Low-code/no-code at your service in day-to-day work
Low-code/No-code solutions are becoming increasingly popular as they allow individuals without coding experience to build software applications and automate workflows quickly and easily.
Gartner predicts that by 2026, developers outside formal IT departments will account for at least 80% of the user base for low-code development tools, which is up from 60% in 2021.
If you are not already part of the game, I suggest you jump in and give it a try. You may find it is an easy way to get rid of the busy work you are doing, with very little effort and much satisfaction.
In this post, I would like to introduce two use cases we implemented in Kaltura, which can easily be use cases you’ve met in your workplace.
If you are NOT a tech person, but you are looking for ways to resolve your own obstacles at work, keep reading. It may change the way you work. I know it changed mine.
Low-code what?
Before diving into real examples, if you have never heard the term low-code/no-code before, take a minute to read this section. If you are already familiar with the benefits of LC/NC, feel free to skip to the examples below.
LC/NC platforms enable businesses to create applications quickly without requiring extensive coding knowledge. This allows non-developers and even non-technical users to create solutions for themselves and their teams, without depending on IT developers. LC/NC platforms are designed to be easy to use, with drag-and-drop interfaces that let users build custom applications without a single line of code. In addition, these platforms allow extensive collaboration between users. This can streamline the development process, having all parties involved in every step.
How did we use LC/NC? (2 use cases)
Use case 1 — JIRA complicated calculation
Imagine you have 3 different projects in Jira. One contains the backend epics, one contains the frontend epics (which are being developed by a different team, of course), and one holds the feature, referencing both backend and frontend epics.
Frontend and backend have their own releases, and so does the features project has its own releases.
There is no place in Jira to store the correlation between the releases.
I have the correlation in a SharePoint list. In that list, I have one row presenting the connection between BE, FE, and feature release numbers.
The basic need is to have some validation or suggestion for each feature regarding its possible version, considering the epics it is referencing and their versions. There’s no such option in the JIRA cloud — at least not an easy or cheap one.
This is where LC/NC comes into the picture. In my case, Power Automate by Microsoft 365.
I created a trigger in Jira project automation that sends a REST API to Power Automate every time a version on BE or FE epic is changed.
Power Automate finds the feature connected to the epic changed, locates all of its BE and FE epics, finds the latest version they relate to, and uses the SharePoint list to calculate the earliest possible feature version.
The flow ends by updating JIRA’s feature-relevant field with the version found, and sending all that information to the release manager over Teams.
The flow
Use case 2 — Peer recognition app
Another story comes from the HR world. The HR team was looking for a way to encourage peer recognition and promote collaboration, friendships, and good vibes. Every option they checked either had a hefty price tag or did not comply with their needs.
After 5 short hours, I was able to create a nice UI, utilizing the active directory data and some SharePoint lists to handle peer recognition, where someone could pick a badge, write something and send it to a peer. The receiver got a notification in MS Teams, and so did their direct manager.
Data was saved so HR could locate the top senders and top receivers easily. Managers also received a monthly report per employee.
The great hack was to put it in the Teams sidebar, so it was easily accessible to all employees and not as a link in an email nobody would read.
The benefit for the organization has been huge. In a very short time and easy way, we created a tool to increase engagement and satisfaction among employees, and tackle the exact use case described by HR.
The app
The flow
Managerial aspects (and use case #3)
As a manager, I have two major pain points. The first is my ability to give my team the right tools to make their work smoother. The second one is my ability to forecast problems/delays or any other issues ahead. In both cases, I use LC/NC tools to resolve or at least lower the risk.
Use case 3 — Version date approval
Remember in use case #1, I already had a list of versions in SharePoint? I utilized this list in many more ways, and one of them is the version date approval flow.
Since I have the dates there, and I know who owns each version (BE, FE, and Features), I created a daily flow that checks if we are getting closer to any of the dates (“closer” was defined as 4 days before). When such a date arrived (e.g., 4 days before BE version date), an automated notification was sent to the version owner, asking if the version would be ready on time.
They would get a card in Teams with two options (Yes and No) and a free text area to explain why (in case of delay).
By selecting the answer, the owner triggers the rest of the flow, which sends their selection to the release manager.
The flow
Do YOU need a low-code/no-code solution?
Here are some factors to consider when deciding whether to use an LC/NC solution:
1. The complexity of the application: if the application you are building is relatively simple and does not require a lot of custom coding, a no-code or low-code solution may be sufficient.
2. Timeframe: If you need to build an application quickly, a no-code or low-code solution may be the best option. These solutions allow you to build applications rapidly without needing to spend time writing custom code.
3. Resources: If you have limited resources, such as a small budget or a small team, a no-code or low-code solution may be the best option. These solutions are often more affordable and require fewer resources and fewer experts than a standard development solution.
In summary, no-code and low-code solutions are great options for simple applications, time-sensitive projects, and projects with limited resources.
Summary
I’m sure you can think of 10 tasks you do every day that an automated process could replace, or you have at one time wished you just had a button to click to trigger them.
Now you can have it all using LC/NC.
Start with small tasks like sending a weekly email notification based on a template or getting alerted via Teams when a file is changed. Then move on to more complicated scenarios and even build your own app to support them.
Stop waiting for someone else to develop it for you. Just do it yourself using the tools you have at your fingertips.
