development cycle, allowing for rapid deployment of a working model. This collaborative experience enables entrepreneurs to tweak and refine the product instantly with complete control and understanding. NoCode empowers the entrepreneur to react swiftly and confidently, amend the working product, and instantly have a revised deployment released.

Industries that will Benefit from NoCode

The possibilities are nearly endless for which industries will benefit from NoCode, but one clear industry is the software development industry itself. In addition to software, small companies with a small or non-existent in-house development staff and large firms will benefit from the flexibility to customize their applications for specific purposes. NoCode will also benefit industries that require frequent changes and updates to their mobile applications, such as e-commerce and retail.

Both LowCode and NoCode tools have their purposes and proper uses. NoCode simplifies entrepreneurial efforts by empowering businesses to quickly improve their product and provide a better customer experience. With NoCode, businesses can take control of their application development cycles and react swiftly to changes in the market. The possibilities for industries that will benefit from NoCode are nearly endless, and its use will continue to improve over time.

Advantages of NoCode Platforms:

1. Simplifies use for non-code writers with an intuitive interface

2. Reduces overall resources needed for development

3. Enables instant re-deployment for content changes

4. Improves worksite data collection and adjustments to data

5. Enhances the user experience and control of workflow design

6. Reduces time and cost of modifications

7. Swift deployment of MVP with built-in flexibility

8. Apps built with pre-verified compliance and security protocols

9. Apps contain pre-tested and debugged calculation methods

10. Apps are adaptable to connect with legacy APIs

11. Utilizes cloud-native storage with multi-path data communication

12. Apps are adaptable to integrate with traditional and blockchain transactions.

Case Studies:

1. Don’t Get Left Behind by the No-Code Wave

• An article in Inc.com by Joe Procopio, founder of TeachingStartup.com, highlights the value of NoCode use and expansion.
• He argues that smart business people can start building applications with NoCode tools and enjoy the benefits without compromising any of the end-users expectations.

2. Quote-Logic.com for the Lighting Industry

• This revolutionary app is launching at the end of 2021 and is poised to disrupt the way Lighting Industry Professionals communicate and conduct business.
• It is a 100% NoCode mobile app development that enables lighting industry manufacturers to control their product offerings, pricing, and specifications and distribute timely information updates and changes to professionals in the field.
• The CEO of DSSL, Raul Klein, believes that they have the most effective software development team on the planet working on the application.

3. Lambda School for Education Funding

• The Lambda School project is disrupting how education may be funded.
• It is built around an Income Share Agreement (ISA) Model that lets students finance their education without upfront secured payment.
• The school was built using NoCode and they have since integrated other tools as well to grow and scale their platform.

4. Princeton University for Mobile Food Ordering

• Princeton University wanted to offer a simple mobile application that would allow sports attendees to order and pay directly from their smartphones.
• The app was built completely with NoCode and features such as a dynamic menu that can be instantly adjusted and deployed are a real game-changer.

5. Kuery for Local Business in Costa Rica

• Kuery is a Costa Rican version of Yelp that allows businesses in Costa Rica to get found and advertise their products and services simply and effectively.
• The key features of this elegant tool, developed with NoCode technology, include geo-location and tracking of businesses, online payments, and real-time updates of products and services.