Joget2Alfresco is an open source no-code/low-code rapid application development platform that boosts your ability for business innovation. Build enterprise web apps and automate business processes on cloud and mobile the modern way.

Low-code and no-code are buzzwords in business technology today. Let’s break down what they mean and see how these words are changing the face of enterprise.

First, let’s start by admitting that building business systems is a whole industry. Tech companies pay other tech companies to build their business systems. It’s complicated stuff that requires a high level of technical expertise. It requires developers, programmers, other IT staff, and one crucial element: code.

Code is what tech-savvy people use to write programming statements so that computer systems work. It’s the computer language that sets up back-end functionality. Code makes things happen when you click “OK”. You can see the source code on this web page by using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+U. That same complicated code is running your systems at work. Whenever your company needs a new process (automated workflow) or functionality (a sharing link for Twitter) somebody has to write the code for that. You could call traditional programming the “high-code” model. It’s been this way since computer programming was invented.

That’s why no-code and low-code is revolutionary. There are simpler ways of building programs using minimal code. This new technology changes the face of how we develop business systems. To take a closer look at why it’s important, here are 6 ways that low-code system development can boost your business innovation.

1. The Cutting Edge of Low-Code Development Platforms (LCDPs)

In the very recent past, coded system development was a third-party job. Companies had to hire out. This meant RFPs, bidding, multiple meetings, delivery, implementation, user feedback, adjustments, and final evaluations. Months later, or in some cases years, you would finally have the system change.

Low-code development platforms are the programs that allow your company to handle some system development in-house. How? They allow people with no coding or limited coding experience to build apps using a visual method. The way that desktop publishing programs like MS Publisher took print designers out of the equation, now it’s possible to make in-house changes to company computer systems.

Low-code development platform (LCDP) is the umbrella term for any program that allows a company to do this kind of system development. Joget is one example of an LCDP on the market today. Using a graphical user interface (GUI pronounced “gooey”) Joget allows people to design and implement new system configurations by removing as much of the hand-coding as possible.It even enables people to build, run and maintain full applications or “apps” using simple point-and-click, drag-and-drop design. That’s what puts LCDPs at the forefront of today’s cutting edge business technology.

2. LCDPs Increase Your Development Speed

LCDPs aren’t limited to minor changes either. Today you can design and launch a whole app using a platform like Joget. Another term popping up is “rapid mobile app development” that hints at why businesses might want to make their own apps in this way.

Why do businesses make apps? As mentioned, the traditional third-party model of building proprietary company apps isn’t the best. One major problem of outsourcing is time lag. With the old school “waterfall” approach, drawn-out consultations and silo builds were the norm. By the time you got the system configuration you asked for, you likely had a whole list of changes to make. The process took months and didn’t always deliver. Sometimes it was so slow that better technology was invented while you waited.

In the information age, the business world requires rapid responses. Companies, especially global enterprises, need to be adaptable at high speed. Quickly creating and implementing applications is huge. Developers from inside the company have a unique ability to get feedback on app function within hours or even minutes. They share geographic location or stay connected digitally with end users on a daily basis. They have avenues for fast, secure information exchange. Compressing the distance between your system improvements and end users makes your entire company more responsive.

3. The Most Valuable Innovation is Business-Specific

Another major problem with third-party app development is information asymmetry. Nobody knows your business like you do. It’s not the outside consultant who truly understands your business processes. The practical, everyday user does. From customer service agents who field real-world issues to mid-level management’s frustration with clunky authorizations, your employees are the ones who know where efficiency can be improved.

4. Puts App Development in the Hands of Stakeholders

The benefit is obvious. Non-coders have never been able to make apps before. Now non-code stakeholders from within your company can make the apps and system improvements that you need. They already work for you. There are plenty of benefits:

• Avoid NDA paperwork
• Keep business data safe within the company
• Automatic buy-in by designers
• “Free” follow up and maintenance without third-party contracts

Stakeholders from inside the company get closer to good app design than third-party delivery. With LCDPs, you end up with high-quality apps that score high on the user experience (UX) scale. Unique insight into real usage cuts down on revision time so launches go quicker. Statistical and data-driven feedback makes UX-friendly apps possible without expensive tech experts and competitive exposure. By putting app development in the hands of stakeholders, low-code system development liberates your organization from the burdens of custom application development

5. Low-Code Development is Flexible and Simple

We mentioned that LCDPs are simple to use, but just how easy are they? Can the average Joe really build an app? The short answer is yes. For the non-coder, no IT skills are needed whatsoever. Anyone can build, run and maintain apps using a 100% visual interface. Web browser-based app design means you don’t need special software either. These platforms enable non-technical staff to join a new class of “citizen developers”. They have practical expertise. It puts the power of innovation and efficiency in the hands of those give the most back to the organization. LCDPs give citizen developers the power to improve their own systems.

Low-code development is also flexible. For the coder, there are plugins everywhere. They can extend, integrate, and other advanced functions using small amounts of “low-code”. They can choose apps from the marketplace to customize or build from scratch. That includes database apps, process apps, and even enterprise apps. LCDPs handle end-to-end applications without being limited to process- or data-centric use cases. Regardless of coding ability, every app is cloud-ready for desktop, tablet, and mobile launch. Built and maintained on a normal web browser, developers can work on them anytime, anywhere.

Flexibility is a good way to describe what rapid mobile app development means to your business as well. With in-house development, working prototypes are quick to market. Adjustments can be quick, quiet, and regular so QC is accelerated from end-to-end. Plus, compared to the old model, effortless long-term maintenance by staffers means low operational costs. The simplicity and flexibility of low-code platforms can’t be beat. Apps that fly off the shelf with smooth plugin architecture are crucial to saving both time and money.

6. The Endless Possibilities of LCDP Combined with Content Management

Low-code system development is the new frontier of business. New business applications are nearly limitless. One of the most dynamic combinations resulting from LCDP adoption has been low-code platforms integrated with enterprise content management (ECM) systems.

The Alfresco experts at Skytizens have worked hard to come up with a solution that brings the cutting edge of rapid app development alongside their deep knowledge of enterprise systems. With a team focused on enhancing business functionality through integration, they created Joget2Alfresco as a project aimed at bringing digital transformation to life. This unique LCDP and ECM combination platform serves all the typical system needs of an enterprise and offers the modern benefits of low-code capabilities too.

Each enterprise works in unique ways. Every company has proprietary functionality. Generic systems need customization designed by years of trial-and-error and informed by practical experience. Joget2Alfresco is Skytizen’s attempt to harness the innovation of your best departments and share those efficiency-building efforts company-wide.

Are you ready to unleash the power of business innovation? To read more about cutting-edge enterprise software developments, visit Skytizens.