Fall is finally here, but not everyone in my house is happy about it. My 7-year-old had the best summer of her life. Theater lessons, dinosaur camp, and… computer programming.
When I asked my daughter how she liked computer camp, she described using shapes, colors, and patterns to “train the computer.” In other words, no-code development. It’s clear to see programming has evolved since the days of binary code, and in the last few years, no-code tools have dramatically risen in adoption.
What’s behind no-code’s success?
Rapid Development
As more companies look for digital solutions, they need smart tools with which to build fast. You may have heard of James Martin, the famous British IT guy and author who coined the phrase “Rapid Application Development” (RAD) in the early 1990s. Though the term at first applied to Martin’s specific methodology, RAD has taken on a broader meaning often associated with no-code platforms.
No-code platforms, like Neota, are RAD-friendly because:
- Building with Neota takes significantly less time than writing code;
- Solution elements are reusable and easily replicated;
- There’s a library of building block applications and use case templates; and
- Business process diagrams can be elevated quickly to working prototypes.
Visual Learning
Visual platforms are ideal for creating business application software, and there may be a scientific reason. Researchers found that visual representations can increase our understanding of complex processes and systems. And you understand significantly more about a topic when creating or drawing the visuals yourself, which is why business users adapt to Neota quickly.
If you’ve already embraced business flow diagrams, transitioning from visual planning to visual development may be an easy progression. Neota’s Workflow tool parallels the BPMN standard familiar to many business users. Initial diagrams transform into working systems. So when a process changes, updating the software is as simple as editing the live workflow map in Neota.
Accessible Technology
An expert software developer, Martin Fowler, once said, “Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand”.
While I love that quote, I love the premise of the no-code movement even more: “Good programmers don’t have to write code.”
Before I joined Neota, I worked in a large law firm’s KM department, and I’ll admit to jokingly calling myself a “fake developer” at that time. I was afraid to mislead anyone about my background because I don’t have a degree in Computer Science or know programming languages.
No-code development made me realize I have the skills and interests to succeed as a “real” software developer. Because Neota uses visual drag-and-drop interfaces, I’m able to design, build, and deploy sophisticated digital solutions without writing code.
Conclusion
No-code platforms have opened the door to a new talent pool of developers—people with professional know-how and non-technical backgrounds. And as companies continue to face complex business problems, they need these types of people to design and build solutions.
I’m excited to see how we’ll evolve Neota’s platform to meet the growing need for no-code tools. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, my daughter will work here too. I really hope she’s not my boss.
Click here to request a demo from a member of the Neota team.