Fostering collaboration between developers and businesses using low-code platforms.

Background

As a programmer or business analyst guy, have you ever encountered a situation while coding or developing prerequisite documents where you needed to:

• Create a diagram beforehand to organize your thoughts and outline the structure of a process?
• Draft a diagram to explain a process more clearly to a business stakeholder?

Chances are, you've experienced at least one of these scenarios.

Problem Statements - Lost in Translation

Such scenarios often lead to several challenges:

• The most significant issue is that some details are bound to be lost during the translation process. Whether you're creating a diagram to guide future coding or drafting one based on existing code, certain information may not carry over accurately.
• Crafting a visual representation of what needs to be done requires considerable time and effort.

Potential Solution - How Low-Code Can Help

One of the key benefits of low-code development is its visual programming approach. Instead of writing traditional code, you can simply drag, drop, or design elements that perform the desired actions seamlessly.

Let's consider the example below:

Are you able to deduce what is done in this flow?

I’d argue that even a non-technical person can grasp the essence of it.

Yes! The flow above outlines the process of extracting data from invoice documents using AI/OCR and sending it via email. With just five steps, you can create an advanced tool that leverages AI technology without requiring deep programming knowledge.

Testing

Here is an example of an invoice document that I want to extract data from.

Then below is the extracted data that has been sent to the email. It's a game changer!

Pros & Cons

Here are the advantages of visual programming in this context:

• Intuitive Representation: Both technical and business-oriented individuals (or anyone, really) gain a clearer, more intuitive view of a business process. Plus, it’s not just a static document buried in Confluence but a living, evolving piece of software.
• Speed: Visual elements are quicker to understand than reading through lines of code or text, accelerating comprehension.
• Collaboration: It’s shareable—non-technical stakeholders can more easily interpret what they see, making it a great tool for meetings and presentations.
• Reduced Information Loss: With fewer steps for information to pass through, there’s less risk of miscommunication or details being lost.

There are some drawbacks too:

• Poorly implemented Power Automate would still be difficult to understand.
• Some training is still needed. Any visual programming tool still has a notation which, even if simple, requires at least minimal investment to understand.

Summary

This is a straightforward use case, but over time and through numerous interactions, it can result in significantly less time spent on such tasks while yielding better outcomes due to smoother knowledge sharing.

However, it’s essential to maintain good programming practices even with low-code:

• Keep Power Automate Manageable: Avoid overloading power automate with excessive details. Similar to traditional coding, business logic should remain clear and concise, not cluttered with technical calls.
• Use Descriptive Names: Don’t shy away from long variable or object names. These are self-explanatory and often eliminate the need for comments, which can easily become outdated as logic evolves.

As low-code tools continue to improve, the gap between technical and business knowledge is likely to shrink further, benefiting everyone involved in the process.