No-code is on the brink of changing the way people work, from automating repetitive, time-consuming tasks to building entirely new processes, products, and applications in just days versus months. As stated by Sascha Willutzki, “some are already talking about a second digital revolution: A paradigm shift in the way we interact with technology that allows anyone with an idea to create powerful business applications, beautiful websites, and seamless integrations.”

Investing in no-code tools can enable workers of all technical levels to achieve great results with less time, money, resources, and infrastructure. But this tech revolution does not have widespread adoption—yet. Our survey data revealed some interesting findings:

Adoption of No-Code Tools

20% use no-code tools today 
56% of those who know how to write code use no-code tools
10% of those who do not know how to code use no-code tools

Familiarity with Code Tools

34% are familiar with the idea of no-code tools
81% of those who work in IT are familiar with the idea of no-code tools
71% of those who use no-code tools within IT adopted them within the last year

Why is adoption slow across non-technical workers?

According to our survey data, the issue may not actually be slow adoption, but rather a lack of understanding of what no-code tools are. Many non-technical workers may be using no-code or low-code tools without realizing it. 

3 Reasons Why No Code is Growing

Many factors are combining together to create a catalyst of change in the way people identify and choose new software. Over the past decade, and now going into the next, the following areas have impacted the shift into no-code tools and apps. 

Do people expect an increase in no-code tool usage over the next year?

33% across industries
45% in computer & electronics manufacturing
46% in banking and finance
71% in software

1. Rapid digital transformation requires new tools and thinking. 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt worldwide, and it has rapidly changed every aspect of our lives. From working remotely to needing to eliminate in-person and paper-based processes, businesses were left scrambling to figure out how to adjust and become more agile

When did you first begin using no-code tools?

66% within the last year
41% in the last six months
Although no-code tools have been in existence since the 1980s, the need to digitize all processes across all departments pushed organizations to look for tools that could be adopted quickly, easily, and with little ramp time. No-code tools were often the answer to the struggles brought forth by this extreme digital transformation.  

71% say they choose to use no-code tools due to either speed and/or ease

What No-Code Experts Say
“No-code tools make software development more accessible than ever. Previously, if you wanted to build any website, web app, or mobile app, you'd either need to be a trained in computer science or hire an expensive dev shop, which are not truly accessible to many people. Now, anyone can pick up a no-code tool in a matter of days and bring their idea to life without writing a line of code.”
Matt Varughese
CEO of 8020

Your Digital Transformation Checklist: Adapting to a Digital-Must World

Get the Checklist

2. Workplace demographics are changing.

Gen Z continues to enter the workforce and change the demographics of organizations. As the first truly digitally-native generation, they have limited patience for archaic systems, slow processes, and inefficient workflows. 

According to the Welcome to Generation Z report by Deloitte, Gen Z makes up more than a quarter of the U.S. population and will contribute $44 billion to the national economy.

In fact, TechCrunch recently dubbed Gen Z as the “No-Code Generation” that “has the potential to finally fill that missing productivity gap in the global economy, making our lives better, while saving time for everyone.” Gen Z is known to be less afraid to try new things, interested in learning new tech, and able to rapidly adopt tech thanks to their digital-first upbringings. Our survey found that 18-24 year olds are more than twice as likely to have used a no-code tool.
The digital abilities of Gen Z could have a major impact on organizations all over the world. In the UK, 69% of business leaders believe their organization has a digital skills gap. The incoming of this new generation can help fill these large gaps. According to Microsoft’s Unlocking the UK’s potential with digital skills report, Gen Z is “a new generation of workers who, enabled by low-code and no-code technology, are armed with both high consumptive skills and burgeoning productive capabilities.” 

ZDNet believes this new generation of workers possess two important skills that set them apart from others: “they are digital-savvy, and can easily use new technologies; but, with some help from tools such as low-code or no-code platforms, they also have the ability to create new systems for others to use.”

3. Employees need more autonomy.  

In today’s fast-paced, digital-first environment, employees expect to have more control over their operations, projects, and workflows. This includes non-technical workers who want to push forward on projects without having to wait on IT resources, as well as technical workers who want to speed up development and building proofs of concept. 

Gartner predicts that by 2025, 75% of large enterprises will use at least four low-code/no-code development tools for both IT application development and citizen development initiatives.

73% believe their organization has a favorable opinion of no-code tools
47% believe their organization has a need for no-code tools
In a remote-first, digital world, autonomy is even more important to employee and business success. Customers expect to be served quickly and efficiently, and they have limited patience to handle poor experiences. No-code tools allow employees to adapt to ever-changing market and customer needs without having to rely on resources from IT. This is a win-win: employees are able to better self-serve to achieve their goals and initiatives, while IT gets more time to focus on projects that absolutely require their technical development and coding skills. 
Without access to no-code, self-serve tools, employees are limited in their ability to create solutions, adapt processes, and address issues. In these situations, they must heavily rely on the skills, experience, and time of those in IT. Yet this demand continues to overwhelm many IT departments. 

A lack of technical resources results in:

28% of employees getting held back on projects and/or initiatives
59% of projects being sometimes or often delayed
46% in banking and finance reporting delays
50% in computer and manufacturing reporting delays

“The rise of digital business is driving ever-increasing demand for software creation to automate new and existing processes, in new contexts, and often in rapidly changing situations. These demands put enormous pressure on IT leaders to dramatically increase application delivery speed and time to value.”

From Gartner’s Forecast Analysis: Low-Code Development Technologies

The Explosion of No-Code Apps and Platforms