The no-code application development market is poised for exponential growth. While this has been primarily fueled by the pandemic which has forced enterprises to shift to new development models, one cannot rule out the impact evolving customer expectations have had on application development lifecycles. No code application development platforms have visual programming interfaces to minimize the time from conception to deployment helping enterprises bootstrap digital transformation initiatives, streamline operations, enhance productivity, or maximize customer engagement.
Key Trends & Insights
Over the next decade, the software development process would be completely revamped with a large number of components of traditional coding would be completely automated. Most software, even the relatively complex ones would be developed using visual interfaces to aid ‘application assembly’. As a growing number of non-IT employees become involved in software development, software democratization is fast gaining momentum. No code will impact IT leaders and technology departments, and traditional programming will shift to advanced visual drag-and-drop programming and debugging. One of the transformational benefits will be the reduced dependence on programmers. The following are the market restraints and the growth drivers for the no-code application development markets in the years to come.
Growth Drivers for No-Code Application Development Platforms:
Enterprises continue to struggle to meet the rapidly growing demand for fast app development. To overcome this, they encourage citizen development and the use of no-code app platforms to safely and securely accelerate app development.
As enterprises adopt SaaS apps to meet their goals, a growing number of software providers are enabling their software to be extended or customized (often, by providing access to a no-code capability within the software suite).
No code has become the most effortless way to develop software through a drag-and-drop interface with pre-built visual templates and modules. App development becomes more accessible and faster.
No code has become the most effortless way to develop software through a drag-and-drop interface with pre-built visual templates and modules. App development becomes more accessible and faster.
Market Restraints for No-Code Application Development Platforms
Enterprises seek to preserve headcount and maintain standard IT operating models, which can restrain no-code adoption.
Several enterprises have invested in existing development platforms, many of which are still supported by vendors and used by IT departments, leading to hesitancy about shifting to new operating models that require time, training, and significant business buy-ins.
No-code development platforms come with various templates and components that can be configured to meet specific use cases. However, complex app development with out-of-the-box requirements may limit what can be built with no code and restrain its adoption.
No-code development platforms come with various templates and components that can be configured to meet specific use cases. However, complex app development with out-of-the-box requirements may limit what can be built with no code and restrain its adoption.
The No-Code Application Development Ecosystem
The emerging divergent technology landscape has ensured that the no-code landscape is as diverse as it could possibly get. No-code development platforms are looking to cater to increasing use cases with pre-built templates looking to launch relatively complex applications in no time.
As no-code platforms strive to compete in a crowded market, players are looking to embed technologies into discrete platforms as a key differentiator (diagram below).
Let’s dig deeper to understand what each of the segments means and who are the key players comprising the no-code ecosystem.
Business Process Management (BPM): BPM refers to the management of operational or ‘back-end’ processes of a business. Organizations often complete these manually in an error-prone manner making it imperative for the organization to automate it. Automating business processes allows the organization to align business functions with customer needs and often helps executives deploy, monitor and measure company resources. Using a no-code platform to build applications that automate business processes, allows the organization to enhance efficiency and productivity, reduce costs and minimize errors and risks – thereby optimizing results. Popular companies in this no-Code segment of the ecosystem include Appian, Outsystems, Pega, and Kissflow among others.
Database Management: Applications built on database management no-code platforms are used for creating and storing relational databases. These applications/ systems focus primarily on data organization and collaboration – typically using a spreadsheet format to organize data. Usually, the no-code development platform creates a front end and orchestrates the data (creating, editing, and updating) in the application. No-Code platforms focused on the database management segment allow building powerful and flexible applications on top of shared data to power their unique workflows. Gathering customer feedback, tracking sales, and planning product launches would all be applications that would be best suited to use database management. AirTable, AppSheet, and Mendix are just some of the examples of tools in this segment building applications.
Automated integration: These are typically no-code automation tools that let you connect applications to automated workflows. Whether it's following up on leads, automating social media posts, creating tasks from important events or logging important emails is possible with automated integration. These platforms allow connecting two or more apps to automate repetitive tasks without coding or relying on developers to build the integration. Zapier, Workato, and Integromat are wonderful examples of tools that have empowered citizen developers to connect applications to automated workflows.
Developer Tools: Developer tools typically are no-code environments allowing users to build applications that could be used on a variety of use cases. Employees creating leave requests or managers administering leave requests in a unified view – all such applications could be built on developer tools like Zoho or PowerApps.
Website development: Traditional website development had CSS / HTML coding which has now been replaced by no-code tools like Wix or WordPress. Typically, these platforms have pre-built templates of websites that could be easily customized to the needs of the user. Once the customization is complete in the intuitive user interface, the user could then choose to publish the website online.
E-Commerce: There was a time when the development and customization of E-Commerce stores needed intensive manual coding. No-code tools like Shopify have made launching an e-commerce store seamless and easy. Users with little or no technical skills can easily log into the Shopify platform, choose the template they like and customize it before attaching a payment gateway. The user experience on the platform could be customized and selling online using no-code tools has now become seamless.
Mobile application development: These are among the most popular segment in the landscape of no-code application development. From simple and small mobile applications to more complex projects/businesses – mobile application development is among the fastest-growing segment in the no-code ecosystem. Whether its building an Uber-like app for an aspiring entrepreneur, no-code platforms focusing on mobile application development have almost taken out issues around technical development from launching apps for products and services in the marketplace. Bubble, Builder, Adalo, and Thunkable are some of the popular platforms which allow the entrepreneur to launch their application without even writing a single line of code.
IoT / AI: IoT no-code platforms simplify the process of developing IoT applications by abstracting the complexities of device connectivity, data management, and integration. These platforms typically offer drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-built templates, and visual workflows to create IoT solutions. Users can connect sensors, devices, and other IoT components, define data flows, and configure rules and triggers without writing extensive code.
AI no-code platforms enable users to develop and deploy AI models and applications without deep knowledge of machine learning algorithms or programming languages. These platforms typically provide visual interfaces, pre-built AI modules, and automated workflows that guide users through the AI development process.
ERP Applications: These no-code platforms focus on building applications that complement the functionality of the ERP. These are typically useful for enterprises with ERP systems over which the applications could be developed. Some of the more popular applications in this segment offer real-time data integration so as to ensure that the data could be visualized. Since they are ERP applications, they enable you to proactively analyze, model, execute, learn, and improve business processes. Signavio (which was acquired by the ERP Provider SAP) is a great example of an ERP application.
QuickReach: Building High-Impact Digital Solutions for Internal Processes in Hours
Manual and paper-based internal processes are not just time-consuming, but also prone to numerous errors. Moreover, these occupy a substantial portion of the workforce which could be trained and deployed to more productive use cases. Building applications ground up to automate most of the manual processes would be expensive and risky. Off-the-shelf purchases, while they might solve the problem, would not be unique to your organization’s internal processes – making it, not such an ideal option.
QuickReach with its drag-and-drop configuration and advanced workflows allows your organization to digitize and automate workflows. QuickReach combines the best of BPM, digital forms and records, process flows, integration, workflow automation, reports, and dashboard on a single platform. With these features, QuickReach helps drive efficiency in building solutions and adapting to evolving business needs. Moreover, digital solutions built on QuickReach fit your unique way of doing business like a glove ensuring that you build applications that fit your operations (and not the other way around).
Moving towards a digital enterprise does not have to be expensive, long-drawn, or complicated – reach out to one of our digital transformation evangelists here to understand how can you get started with your digital transformation journey.
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