We just released a new video that takes you step-by-step through an inventory management system build process. We created this video to demonstrate just how quickly you can create custom applications (like an inventory management system) with m-Power. In roughly 75 minutes, we go from just the data in our database to a fully functional inventory management system, and explain each step along the way. Watch the video below to see the whole process!
Want to see what m-Power can do for your business? Shoot us a note to set up a demo: Setup an m-Power Demo.
Picture this: You’re running an IT department, and everyone’s asking for custom applications. The catch? You don’t have a single programmer on your team. What do you do?
Well, that’s exactly what Lifeskills, a Kentucky-based non-profit, was dealing with. But instead of pulling their hair out, they found a secret weapon: The m-Power Development Platform.
I’m happy to report that m-Power was just recognized by Schematiq as one of the best low-code tools available today! When you look at m-Power, it’s easy to see why. We’ve poured over 40 years of development software experience into m-Power, and it certainly shows.
That got me thinking: What makes a great low-code tool? After all, there are so many low-code tools these days. What separates the great ones from the rest of the pack?
In this short article, let’s take a quick dive into this topic.
If your business had a choice between an off-the-shelf CRM system and a CRM that’s custom-built to your needs, which would you choose (assuming you’d get either one immediately)? I’d say the vast majority of businesses would prefer a custom CRM. After all, custom CRM systems offer a number of advantages, such as:
Scale without user fees: Off-the-shelf CRM systems typically charge per user…which can quickly drive up the cost in larger companies. With a custom CRM system, you can scale across your entire company without user fees!
Custom Workflow Processes: You can build custom workflow processes into any aspect of your CRM. For instance, you can create customer onboarding workflows that fire automatically when a lead becomes a customer.
Integration with existing software or third-party tools: For example, you might want to update your ERP system or pass data to a third-party tool using an API.
Deploy anywhere: Most off-the-shelf CRM systems only run in the cloud. A custom CRM can run in the cloud or on-premise. The choice is yours.
Control the security: Every business has different security needs. With a custom CRM, you can control how much or how little security you’d like to have.
With these advantages, why doesn’t every business opt for custom CRM systems? It all comes down to development time. Building a custom CRM from scratch can be expensive and easily take months.
The big question: What if you could create custom CRM systems in days or weeks? What if you could get all of the benefits of a custom CRM with non of the drawbacks?
It’s not as hard as you think. We recently released a new video that shows you how easily you can create a custom CRM system using low-code development. In the video, we create a CRM system that includes custom workflow processes, API integration with third-party software, and ERP integration. The result: A custom CRM that perfectly fits our needs and can be easily enhanced and changed.
The best part: The whole process only takes 75 minutes. You can watch the video below:
Want to learn more? Set up a demo here: Set up a demo.
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.
Looking for a good low-code platform is a lot like buying a car. There are many options out there, and they’re all different. Some look flashy. Others are plain.
But, over time, we care more and more about one thing: How it was made.
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?
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
We just released a new video that shows you how to create a database CRUD application in 5 minutes using a low-code development tool. If you’re not familiar with CRUD, it stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete, and it’s a fundamental concept in database management.
A CRUD application lets you perform these four basic operations on a database table. I know…this might not sound very exciting. But CRUD applications are the backbone of most modern software applications.
If your business had a choice between an off-the-shelf CRM system and a CRM that’s custom-built to your needs, which would you choose (assuming you’d get either one immediately)? I’d say the vast majority of businesses would prefer a custom CRM. After all, custom CRM systems offer a number of advantages, such as:
Low-code development has taken the tech world by storm. According to