No-Code/Low-Code Use Cases and Case Study Examples

In a world where digital transformation is no longer a choice but a necessity, businesses are constantly seeking ways to accelerate the development of software applications without compromising quality. Enter the era of no-code/low-code development, a revolutionary approach that empowers individuals with little to no coding experience to create robust and functional applications. This paradigm shift has opened up a myriad of possibilities across various industries, driving innovation and efficiency.

Let’s explore some compelling use cases and examples of no-code/low-code development, showcasing its versatility and potential impact.

1. Rapid Prototyping and MVP Development

No-code/low-code platforms excel at rapid prototyping, allowing businesses to quickly test and iterate ideas. For instance, a startup looking to launch a new mobile app can use these platforms to create a minimum viable product (MVP) without investing significant time and resources in traditional development. This agile approach enables faster time-to-market and provides a tangible product for early feedback.

2. Internal Tools with Workflow Automation

Organizations often have unique internal processes that can be streamlined with custom tools. No-code/low-code platforms empower non-technical employees to create applications that automate workflows, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors. Examples include project management tools, employee onboarding applications, and inventory management systems.

MIBAR Case Study: MIBAR goes “All the Way” to deliver a custom pick and pack solution using PowerApps for Sabrett Hot Dogs

Sabrett manufactures New York’s # 1 hot dog, renowned for their fabulous taste and consistency and the famous snap! Sabrett is a registered trademark owned by Marathon Enterprises, Inc., a major regional supplier to the retail, wholesale, and food service industries with an enviable reputation for quality and service dating back to 1926.

Sabrett was using a pick and pack solution called ADC Technologies that was no longer being supported. At the same time, the Windows CE operating system that was powering their scanning devices was being deprecated.

As a result, the MIBAR team spent time working with Sabrett and their stakeholders to evaluate other solutions.

Through the evaluation process it became clear that Sabrett would require a custom solution. Each proposed solution would require costly customizations to meet their exact needs. In fact, some solutions were not even willing to make the necessary customizations. They also contained more features than were needed by the Sabrett team since they did not require a full-scale WMS.

This evaluation process led the MIBAR team to the idea to build a custom pick and pack solution with PowerApps. The solution leverages the Power Platform & SQL customizations to import & display data to handheld scanners in near real-time and return inventory data to the Dynamics GP database for invoice processing.

The customizability of the PowerApps solution created by MIBAR ensured the Sabrett team did not have to make any concessions when it came to the functionality of their software. They did not have to worry about extra WMS features that would have added additional complexity and cost. By focusing only on necessary features, the software seamlessly matches how the team works, boosting user adoption, overall productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction.

Other benefits include:

Scalability and flexibility
Reduction in licensing costs
Auditability
Better support

“MIBAR has been an excellent partner – in helping us replace our aging computer system and implement a new Microsoft based business management software system, we have been able to reduce the amount of time it takes to produce lot traceability records from several hours to just a few minutes! Not only has MIBAR’s solution enabled us to comply with all government, vendor, and customer-imposed regulations, we have also managed to cut our costs and continue to grow our business by streamlining and automating our processes.” – Philip A. Venturini, VP of Distribution, Sabrett Hot Dogs

View the full case study here.

3. Customer-Facing Applications

No-code/low-code development is not limited to internal use; it extends to customer-facing applications as well. Businesses can create user-friendly interfaces for customer portals, interactive websites, and eCommerce platforms without extensive coding. This democratization of app development ensures that marketing teams and business analysis can actively contribute to enhancing the customer experience.

4. Data Visualization, Dashboards, and Reducing Manual Processes

Analyzing and presenting data in a comprehensible manner is crucial for decision-making. No-code/low-code platforms offer robust capabilities for creating data visualizations and dashboards. Users can connect to various data sources, design intuitive dashboards, and share insights across the organization. This use case is particularly beneficial for data-driven industries such as finance, healthcare, and marketing.

MIBAR Case Study: Sheridan Dental Saves 400 Hours/month with MIBAR and Power Apps Solution

Sheridan Dental is the premier dental provider for residents in nursing homes throughout the State of Florida. They provide comprehensive dental coverage for almost 300 skilled nursing facilities, with coverage in every county of the state.

