The NoCode is a system that allows you to create and develop your own website or application, without any particular knowledge of IT development.
The goal? To optimize the efficiency of companies with a low level of technicality and thus reduce costs.
This solution is currently revolutionizing remote work. Companies that do not have technical programming expertise can, thanks to NoCode, achieve their automation goals without having to write a line of code.
No more lines of code that can only be understood by developers. The creation of elements is thus shortened and the user can use the "drag and drop" to create a website or an application.
"Simple, fast and efficient" is the promise of NoCode. Present for a few years, it has experienced recent effervescence since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
So, computer revolution or technological trend?
1 - An easy-to-use solution
Users work on a simplified virtual interface. These “NoCode” development platforms make it possible to create applications or software without the latter having to modify the underlying code base. And above all to see in real time what the project will look like.
This system significantly facilitates the work of developers since the lines of code of the components are pre-coded. As a result, it is accessible to all and therefore allows a significant rise in creativity among its users.
“You immediately see the time savings and users quickly realize the potential of the tool. What appeals to people a little less tech is that they are autonomous and can do everything on their own. ”, Romain Fere, IT Manager Free Media and Social Impact at Identicar
Through these kinds of technologies, we are witnessing the rise of the “citizen developer”, which Gartner defines as “a user who creates new business applications for consumption using development and runtime environments sanctioned by the corporate IT ”.
Among the tools for creating websites, applications or video games known (normally) to all: Wordpress, Wix, Webflow, Bubble, Adalo, Zappier or even Buildbox
2 - A good way to get a site or an application out quickly
Since this solution does not require any coding skills, it allows small and large companies to easily create an application and quickly value its impact on the market. This is a good way to release, for example, a beta version and test it with users.
A quick solution, but above all a real economic advantage. Not all companies can, especially at the start of a project, internalize a tech recruitment or call on freelancers. According to Malt, the cost of a developer can run between $ 300 and $ 800 per day on average. And this is without taking into account the techno used and the complexity of the project that would require the intervention of a senior profile and therefore quickly salt the bill.
The NoCode costs between 0 and 500 € per month, depending on the solutions. An ideal alternative for young entrepreneurs and startups, but also any company that wants to embark on a new project and have a beta version to test on the market quickly.
3 - An agile solution for the company
Due to its functioning, the modifications and upgrades to be carried out no longer give marketers a cold sweat. The NoCode enables unprecedented agility for businesses.
This can be seen in a tool like Wordpress in particular: no need to call on a developer to change the text, the color or add plug-ins. Since its creation, there are more than 50,000 different plugins, enough to find happiness for sure!
“Internally we use NoCode to interconnect our various tools (office suite with other internal software and workflow automation). For me, NoCode has always existed, but in recent months / years, its use has become enormously popular, because it is more technologically affordable and easier to use. ”, Romain Fere
This solution is considered reliable by developers and may be perfectly sufficient for a first version of a site or application. On the other hand, if the desired result includes a lot of personalization for the end user, the NoCode might not be enough.
4 - The NoCode uses Artificial Intelligence
Most NoCode tools work with AI and can be connected to corporate workspaces to communicate with each other.
After an analysis of the incoming and outgoing flow, these tools can automatically generate, locate and exchange information. We can therefore easily make the connection with existing databases. If we take the example of Wordpress, we can connect it to all CRM and database solutions.
The significant advantage is that you can free up employees' time and let them concentrate on tasks with (higher) added value.
5 - The concept of security
As NoCode tools are often SaaS tools, it is the platform that manages security for the business. These are the platforms that will invest to guarantee data security for their users.
As far as we know, no cases of data breaches at these companies have yet been reported. Nevertheless, we must remain cautious. As hosting management is not without risk, we tend to think that using NoCode tools can be reassuring. With WordPress for example, the risk of hacking can be significant if you do not update the site.
NoCode applications still have a lot of progress to make. Indeed, considering that they are built by non-developers (and therefore not familiar with IT security issues), the risk of data breaches or security breaches must be taken into account.
6 - Simplify the work of certain coders, without eliminating it
There is an irrational fear for some that the profession of developer will disappear, but it is not. The NoCode sites themselves need to be maintained and developed. The product / site will need to evolve and will necessarily require the intervention of coders (two).
Extended on a large scale, The NoCode makes it possible to simplify the work of certain coders in the unification of development techniques. We must see a notion of complementarity between NoCode and developers.
7 - The limits of NoCode
Spectacular advances, as we have seen, but which will have their limits. The NoCode would only be really useful for SMEs and VSEs or entrepreneurs in development or in the first version of the solution.
Why ? Because these solutions do not allow complete customization to meet the needs of consumers.
“If an application has been developed in front of NoCode, we will have to redo everything. We will just be able to go faster with what we want, because the beta version will have made it possible to collect user feedback. On the back-end part, if it's done well, it can hold up in NoCode. We can very well have a mix between the stack and NoCode. ”, Romain Fere
Performance and customization might be the limits of NoCode. If the business or development logic is too precise (like the integration of graphics perhaps), then the company will have to resolve to code. You have to distinguish between the prototyping of a solution and its industrialization.
8 - A booming market
As we said above, NoCode is not a recent solution, but we continue to see it progressing. In a constantly moving digital market, we are going to see more and more NoCode solutions coming to the market. Certain tools will surely stand out to become the new Wordpress or Zapier.
According to Microsoft, in 4 or 5 years, more than 500 million pieces of software will be developed. That is more than all the computer programs created over the past forty years. 450 million of them will be created using a NoCode or low code tool, because there are not enough developers who can work fast enough to design so many programs.
For developers? It will be the standard baggage. Specialized training centers have understood this well and are already integrating NoCode into their training programs.
“We have integrated NoCode in our training since 2018, once learners have learned to code, to show them that certain tools allow them not to waste time on certain tasks, in particular a showcase site.”, Félix, CEO and Co-founder of the Hacking Project
Low-code, the new trend right now
NoCode should not be confused with Low-Code. While the difference between the two is often blurred, Low-Code requires some coding skills, forcing its users to collaborate with more experienced developers.
Low-Code can be useful when NoCode platforms cannot meet the needs of the business or its end users. We will therefore favor the adoption of Low-Code in the case of the creation of complex applications, which will require manual entry by a qualified developer.
Unlike NoCode which does not require any coding knowledge, Low-Code requires between 20 to 30% raw coding. This is the more elaborate version of NoCode, but the two systems are still inseparable. Why ? In the end, very rare are the sites or applications that will not require any modification or evolution. Like any computer tool, it seems that with the advent of NoCode and Low-Code, institutional coding is becoming obsolete.
According to a Forrester study, it could generate up to $ 187 billion by 2030, up from $ 10.3 billion in 2019.
