Shortage of developers, widespread telecommuting, need to accelerate digital transformation... A growing number of companies are looking for efficient alternatives to develop the digital applications they need internally or for their customers without using developers.
Among these solutions, No Code development is booming. A No Code platform makes it possible to easily design and create customized digital business applications without any particular technical knowledge.
The No Code craze, which has accelerated since the health crisis, has become a tangible reality. A study by Gartner even indicates that 65% of software put into production worldwide will be created using No Code platforms by 2024.
In this article, we explain why, in a context of rapid digitalization, No Code programming solutions represent a genuine opportunity in terms of growth and innovation for VSEs, SMEs and large corporations.
Accelerate the digital transformation of companies with the No Code
The digital transformation that we are both witnesses to and actors in is a societal revolution driven by new uses and new needs to which companies must adapt and respond.
And no sector of activity escapes digitalization. Digital tools, mobile applications and websites are everywhere!
From landscapers to small organic farmers, from architects to engineers at Airbus, all companies, small or large, are directly involved with digital tools to ensure their daily operations and grow their business.
"Absolutely every business, from the corner grocery store to the automotive supplier, has become a business where 80 percent of the business is based on a computer program" (Daniel Kirsch, co-founder of Techstrong Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts)
No Code to address the developer shortage
It is this digital tidal wave that is driving theexplosion in demand for digital products. More than 500 million business applications will be developed by 2024; that's far more than all the applications that have been created in the last 20 years.
But it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to meet this demand. Only 0.3% of the working population can develop software, and according to a recent study, France is short 50,000 developers. Some studies even point to a shortage of 80,000 IT specialists across France.
User-friendly and intuitive programming tools without code
So, when you consider that 90% of business software doesn't require any specific development, the use of tools that can be used by everyone, such as No Code platforms, makes perfect sense.
By offering visually intuitive, user-friendly interfaces made up of pre-programmed blocks representing functionalities that can be moved with the tip of the mouse, No Code platforms enable you to quickly create an application or website without having to write a single line of code.
For large companies, VSEs or SMEs, No Code is the assurance of delivering turnkey IT solutions, highly customizable and requiring no special IT skills.
The No Code allows companies to catch up or accelerate their pace of digitalization by reducing their dependence on an IT department or on outsourced development services.
To find out more : The challenges of no-code for businesses
The health crisis has accelerated the development of No Code
An unexpected and disruptive event, the health crisis of 2020 has amplified this sense of urgency and brought back the need for quick solutions to develop digital applications.
When telecommuting was introduced, IT departments were quickly overwhelmed with work. Non-technical profiles naturally turned to easier programming solutions, such as No Code, to imagine and create their own applications without having to use special technical skills.
That's why 77% of companies have already used No Code to meet their development needs between 2020 and 2021. In addition, 75% of IT managers say that No Code is a trend that has become mainstream and that they can no longer afford to exclude it from their IT strategy.
The No Code, a real asset to develop your business in the long term
As a result of this mini digital takeover during the crisis, No Code seems to have earned its cre dentials by responding to the most urgent needs, and proving effective in meeting long-term needs too.
By enabling more employees to participate in their company's digital transformation, No Code development platforms are becoming indispensable tools to continue innovating and generating growth in the "next world.
Focus on your core business
First of all, No Code platforms allow tofocus more on business skills rather than programming skills. Using a developer becomes optional in most cases. A sales manager, a workshop manager or a landscaper can improvise themselves as developers to create the business applications they need, test them, modify them and improve them according to the feedback of their daily use.
Control your budget and test new ideas quickly
Another significant advantage is cost control and time savings. Developers, UX/UI experts and project managers are inevitably involved in any IT project. And because they are rare, calling on development specialists is expensive.
For a business creator or a small business owner who has no time or money to lose, the No Code is the ideal compromise to focus on his business and quickly test an idea or a new concept at low cost.
No Code boosts creativity at all levels
As creating on the Internet becomes more accessible, simplified development tools allow creativity and innovation to flow more freely throughout the enterprise. No Code holds enormous potential for companies seeking innovation.
From the CEO to the chief accountant, the so-called citizen developers are now able to think, design and share with their colleagues new solutions for their own company in order to improve their work processes, a product or a service, without calling on a technical team.
Innovation, and therefore growth, is within everyone's reach and is no longer limited to the less than 1% of engineers who can code.
"The applications of the future will be assembled and created by the people who actually use them" (Milind Govekar, vice president, Gartner)
For a learning and collaborative company with the No Code
With the No Code, the different departments of the company can finally speak the same language and move forward more quickly to achieve shared objectives.
No Code tools therefore also facilitate understanding and dialogue between business and IT, resulting in a work environment that is conducive to collaboration and knowledge sharing.
For companies, the spread of No Code is a gentle revolution and an opportunity to promote a more efficient work organization, moving towards greater agility and operational autonomy by developing rapidly functional business applications capable of meeting their real needs.
Source: Mendix 2021 study, conducted in six European countries among 2,025 IT professionals.
