Low code solutions are the answer to empowering the workforce, enabling business agility, and reducing the burden on IT. Let’s explore what this means for organizations looking to invest in emerging technologies.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the luddites took to destroying looms and other textile machinery in a bid to preserve their jobs. Ever since workers across all industries have feared that emerging technology will make them obsolete. In recent years, the rapid rise of automation and artificial intelligence has led to similar concerns. Are people right to be alarmed or are these concerns unfounded?
New technology is creating jobs
Several recent reports suggest this new technology has the potential to create more jobs than it displaces. A new report from Microsoft and Goldsmiths, University of London, states that no code and low code solutions are creating an entirely new generation of roles for those without developer expertise. This is empowering organizations to use technology to enhance, complement, and build upon current roles, rather than completely replace them.
The World Economic Foundation (WEF) refers to these new roles as the “jobs of the future” in their own report, and predicts that 97 million jobs of this nature will materialize during the next five years. In this blog, we explore what low code solutions mean for the workplace and the role organizations must play in upskilling employees to use these new tools.
Low code solutions and the democratization of IT
Often referred to as part of the ‘citizen developer’ movement, low code and no code tools provide non-developers with the tools to quickly and easily execute IT projects, such as building custom business applications. These would have previously required specialist knowledge and would have taken months, even years, to progress from conception to completion. With easy-to-use interfaces and simple drag and drop functionality, low code tools make complex IT procedures much easier. Some training will be required but not to the same extent. This can speed up IT projects considerably.
The benefits of low code and no code tools are vast, including:
- Reducing the burden on IT
- Speeding up business app build time
- Enabling business agility
- Engaging the workforce
- Reducing costs to adjust to slimmer budgets
- Building greater resilience
- Reducing inefficiency
- Empowering your employees
Since the pandemic, organizations have been looking for ways to adapt to rapid change and overcome the challenges of remote working. Low code solutions have helped organizations automate and digitize processes rapidly by allowing more people to contribute to application development.
Not only does this reduce the pressure on IT departments, but it also democratizes IT-based decisions, by extending it to more people across the organization. Although your HR, Sales and Finance professionals might not be able to code in Python, no one understands the businesses’ everyday processes and challenges better than the workers themselves. Involving these employees in digital transformation can be liberating for the organization as a whole.
The skills are there, but more must be done
Both reports state that:
- Some degree of upskilling will be required
- There is great potential already in the workforce
There is an emergence of a new generation of tech-savvy, digitally-native employees already possessing some of the skills required for these future jobs.
These ‘next-gen’ workers could be upskilled with relative ease to learn how to use low code solutions – at the moment many of these tools remain in the remit of ops, IT, process professionals, and power users. But by investing in people with digital skills, organizations can extend the number of ‘citizen developers’ amid their ranks.
Invest in your people
Without investing in people, these jobs may not materialize and organizations will miss out on the opportunity to realize the potential. The bigger picture indicates that this is essential for economies to grow. Another Microsoft report indicates how entire nations risk being left behind by a lack of investment in these jobs of the future. Upskilling employees to be more comfortable using emerging technology like artificial intelligence is vital in succeeding in the modern world. There is a stark warning in both reports that these jobs won’t create themselves – and upskilling is necessary.
Invest in the right tools
Low code and no code tools will be the technology that powers these “jobs of the future”. The simpler a technology platform is, the easier it is for non-developers to use, the less money and time organizations will have to put into training and upskilling. Also, the more quickly, easily, and effectively employees can start streamlining processes, automating workflows and rolling out custom applications, the better.
A platform for the jobs of tomorrow
Nintex is a process automation platform which allows process professionals, power users, and line of business teams to accelerate the digital transformation journey. With Nintex, it’s never been quicker or easier to manage, automate, and optimize business processes. With process mapping, workflow automation, digital forms, and robotic process automation solutions, Nintex empowers employees to drive change at their organization.
With clicks not code, your employees can turn manual, paper-based, and repetitive work into digital forms, workflows, and much more. Join the low code automation movement and accelerate digital transform with Nintex today.
Learn more about how low code solutions like Nintex are helping organizations overcome the challenges of the pandemic and creating the jobs of the future. Get in contact with the team at Nintex today. Or you can test out the Nintex Platform with a free trial.
