Experiencing the Low-Code/No-Code – the ZOHO Mode

Did you know? You can build powerful business apps without writing a single line of code!

Welcome to the world of Low-Code/No-Code (LCNC)—a revolutionary approach that’s transforming app development for everyone.

Recently, I attended a 3-day workshop on Zoho Creator and got a hands-on introduction to what many may call the future of development: Low-Code/No-Code platforms.

What is Low-Code/No-Code?

Low-Code/No-Code platforms empower users to build applications without prior coding or software development experience. They rely on intuitive visual interfaces like drag-and-drop tools to define application logic and workflows.

Interestingly, the concept isn’t entirely new—COBOL, a programming language for business users, was one of the earliest examples of LCNC. Today, modern LCNC platforms are built on popular high-level languages like Python, Java, and PHP, making them robust and versatile.

These platforms are particularly valuable for business users with little to no technical expertise, offering an accessible way to develop solutions tailored to their needs.

Why LCNC Matters

While I have experience in business and data, app development was completely new territory for me. This workshop bridged the gap, showcasing how LCNC platforms like Zoho Creator can be leveraged to develop efficient business applications.

LCNC platforms are perfect for:

• Automating repetitive tasks
• Increasing operational efficiency
• Ensuring wide accessibility across teams
• Rapidly adapting to dynamic business needs

Whether it’s for internal operations or enterprise-wide solutions, LCNC is a game-changer for businesses looking to innovate quickly and cost-effectively.

Zoho Creator 6: A Unified Solution

Zoho Creator goes beyond basic app development. It combines:

• Business Intelligence and Analytics
• Smart Integrations with other platforms
• Process Automation

What sets it apart is its dual functionality:

1. Internal Stakeholders: Organizational users who manage internal processes.
2. External Stakeholders: Portal users who interact with your application externally.

This versatility makes Zoho Creator a comprehensive tool for businesses of all sizes, enabling them to build, analyze, and automate—all on a single platform.

Zoho Creator Basic Flow :

1. Create Form/Import data from Excel : Whenever you create an application, you need to have data from user or your enterprise, depending upon the use case of your application. For Ex; for an event management related application, you need to create a form that takes input from users and data is generated. Likewise, if it is an enterprise level application, the data can be imported from the existing data from Excel.
2. Create Reports : From the data that is generated or imported, you can create various reports like List, Pivottables, Kanban reports, Calender reports, Timeline report, Map chart, etc., depending upon the nature of the data and the purpose it serves.
3. Create Pages : Page includes panel, charts, gauge, search bar, form, reports, snippets, buttons, widgets and viewers functionalities to create KPIs, comparison charts and many more. A collective space of these elements is called a page.
4. Create Workflows : Workflows are used to trigger an action as per the user has functioned or scheduled. You can use workflows to automate tasks based on specific user activity, or on scheduled date or event, schedule and approve business processes, etc.

Personal Experience:

The workshop was a great experience in building applications the LCNC way. The curiosity of the LCNC was taken over by a sense of familiarity of using the drag and drop interface. Especially, creating the BI and Analytics solution felt like second nature to me, as the interface and process of creation closely resembled that of creating Power BI reports and dashboards.

I am always fascinated by the innovations happening at the intersection of business, data and technology and this workshop truly resonated with me. It was a thoroughly enriching and low code, high impact experience and I would certainly be looking forward to implement the learnings of the workshop and strive for continued learning.

Workshop Certificate:

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