How COVID-19 highlighted the true value of No-Code

With conditions and time restraints changed completely, Low-Code and No-Code have become the essential tool for tackling the pandemic.

About 4-5 months ago, the general sentiment when it came to digitalisation was “we have time”. While almost every organization, institution and firm was partaking in it, digitalisation was not seen as a top priority. A major part of processes was still handled through manual tools such as Excel or even completely paper-based.

Corona changes the priorities

That all changed, when the COVID-crisis turned systems upside down around the globe. As the population was told to self-quarantine, society could not function as before on many levels. Be it employees working from home, separated from their files or back office systems breaking down because of the overwhelming amount of work that was suddenly moved online.

Entirely new software priorities emerged. A few examples:

Tools for tracking infection spreading
Allocation Planning & Management software for things such as medical equipment that were in high demand
Program Administration for the distribution of financial aid provided by governments or the construction of new medical facilities
Operation Management software to stay in control of the logistical problems and the surge of service requests

The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the digitization of the economy and ultimately led to a second Digital Revolution. For companies and organizations worldwide, no-code / low-code has become a popular way of adapting their processes to the ‘new normal’ quickly and cost-effectively. The tactic has been applied to a range of processes, including tracking material deliveries for hospitals and enabling employees to seamlessly transition to working from home.

"[COVID-19] is a catalyst. It is making people curious and, of course, people have more time...So people are exploring different tools."

Arpit Choudhury

Head of Growth at Integromat, a no-code integration platform.

The first edition of the Second Digital Revolution Conference

One month ago, numerous experts from all over the world came together in the course of the Second Digital Revolution Conference to exchange views on no-code / low-code and its potential for disruption in digitization. Among them were founders and CEOs of startups, but also representatives from the academic world and physicians such as Dr. Suarez, a doctor at a hospital in Madrid. 650 participants joined the conference online.

A major topic was, of course, the Coronavirus crisis and its central role as a catalyst for digitization using no-code / low-code. Dr. Suarez presented a concrete example: with the help of Ninox, he developed an app within two weeks to support the diagnosis and documentation of Corona infections in Madrid. The software helps to collect essential data for virus control and is already being used in hospitals in Latin America.

“You basically want more access to technology when you have fewer instincts. But in this current world, the word unprecedented is a part of everything. What that means is none of us really have an instinct for this new world anymore. Our instincts and intuitions are falling apart.”

Joyeeta Das

CEO and Co-founder of Gyana, a No-Code Data Science software

A practical example was later given by Dr. Zoaris who explained how he had used a no-code platform, specifically Ninox, to build a healthcare application in less than two weeks during the COVID-19 crisis in Madrid, Spain. This app has since spread to Latin America and is contributing valuable research insights for the fight against COVID-19.

Fear of Change?

Together with his colleague John Bratincevic, John Rymer answered questions from author and journalist Joe McKendrick, as well as from various entrepreneurs who attended the conference. Among other things, they discussed best practices for organizations to integrate no-code / low-code into their operations. Two of the biggest hurdles in this process are rigid structures and the fear of change.

"For really big companies, there's the hairy reality that they have a lot of old, complicated, interwoven systems. And somehow introducing this as part of the fabric is a really scary architectural thought."

John Bratincevic

Senior Analyst at Forrester Research

Digitization for all

The spotlight panel focused on the democratization of digitization through no-code / low-code. In all layers of the working world, the Second Digital Revolution enables more independence and more efficient work. The benefits apply to everyone, from the CEO and department heads to single employees, craftsmen, or call-center employees. Due to the low cost and labor required, even smaller companies and self-employed people can develop exactly the kind of programs to best fit their needs.

“The no-code movement is about empowerment.”

Joyeeta Das

CEO and Co-founder of Gyana, a No-Code Data Science software

No-code versus low-code?

So does no-code mean the end of traditional coding? Not at all! All participants of the final community panel agreed that no-code will continue to grow, but at the same time, the demand for software will skyrocket. No-code / low-code options, as well as traditional programming, will continue to be in great demand. But for those who do not want to learn a programming language, they will also be able to put their ideas into practice with a basic understanding of data and a passion for solving problems.

“It's not no-code/low-code versus code. We're all on the same team. Everyone is wanting to create software.”

Ben Tossell

Founder of Makerpad, an educational platform around no-code

The future has a lot in store for low-code and no-code. They are developments that should certainly stay on everybody’s radar.

The past conference is the first in a Second Digital Revolution conference series. Check the website https://2nddigitalrevolution.com/# or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to be the first to hear when the next conference is going to take place. You can watch the recording of the first conference on our youtube channel.

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