Technology and software development has moved beyond merely being the key to innovation, to being the key to business survival. Saul Berman of IBM aptly notes, "The next 5 years will be more disruptive than the last 15. This is NOT business as usual. A lot of technology that came in three years ago doesn't work anymore." Embracing no-code offers a smart and accessible approach to navigating this transformative journey. This pressure to adapt has led many businesses down the path of building their own custom apps and systems, which can be both complex and costly – an investment of time, money, and resources that can often send budgets spiralling. Adding the global shortage of developers into the mix means businesses are constantly grappling with the challenge of balancing innovation with risk, cost and focus.

Balancing innovation with the cost and complexities of custom code

These challenges are becoming increasingly pronounced in the tech industry.

The cost of software development has seen a noticeable upward trend, in Australia, tech salaries surged by an astounding 26% in just six months between June and December 2021. This huge increase underscores the financial strain businesses face in their pursuit of remaining innovative.

And by 2030, the global shortage of software talent is projected to reach a staggering 85.2 million. In this competitive landscape, tech leaders need to carefully assess their development approaches.

While technology's increasing value to business is undeniable, so is its increasing complexity. Managing modern codebases has evolved into a highly specialised endeavour and has become astonishingly complex. There is an ever-expanding set of skills needed to write and manage code, and few organisations properly measure or understand the long-term cost and impact of this.

But there is an alternative - no-code.

Doing more with less: bridging the divide with no-code

Corporate demand for new software solutions is booming, but most IT teams simply can't keep up, limiting the ability to innovate. In the face of the demand to stay competitive, businesses are confronted with a pressing need to achieve more with less. Building and running large and expensive tech teams with increasingly advanced capabilities that they might not actually need will not be the difference between success and failure.

A flourishing no-code ecosystem has emerged that offers organisations complete flexibility without the same overheads of managing code. The no-code movement can help fill the gap between business demand and supply.

No-code democratises software development, empowers organisations to develop rapidly, and shifts the reliance from developers by enabling tech-savvy users such as business analysts to be hands-on in solution configuration and ultimately reduce tech debt.

Gartner anticipates a 20% growth in the global market for low-code development technologies in 2023. This shift not only reins in IT costs but also nurtures a culture of innovation and agility, paving the way for sustainable growth. While not a one-size-fits-all answer, these platforms offer a method to deliver business solutions without the baggage of complex code management.

Leveraging no-code

Learning how and when to leverage code and no-code to align technology strategy with business value is the focus of today's CTO. Instead of replacing existing tech teams, no-code solutions allow businesses to take care of tasks they know how to do in ways that make everyone's lives easier.

No longer just for small businesses and start-ups, the no-code movement has evolved into an enterprise-level solution.

For example, Toll Group, a multinational organisation with over 500 sites, adopted a low-code strategy. Their legacy processes were inefficient and costly. The implementation of the no-code strategy allowed them to build multiple custom applications and reduce time to market by 40%. This approach to non-technical development empowered their employees to build apps and reduced operational costs.

For tech leaders, it is vital to strike a balance between innovation and cost management. The emergence of no-code development offers a smarter approach to tech strategy. It's a cost-effective solution that untangles the web of complexities associated with traditional development, propelling organisations toward greater efficiency and alignment with their core objectives.

How to get started

When starting your no-code journey, make sure to have clear goals so you can leverage the tools to meet your business's needs. Digital Experience Labs can help to find the right platform and infrastructure you need to build successfully and how you can incorporate no-code into your tech strategy. In today's ever-evolving digital landscape, embracing the power of no-code is not just an alternative; it's a strategic imperative.