With new technologies advancing at such a rapid pace, it’s easy to come away with the impression that the best tools are only available to people with a coding background — or organizations willing to invest in a custom software solution.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that no-code automation tools make it possible for anyone on your team to create automated workflows — even if they don’t know how to write a line of code and have never learned a coding language.
Here’s what you need to know about no-code automation platforms, and how you can use them to streamline business processes from project management to HR.
What Is No-Code Automation?
No-code automation is a way to automate repetitive tasks and streamline workflows without any coding knowledge. Instead of writing your own software bots or hiring a software development team, you can use no-code tools to do the work for you.
No-code platforms provide an intuitive, user-friendly interface that anyone on your team can navigate, making them more accessible than traditional automation methods, such as business process automation (BPA) and robotic process automation (RPA).
Low-code and no-code solutions are similar, but low-code platforms may require some coding skills or experience and may take longer to implement.
There are three different kinds of no-code automation to choose from.
Prompt
Prompt-based automation tools are those in which you use a “prompt” to describe what you want the software to do. Think of asking Siri to add an event to your calendar or an AI chatbot to write a summary of a meeting for you.
These tools are great at performing simple tasks in real-time, but are less suitable for performing multi-step tasks or developing end-to-end workflows.
Text
Text-based automation tools come with predefined actions and triggers that users can assemble in the desired order to create a workflow. For example, “When a meeting is scheduled,” might trigger the follow-up action: “Post a message in Slack.”
No-code tools come with a library of prompts that you can use to create workflows and “connectors” that allow you to link actions across multiple apps.
Visual
Visual automation tools usually feature a drag-and-drop interface that shows how each action is connected. It’s essentially a workflow chart that you can edit in real-time, with shapes, arrows, and colors helping you make sense of complex workflows.
Visual workflow management tools may have less of a learning curve than prompt and text-based automation platforms. The visual interface makes it easy to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, track dependencies, and reorder actions.
Benefits of No-Code Automation
The case for automating business processes is clear cut. Organizations save time and money when they automate repetitive tasks and free up their team members to focus their efforts on other business needs. But why no-code automation specifically? Here are three reasons to use no-code automation to empower your team.
Ease of use
No-code automation platforms are simply easier to use than their alternatives. With an intuitive interface and integrations with external platforms, you can optimize business processes without any need for custom code development and outside IT support.
No-code platforms don’t require any advanced coding knowledge or training, so even non-technical members of your team can build their own workflows.
Scalability
Most no-code solutions are cloud-based, which means you can access them from any device and don’t have to maintain as many IT resources on site. As your team grows, you can scale up without having to rebuild your entire system from scratch.
Many no-code platforms offer different pricing tiers for startups, small businesses, and enterprise users. Start with a free plan or free trial, and upgrade as needed.
Functionality
No-code automation tools come with a wide range of features, including integrations with other apps via an application programming interface (API). Keep using the tools you’re currently using, like Slack, Excel, or Mailchimp, while adding new ones.
Reporting dashboards, pre-filled templates, and self-service portals all reduce the amount of work that your team has to do manually.
Examples of No-Code Automation Software
No-code automation software comes in many different forms and has many different use cases. Here are some examples of no-code automation platforms.
Zapier
Zapier is one of the most well-known prompt-based no-code automation tools. Zapier focuses on linking multiple platforms with workflows called “Zaps.”
You can use an AI-powered Zap builder, work from a pre-built template, or build your own Zaps. Zapier works best for simple tasks like scheduling meetings, sending email notifications, and routing customer support requests.
Airtable
Airtable is a low-code platform that you can use to build custom apps. It’s suitable for things like creating a product roadmap, sharing digital assets with stakeholders, and configuring your own customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
Since Airtable is a low-code platform, it has a steeper learning curve than other tools, but offers useful features for teams with some coding experience.
Pulpstream
Pulpstream’s no-code process efficiency platform features a visual interface that you can use as a drag-and-drop workflow builder. With built-in dashboards, user-friendly portals, and third-party integrations, it’s especially suited for HR teams considering no-code automation as part of a larger digital transformation.
Use Pulpstream to automate the employee onboarding process, streamline leave of absence approvals, optimize claims and incident management, and more.
3 Features to Look for in a No-Code Platform
The right no-code platform for your organization will depend on your business needs, coding knowledge, and use cases. Here are some key features to look for.
Reporting dashboards
Reporting dashboards allow you to visualize data in an intuitive, easy-to-understand way. For example, if you’re tracking employee attendance, you may want to set up a dashboard that shows the frequency of absences, different types of absences, and other variables that impact attendance patterns.
Pulpstream’s built-in reporting tools help you track everything from workforce analytics to claims analytics, so you can use real-time data to inform your business decisions.
Mobile app
One of the most useful benefits of no-code automation is that you can create custom apps to digitize business practices for any business model. Let’s say you have a team of agents responsible for audits and inspections. With Pulpstream, you can create an app that they can use to file reports from the field — even when they’re offline.
With traditional software development, creating a custom app can be time-consuming and expensive as you cycle through prototypes. With no-code app development, you can have a new app ready to go within a matter of hours or days.
Self-service portal
User-friendly portals allow you to grant access to certain parts of your platform to users outside of your team. For example, maybe you want to empower customers to update their own account data, or employees to file leave of absence requests online.
Self-service portals reduce the workload for your in-house team by allowing external stakeholders to resolve simple issues without human intervention.
Empower Your Team With No-Code Automation
No-code automation involves using software to perform tasks that would otherwise need to be done manually. Unlike other types of business process automation, no-code platforms are designed to be used by people without any coding knowledge. Instead of writing code, you use a text-based or visual interface to create custom workflows.
Pulpstream’s no-code platform empowers your team members to automate repetitive tasks, freeing them up to focus on big-picture thinking and strategic initiatives. From employee onboarding to incident management, Pulpstream’s easy-to-use interface allows you to optimize your business operations with an all-in-one solution.
Request a demo today to see no-code automation in action!
