Small associations and businesses can leverage the No-Code Movement for new opportunities
by Brian Birch, Russell McBride, and Elly Lobello
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See no-code video intro
CEO's and leaders of small-staff organizations have always been challenged by the lack of resources and infrastructure common to larger organizations. Not having a developer or advanced tech staff member can make it difficult to move forward. But a new movement, called the No-Code Movement, has gained momentum over the past 2 years, and with the development of AI products, much of the ‘magic’ that was unreachable for small orgs is now literally at our fingertips!
The challenge now is having someone on the team who can learn applicable no-code tools, apply them to problems, and maintain those solutions over time. Let’s review the concept of no-code, and then explore some resources and software.
No-code overview
The no-code movement is democratizing technology by empowering anyone, regardless of technical expertise, to build software applications. This revolution is fueled by intuitive platforms that replace complex coding languages with visual interfaces and drag-and-drop elements. This video is a good description of why this is critical:
While the concept of simplifying software development has been around for decades (think early website builders like GeoCities), the no-code movement gained significant momentum in the 2010s. The rise of cloud computing, coupled with an increasing demand for rapid application development, created fertile ground for no-code platforms to flourish. These platforms offered user-friendly tools to create websites, mobile apps, and automated workflows without writing a single line of code. Advantages include:
- Accessibility: No-code breaks down the barriers of traditional coding, making software development accessible to a wider audience.
- Speed and agility: Adept users can ideate, test, and deploy new solutions without any coding experts or third parties.
- Cost-effectiveness: By reducing the reliance on specialized developers, no-code solutions offer significant cost savings.
- Empowerment: No-code tools empower citizen developers within organizations to translate their ideas into reality, fostering innovation and collaboration.
Challenges still exist
As with any tool, no-code is not a perfect fit for every issue, and there are still challenges with using it to solve problems. A lot of the usefulness of no-code depends on the core systems used by the organization. A general rule of thumb is that the more open/accessible central systems are to no-code apps, the more opportunity for building solutions that solve issues vs. just moving them around.
Here are some real-world examples of how no-code has been employed for small orgs:
- A small national trade association used a combo of Zapier and Smartsheet to build a simple method for members to access training, submit quizzes, and automate quiz results to a custom dashboard, all without any data entry by the team.
- A nonprofit charity used no-code to take volunteer report submissions, automate them through an AI editor, and then save the cleaned files in a singular place for easy access.
- A training entity created a no-code solution to automate the creation of digital badges in Accredible after completion of a specific set of training courses.
- A trade association, struggling with getting members simple membership certificates in PDF format, used Zapier and PDF.co to automate the creation of member certificates emailed upon request.
Team members or leaders will often see these solutions as ‘patches’, but that is operating with a limited mindset. The desire to have a perfect singular experience in software died many years ago, and it's time to leverage best-in-class tools to fix problems and improve efficiency.
The future of no-code
- AI integration: No-code platforms are increasingly integrating AI and machine learning capabilities, enabling users to build intelligent applications with ease. You can already embed AI into automated workflows!
- Expansion of use cases: No-code tools are expanding beyond web and mobile app development to encompass a wider range of applications, including automation, data analysis, and even game development.
- Increased sophistication: No-code platforms are becoming more powerful and sophisticated, offering greater flexibility and customization options.
- Convergence with low-code: The lines between no-code and low-code are blurring, with platforms offering a spectrum of options to cater to different skill levels and project complexities.
Use Case 1: Streamlining Training Delivery for a Non-Profit Trade Association
- Title: No-Login Training System for Corporate Members
- Challenge: A non-profit trade association needed a more efficient way to deliver training videos to corporate members who required quick, large-scale training without the hassle of individual user logins for their existing Learning Management System (LMS). DVDs and the LMS were not ideal for this use case.
- Solution: The association created a no-login training system using Smartsheet templates to host training videos specific to each corporate client. Real-time progress dashboards were also provided to member companies. Quiz functionality was integrated via Zapier, SurveyMonkey, and Smartsheet. 12 separate quizzes based on 6 training videos (English and Spanish versions) were created, and all zap back to a unique results Smartsheet for the company that aggregates all reporting.
- Tools Used: Smartsheet, Zapier, SurveyMonkey
- Results/Benefits: A low-cost, easy-to-use training system that requires no user logins while still providing verifiable training completion data. This created a new revenue stream for the association. This solution hit the trifecta of good, fast, and cheap!
Use Case 2: Automating Volunteer Reference Follow-Up
- Title: Automated Follow-Up for Interested Volunteer References
- Challenge: The organization's volunteer recruitment process required reference checks. Following up with references who expressed interest in becoming volunteers was a manual and disruptive process, interrupting the flow of reference reviews.
- Solution: An automated workflow was created to identify references who expressed interest in volunteering. The system queries Salesforce daily for completed references, filters for positive responses, and automatically sends personalized text messages and emails to these individuals. The follow-up actions are logged in Salesforce.
- Tools Used: Zapier, Salesforce, Dialpad (Texting Service), Outlook (Email)
- Results/Benefits: Streamlined the volunteer recruitment process by automating follow-up communication, ensuring timely engagement with potential volunteers, and maintaining a clear record of all interactions. Direct contact from the enrollment team is facilitated by the texting service.
From McBride Method
The No-Code Movement offers small associations and businesses powerful tools to overcome resource limitations and drive innovation. By leveraging user-friendly platforms and automation, organizations can streamline processes, create new solutions, and achieve significant cost savings. While challenges exist, the future of no-code, with its integration of AI and expanding capabilities, presents immense opportunities for organizations to adapt, grow, and thrive in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape