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Since the 2020 pandemic, schools, universities, and other educational institutions have rapidly started their digital transformation initiatives. Nowadays, academic world invests more and more in software development and internal process digitization.
At the same time, only a few educational institutions can afford having an IT department and continuously pay for software development. That’s why low code has become one of the most important strategic technologies for the education industry in recent years. Low-code platforms provide faster and cheaper way to create systems, applications, automate routine tasks, and optimize internal activities of colleges and schools. According to Gartner, low-code platforms will reach 26 billion by 2023 and be delivering 65% of all applications by 2024.
What is low-code
Low-code and no-code are the software development approaches involving specialized platforms that provide a visual app-building process. Low-code and no-code differ in the degree of code abstraction and customization capabilities. Both of the concepts aim at facilitating the software development process, making it cheaper and more effective. Simply put, no-code are easier to access for regular campus staff to build simple internal knowledge portals or automation tools. Low-code platforms in their turn, provide capabilities for complex solutions and require some training to be able to use them.
In this article, we will focus on low-code development platforms because they include multiple no-code functionalities that allow both citizen or pro developers to use them, depending on the complexity of the apps they need.
How do educational institutions benefit from low-code platforms?
Reduce development costs
Low-code platforms have various pricing plans that give users different levels of access to their functionalities. Usually, there are free plans that can provide citizen developers and non-tech staff with tools sufficient to build performant internal tools.
Even if an organization opts for a paid user package to go for a complex system or app, it will be cheaper than traditional high-code development. First off, they won’t necessarily need to hire a large team of pros - 1-3 experienced low-code developers will be enough. Then, the process itself will be quick, so there will bw less payments for the developers.So, low-code development can give schools and universities almost free applications in a matter of days or weeks.
Guaranteed apps’ quality
Low-code platforms usually include a set of DevOps tools that ensure CI/CD software delivery, code quality control, and real-time app performance monitoring. Such tools and the support from the low-code platform representatives will result in lower maintenance costs, seamless user experience, and easier low-code app scaling.
Fast app time-to-value
Colleges and schools are the places where ideas are born. And there’s no better tool than a low-code platform to make them work digitally as fast as possible. For instance, if someone has an idea about task automation, or ease up an internal process, they can easily apply it crating a low-code app. The implementation of digital educational tools takes days or even hours with low-code platforms owing to its easy-to-use interface.
Precise analytics
Low-code apps are easy to integrate with almost any analytics powers like, for instance, Artificial Intelligence. Better analytics enhances and facilitates the performance of universities and schools’ scoring systems. This, in its turn, shows the efficacy of the universities’ educational practices. Also, digital analytical power helps educational institutions increase their budgeting and keep track of incomes.
Easy integrations with other services
Colleges can easily connect their apps to other knowledge bases, educational sources, game-based learning apps, and other systems that can help students during their learning process. Low-code approach provide a large set of pre-built connectors. Thus, supplying your app with the abovementioned services will take only a few seconds instead of months of dedicated development efforts.
Low-code development in Education: success stories
Outsystems and Kent State University: process automation, better learning experience, and internal workflow efficacy.
KSU (Kent State University) leveraged Outsystems to cover multiple digital transformation needs. The low-code platform allowed the university to introduce digital transformation on several fronts.
Challenges: Kent State University faced multiple tech-related challenges that were connected to its technical debt. This motivated the KSU management to find a fast track to digital transformation. The University needed:
- To create an internal knowledge base;
- Create several applications to allow both students and staff to interact with internal sources;
- Provide means for convenient remote education;
- Introduce better analytics.
Result: For now, the team of 10 developers delivers deliver around 5 internal applications for students and staff per month. Almost 40 apps that have already been delivered (in 11 months) and increased internal productivity, student learning experience, and enhanced overall staff performance.
Appian and The University of South Florida: improving student health and connectivity.
Like every large educational institution, the University of South Florida suffered from the pandemic and the urgent need to establish a digital environment for remote education. Traditional development practices didn’t seem to provide the necessary software in time, so the university management chose Appian low-code platform.
Challenge: As the pandemic hit, the university needed to effectively protect students and staff from catching the illness and track the students’ health status.
Result: USF used and customized Appian CampusPass. It is a product of the Appian platform team developed specifically for schools and universities. CampusPass aims to reduce COVID-19 impact by tracking student and staff interactions, at-home health test collecting, and return authorization.
EdTech trends in 2023
Global market insights report that the e-learning market will reach the 1 trillion mark by 2028. The numbers speak for themselves - remote and digital learning tools will only increase in demand.
But what are there main directions where e-learning will evolve?
Gaming apps for education
Games has always been one of the best ways to teach people new skills. Today, game-based learning apps are one of the most viral trends in education. Both kids and college students show better learning metrics when using games rather than “boring” learning methods. FinancesOnline report says that companies that employ gamification in their education have up to a 700% conversion rate.
