No code, no problem ?

At a time when the creation of digital projects is exploding in the face of a shortage of coders, it is becoming necessary to develop new solutions to meet the demand for the creation of websites, applications...
However, one method is becoming increasingly popular...no-code.

It appears to be a revolutionary solution enabling anyone to create digital projects, regardless of their technical knowledge. But is this method a magic solution that will make anyone infallible when it comes to building digital projects?

What is no-code?

No-Code is a relatively new method in the development world. It takes the form of a visual interface that lets you build a mini-application without having to code it. These easy-to-use solutions can be used to create digital projects of varying complexity. No-code can be used to create websites, mobile applications, chatbots, APIs or the database management.

Code-free development methods combine several techniques:

Drag-and-drop interfaces give you access to a fast, simple development process. Simply drag and drop components to create your digital project.
Visual modeling, giving you access to a wide range of templates for your digital project. This greatly simplifies the use of code, making it intuitive for designing automations.
Workflows enabling automation to trigger actions

The advantages and disadvantages of no-code

The benefits

Better agility

Companies opting for a no-code solution are seeing increased agility and efficiency within their organizations. No-code is able to make companies act faster and respond more quickly to change. This means they can adapt quickly to changes in the market or customer feedback.

Time savings and productivity

Companies using these methods are able to achieve more with less effort. Being ergonomic and intuitive, no-code can significantly boost the productivity of employees, who no longer waste time on low-value-added tasks.

Disadvantages

More and more subscriptions

Using no-code can lead to an accumulation of tools. When you start a no-code development project, it's not uncommon to have to call on several solutions. This leads to a multiplication of subscriptions. So be sure to think carefully about your project and the different solutions you'll need to use, to avoid any additional costs.

Vendor-lock in

Have you heard of vendor-lock in ? When you sign up with a no-code publisher, it's not uncommon for a dependency to set in. For example, during the course of your subscription, some publishers don't hesitate to change certain conditions of use or update their pricing. This doesn't mean you should stop using no-code - on the contrary. You simply need to make sure of a few points before committing to a solution, such as whether you can migrate your data.

Data security

Some no-code solutions may present a data governance risk. You may be relinquishing control of data to third-party services. So be vigilant about the conditions of use of your data and the location of hosting infrastructures to avoid any breach of the RGPD.

There are, however, solutions that can prevent any breach of personal data, thanks to processing and collection modules specific to their platform. At SmartMyData, we've always believed that governance and control of your data are paramount. That's why our processing and collection modules are specific to our platform (form creation, scraper...) so that you remain in control of your data. The platform can be installed on any hosting provider, including sovereign cloud solutions.

Prerequisites for a good no-coder

It's important to understand that no-code is not a magic solution and won't make you a developer overnight. Its real added value is to train hybrid profiles who will have a perfect understanding of your teams' operational challenges and the simplest way of meeting them (Raphael Mizrahi).

Even so, it remains an accessible solution, making it much easier for non-developers to use the code language. However, there are a few prerequisites for mastering this solution.

First of all, it's advisable to master algorithmic logic beforehand. This means being able to understand the mechanics of programming language development (variables, loops, Booleans).
It's also essential to understand database architecture.

Now you know the basics of becoming a good no-coder!

Focus on low-code

If you're familiar with the no-code method, you may be familiar with its cousin, low-code. But there's a difference between the two. If you're working on a project using a low-code solution, you'll be able to add your own scripts to a pre-configured application. This requires technical development skills.

Low-code is not without its advantages, however, as it will be extremely useful in facilitating the creation of software not yet thought of or simplified by no-code platforms.
Low-code solutions therefore offer an ideal compromise: you don't have to start from a blank sheet of paper for every need, and you can develop complex solutions when the need arises.

The Smartmydata platform uses a mix of no-code and low-code. Here's an example of a low-code scenario from SmartMyData:

No-code: relief for CIOs?

IT departments are increasingly overwhelmed by the growing number of digital projects. As a result, employees have to wait several days, even weeks, for an expert intervention to solve their technical problems.

Giving each department the possibility of designing their own workflows thanks to no-code would enable employees to become more autonomous in solving technical tasks. This would also help relieve IT departments who will be able to devote themselves fully to their important tasks.

It's important to remember that a developer's technical skills are essential to the construction of a complex project. The developer's job is not at all jeopardized by his tools.