Challenges:

Paper reporting: Dentists and staff were drowning in paper. They contacted MIBAR to help them transition off paper reporting to a modern cloud solution.
Replicate Charting: The biggest challenge was replicating the teeth charting necessary by a mobile Dentist. MIBAR came up with a unique Power Apps solution.
Slow Document Processing: Physical paper meant slow processing and turnaround time. The company had simply outgrown the systems it started with.
Labor Intense List Creation: Office staff were spending 100 hours a week creating patient lists by hand in Word.

MIBAR developed a custom solution to save Sheridan Dental 400 hours/month:

Canvas Apps Pen Input: Creative application of the pen input to mimic paper charting and produce beautiful reports.

Power Automate: We have Flows taking JSON from Power Apps and creating PDFs – hundreds of times a day.
SharePoint Library: All data is housed in SharePoint, reducing storage costs and allowing data to be used again in canvas app as historical records
Word Template: Technique involves transparent overlay of the pen input image onto the diagram in Word template
Dynamics 365: Sketches are reviewed by office staff using an embedded canvas page in a model driven app

5. Integration of Third-Party Services

No-code/low-code platforms often come equipped with pre-built connectors for popular third-party services and APIs. This facilitates seamless integration between different tools and systems. For example, a marketing team could easily integrate a customer relationship management (CRM) tool with an email marketing platform, automating the flow of data and improving overall efficiency.

MIBAR Case Study: Dexmet Corporation Saves Money on Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM Storage Costs

For over 75 years, Connecticut-based Dexmet Corporation has been working closely with customers—including wellknown brands including Boeing and Airbus—to engineer and manufacture custom precision expanded metals. Having recently implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 to help them manage data and automate processes in a scalable, cloud-based environment, they discovered that their CRM was not accommodating the space they needed to run email and attachments, leading to increasing storage costs.

Not only did their CRM app run out of space, but Microsoft’s CRM storage costs jumped from $5 per gigabyte (GB) to $45 per GB. These additional storage costs became a more significant pain point as Dexmet calculated annual costs into the thousands. They needed a storage solution that would allow users to maintain their email workflows while making better use of budget resources.

MIBAR technicians identified the opportunity to take advantage of Microsoft Power Automate, a standard integration tool that allows customers to create and automate workflows and tasks across multiple applications and services. By using Flow to seamlessly connect Dexmet’s CRM tool with SharePoint (another standard Microsoft app with a more affordable storage pricing structure), they essentially re-routed the email workflow to “send and store” in a SharePoint library natively embedded within the CRM email, instead of using CRM storage.

Dexmet is able to access a view in their Microsoft Dynamics CRM dashboard that shows how much storage they see over time. After MIBAR’s routine finished processing their historical data, Dexmet’s overall usage went from a peak of 27,858 MB to 16,293 MB, and their production environment went from 14,612 MB to 7,524 MB.

The result is a close to 50% savings in storage costs.

View the full case study here.

6. e-Learning Platforms

As the demand for online education continues to rise, no-code/low-code platforms provide a straightforward way to create e-learning platforms. Educators an develop interactive courses, quizzes, and forums without the need for extensive coding skills. This empowers educational institutions and businesses to quickly adapt to the digital learning landscape.

7. Mobile App Development

Building mobile applications traditionally requires specialized skills, but no-code/low-code platforms democratize the process. Entrepreneurs, small businesses, and individuals can create mobile apps for various purposes, from event management to fitness tracking, without delving into the intricacies of coding.

8. Compliance and Audit Tracking

Industries with stringent regulatory requirements, such as finance and healthcare, can benefit from no-code/low-code solutions for compliance and audit tracking. These platforms enable the creation of custom applications that ensure adherence to regulatory standards, automate audit processes, and maintain comprehensive records.

Make the Transition to No-Code/Low-Code With MIBAR

No-code/low-code development has emerged as a game-changer, democratizing software development and fostering innovation across industries. The examples mentioned above illustrate the versatility and potential of these platforms in addressing a wide array of business needs. As technology continues to evolve, embracing no-code/low-code approaches can empower organizations to stay agile, adapt to changing landscapes, and accelerate their digital transformation journeys.

The future of application development is here, and it’s more accessible than ever. Learn how MIBAR can get you set on the right track today!