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.”
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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:

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.”

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. 

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.