A software revolution is quietly taking place, driven by necessity, and it is going to continue to grow as members of an increasingly tech-savvy workforce confront gaps in core business systems by building their own
solutions. With new no-code and low-code development options, it’s now possible for employees to develop their own Cloud-based business applications, eliminating much of the time and expense associated with software development. As a result, companies are enjoying increased productivity and improved employee satisfaction.
In a highly competitive economy, companies and workers are looking for new ways to gain a competitive edge. Automating core processes is at the heart of the search because companies that automate processes operate more efficiently and free up workers to focus on more strategic tasks. While companies have already automated many of the processes used to manage their businesses, there are always functions that core systems cannot address, such as capturing expense data related to a specific project or recording customer contacts.
These functional or process gaps are usually filled by creating applications with productivity tools such Microsoft Excel or through custom applications developed by the IT department or a third-party partner. Neither solution is optimal: Excel lacks integration and security, while custom development can take months or years and cost tens of thousands of dollars at minimum.
For organizations that want to reap the benefits of automating all of their processes, a new technology is emerging that promises to eliminate the drawbacks of Excel and the time and expense of custom development. Companies using
aPaaS application Platform as a Service) technology are empowering employees in all functional areas to work alone, or in consultation with their IT teams, to quickly build and deploy applications to fill the process or functional gaps inherent in core systems. As a result, IT projects are being checked off, and business systems are closer to achieving the promise of end-to-end process automation and data flow.
The new aPaaS technology is the perfect complement to the Millennials flooding the workforce. This generation grew up in the digital age and is accustomed to using the latest technology to automate as much as possible. With no-code / low-code aPaaS solutions, a development background is not required to build the applications that bring full automation closer to reality. However, for more complex processes, or in situations when some custom coding is needed, it’s easier, faster and far less expensive for departments to collaborate, build and deploy applications.
Companies that have embraced aPaaS are making better use of their IT departments by focusing highly trained software development resources on mission-critical projects. In the meantime, they are finding improved productivity at an overall lower cost.
When companies choose the right aPaaS development platform, they can produce the high-quality business apps the modern workforce demands in a matter of days or weeks rather than months or years. This approach leverages employees’ collective business process knowledge and provides intuitive development tools that don’t require a computer science degree to use, enabling employees who do have computer science skills to create a competitive advantage for the company. In the no-code / low-code revolution, everybody wins.