mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

By now, you’ve probably heard all about the benefits of low-code development tools. They let you build business applications with little (or no) code. They reduce development time by 50-80%. They let you deliver custom business applications in hours or days.

I could go on.

The big question: If your organization does any type of manual web application development in-house, why aren’t you using low-code? If it still takes months to deliver business applications from scratch, what’s keeping you from using development tools?

Chances are, you’re skeptical. 

Maybe you don’t believe the time-saving claims.

Maybe you’re worried that it isn’t as easy to use as the vendor claims.

Maybe you’re worried that it will limit your options.

Or, maybe you think that low-code is just 4GL or RAD tools all over again. 

I could debunk every one of those fears, but prefer a different approach. I’d rather let you see it for yourself. To help you understand the low-code development process, our consultants put together videos of full development projects that:

• Walk you through the entire process from start to finish
• Show (and explain) each step in the development process
• Are completed in under 2 hours 

Word of warning: These are longer videos (1.5 – 2 hours each) because we didn’t want to leave anything out. But, you’ll get a good idea of how quickly you can go from nothing to a working application with low code. Sound reasonable? Here are the videos:

1. How to build a custom helpdesk portal with low-code

In this video, we create a helpdesk portal from scratch using low-code. This portal includes user security, a helpdesk ticketing system, a helpdesk calendar, support dashboard, and more. 

2. How to create a BI/Reporting suite with low-code

In this video, we walk you through a custom business intelligence/reporting project. We start with a single spreadsheet full of data and create a suite of BI & reporting applications that includes features like multi-tenant security, forecasting, dashboarding, data write-back, data warehousing, and many more.

3. Create a Field Service Management Application with low-code

In this video, we create a custom field service management system from scratch. This system includes a job listing application, signature capture, mapping, multi-tenant security, and much more. 

Want to try low-code for yourself? Sign up for a free m-Power Trial right here. 

Today, I’ll bust one of the most common myths about low-code software: The idea that low-code means low customization. 

I see this myth repeated across most low-code articles these days. The articles claim that low-code software improves development speed (which is true) at the expense of customization and flexibility. 

To be fair, some low-code tools DO have this drawback. But, all low-code tools are different. Some create websites. Some create basic web applications. Others are built for enterprise applications. Some offer customization. Others do not. 

Placing all low-code tools in one big category is like saying that cars, bikes, and rollerskates are equal because they’re all ‘modes of transportation.’ While true, they’re very different things. The same is true for low-code tools.

The reality: Some enterprise-level tools offer unlimited customization–even down to the code level. When you get into the enterprise-level low-code tools, you’ll find that customization is critically important. Why? Here are a few reasons. The amount of customization available in the tool determines:

• How well the tool fits your business needs
• The amount of limitations you run into over time
• Whether or not you get locked into the tool

What customization features should any enterprise low-code platform provide? We created a video on this topic that covers 6 different customization features to look for, and explains why each is important. You can find it here:

Want to learn more, or see a customizable low-code platform in action? Set up a demo here: m-Power demo.

Low-code development usage is growing fast. According to Gartner, the low-code market will grow 20% this year. They expect it to grow even more next year.

But, you’ve probably heard these stats a thousand times. The low-code market has grown steadily for years. No one will argue that point.

The bigger (and more important) questions: We know that adoption is on the rise, but…how are these businesses using low-code? What are the practical use cases? What can you build with low-code? 

…

What are the most common low-code use cases?Read More »

Low-code development has taken the tech world by storm. According to Gartner, the low-code market will grow from $18 Billion in 2021 to $32 Billion by 2024. It’s picking up steam and shows no signs of slowing down.

The problem: As demand grows, so does the total number of platforms on the market. Anyone looking around for a low-code tool will find hundreds to choose from.

The worst part is, they’re all different. They all have different capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Some focus on mobile while others focus on workflow. Some offer reporting/dashboarding features while others don’t. I could go on.

How do you know which one is best for your business?

The answer: It depends on your business, needs, budget, etc… To help you cut through the confusion, we’ve written up whitepaper that goes into more detail on the topic. It explains key areas to consider when looking for a low-code tool, and will hopefully make the process less painful. You can find it here: How to Choose the Best Low-Code Platform for Your Business