What Is Low-code/No-code Technology? How LCNC Tools Work?

By Joy Atuzie . 16 Jun 2022 , In Web Development

Low-code technology requires less or no coding to build software applications and processes. It uses a visual interface with drag-and-drop features and simple logic in place of extensive coding. This intuitive tool doesn’t require knowledge of software development to develop mobile and business applications.

Today, these low-code, no-code tools are gaining rapid popularity as an alternative to traditional software development. Both developers and “citizen developers” (non-professional developers) can use this technology to build software to meet the business demands of automation, development, and digital transformation.

How Do Low-Code and No-Code Tools Work?

Traditional software development requires highly skilled code-writing developers and often requires waiting for the IT department to develop or update it.

Low-code no-code tools (LCNC) are based on the concepts of model-driven design, visual programming, and automatic code generation. This technology is for users who are acquainted with business processes and workflows in their department, irrespective of their coding experience. The LCNC development journey is as follows:

Define needs and outcomes

Identifying business requirements and the desired results of a project is the initial step in building a business application for internal users or a customer-facing application. Some questions to ponder include;

What is the problem this application must solve?
Who are the users?
What information will it need to function?

Draw a business process or workflow

Users should specify and document the desired processes and workflows using LCNC development and business process management (BPM) tools. It can be achieved by identifying modules in the application and developing them as independent modules that would meet its functional purpose. Citizen developers can build and integrate modules to obtain the desired result.

Test and deploy the project

The LCNC platform, in a few clicks, resolves back-end complexity for users.

With a couple of clicks, it resolves all the processes for users. Once ready, beta testers and/or IT specialists can evaluate the application and recommend errors to be fixed or timelines to deploy for use.

The Working:

LCNC development supports different applications for business transactions, such as reservation management for restaurants, field service management, or performance appraisal for human resource management.

LCNC tool offers automation capabilities, such as robotic process automation, that reduce manual tasks by automating processes and workflows and engaging humans to focus on core business tasks, thus improving office productivity. For instance, automating email responses.

It is also used for visual analytics that helps businesses to capture their market growth and expansion activities to make educated decisions for enhanced profits. The tool uses machine learning and predictive analytics to deliver voice-based and/or text-based chat insights. Hence, the data scientist can create data models for a specific process based on this technology.

Mobile and websites can be built using LCNC development. An advanced version of this tool can process customer transactions, enable digital analytics set-up and management, and boost social media marketing and search engine optimization. Thus, it enables marketers to automate marketing activities such as email marketing, digital advertising trafficking, and website personalization.

Considerations organizations should address before implementing low-code/no-code platforms.

Organizations should consider and address the following four factors before implementing low-code no-code tools. If the answers to these four questions are affirmative, then departments can proceed with the building of applications else, they first need to arrive at a consensus before initiating the project.

Are people in a business unit willing to build the required business workflow using this tool?
Are the managers supportive of their teams building the workflow with LCNC?
Are colleagues willing to use the new technologies?
Will the IT department provide constant support?

Low-Code/No-Code Tools Advantages

1. Minimum Viable Products (MVPs)

Low-code no-code tools enable developers to build Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) quickly as they can explore cheaper ideas faster. They can utilize technologies like AI, IoT, and machine learning to build applications with a no-code tool.

2. Applications on new platforms

Customers seek to engage with businesses that offer unique platforms such as virtual reality (VR), conversational interface and augmented reality (AR). Businesses can increase customer satisfaction, retention, and revenues by providing such user engagement applications. For instance, Multi experience Development Platforms (MXDPs) enable businesses to develop interactive user interfaces with low-code no-code tools.

3. Smart process applications

Employees use operational efficiency applications to reduce overhead costs and time by automating manual processes. For instance, North Carolina State University has built and deployed a course registration application that delivers 500,000 non-credit course registrations annually.

4. Software upgradation

Legacy migration applications modify software that fails to support new workflows and processes or doesn’t deliver the relevant user experience. Thus, developers must ensure the legacy migration application supports new functionalities and older versions simultaneously.

5. Automation

A low-code bot building tool like the RPA platform builds bots to automate cumbersome and time-consuming manual tasks across business processes and industries like telecom, automotive, and education.

Additional Read

How Salesforce Professional Services Can Benefit Your Business

LCNC though in the nascent stage can address some business challenges with a higher success rate, and over the next decade, this technology will be used for building general use cases for improving business productivity and sales.

For both small businesses and large corporations, Valon’s Low-code and No-code services can help them finish their projects faster and with less work.

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