Remote education technologies
After the pandemic, the demand for interactive applications, video chats with educational features, and extensive knowledge bases exploded like never before. Before 2020, they were nice-to-have technologies but today they are a must.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
It seems that we step into a time where the fantasy of sci-fi writers finally becomes a reality. VR and AR technologies take over the educational market, providing a better learning experience. With these tools, students can have a simulation of on-hand experience in situations that are hard to recreate in real life.
Cloud-based EdTech infrastructure
Cloud technologies provide better educational system performance, allow for the connection of different apps, and open vast integration capacity. Moreover, the data stored in the cloud can be protected by the cloud provider, if an organization uses public cloud services.
Low-code development experts
Low-code approach is the fastest and easiest way to build your business application or internal workflow optimization software. Low-code and no-code platforms cater to all types of businesses (SMEs, startups, and enterprises) and individuals alike. But usually, to access the full potential of low-code you may need professional developer assistance that has experience using these platforms.
You can discuss your project with our low-code development experts if that is your case. We have more than 7 years of software development experience including working with various low-code development platforms including Retool, UI Bakery, Appsmith, Budibase, and others.
We can help you at any stage of your low-code app development: from the right low-code platform selection and process strategizing to full-scale development, customization, and integration with your existing systems. For more information, reach out to our low-code development team leads and get a free consultation.
Billing Automation for a SaaS Company with Low-Code
Our client needed a robust billing solution to manage hierarchical licenses, ensure compliance, and automate invoicing for streamlined operations.
The solution:
We developed a Retool-based application that supports multi-tiered licenses, automates invoicing workflows, and integrates seamlessly with CRM and accounting platforms to enhance financial data management.
The result:
- Achieved 100% adherence to licensing agreements, mitigating penalties.
- Automated invoicing and workflows reduced manual effort significantly.
- Dashboards and reports improved decision-making and operational visibility.
Retool Dashboards with HubSpot Integration
Our client needed a centralized tool to aggregate account and contact activity, improving visibility and decision-making for the sales team.
The solution
We built a Retool application integrated with HubSpot, QuickMail, and Clay.com. The app features dashboards for sorting, filtering, and detailed views of companies, contacts, and deals, along with real-time notifications and bidirectional data syncing.
The result
- MVP in 50 hours: Delivered a functional application in just 50 hours.
- Smarter decisions: Enabled data-driven insights for strategic planning.
- Streamlined operations: Reduced manual tasks with automation and real-time updates.
Lead Generation Tool to Reduce Manual Work
Our client, Afore Capital, a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed investments, aimed to automate their lead generation processes but struggled with existing out-of-the-box solutions. To tackle this challenge, they sought assistance from our team of Akveo Retool experts.
The scope of work
The client needed a tailored solution to log and track inbound deals effectively. They required an application that could facilitate the addition, viewing, and editing of company and founder information, ensuring data integrity and preventing duplicates. Additionally, Afore Capital aimed to integrate external tools like PhantomBuster and LinkedIn to streamline data collection.
The result
By developing a custom Retool application, we streamlined the lead generation process, significantly reducing manual data entry. The application enabled employees to manage inbound deals efficiently while automated workflows for email parsing, notifications, and dynamic reporting enhanced operational efficiency. This allowed Afore Capital's team to focus more on building relationships with potential founders rather than on administrative tasks.
Retool CMS Application for EdTech Startup
Our client, CutTime, a leading fine arts education management platform, needed a scalable CMS application to improve vendor product management and user experience.
The scope of work
We developed a Retool application that allows vendors to easily upload and manage product listings, handle inventory, and set shipping options. The challenge was to integrate the app with the client’s system, enabling smooth authentication and product management for program directors.
The result
Our solution streamlined product management, reducing manual work for vendors, and significantly improving operational efficiency.
Building Reconciliation Tool for e-commerce company
Our client was in need of streamlining and simplifying its monthly accounting reconciliation process – preferably automatically. But with a lack of time and low budget for a custom build, development of a comprehensive software wasn’t in the picture. After going through the case and customer’s needs, we decided to implement Retool. And that was the right choice.
The scope of work
Our team developed a custom reconciliation tool designed specifically for the needs of high-volume transaction environments. It automated the processes and provided a comprehensive dashboard for monitoring discrepancies and anomalies in real-time.
The implementation of Retool significantly reduced manual effort, as well as fostered a more efficient and time-saving reconciliation process.
Creating Retool Mobile App for a Wine Seller
A leading spirits and wine seller in Europe required the development of an internal mobile app for private client managers and administrators. The project was supposed to be done in 1,5 months. Considering urgency and the scope of work, our developers decided to use Retool for swift and effective development.
The scope of work
Our developers built a mobile application tailored to the needs of the company's sales force: with a comprehensive overview of client interactions, facilitated order processing, and enabled access to sales history and performance metrics. It was user-friendly, with real-time updates, seamlessly integrated with existing customer databases.
The result? Increase in productivity of the sales team and improved decision-making process. But most importantly, positive feedback from the customers themselves.
Developing PoC with Low Code for a Tour Operator
To efficiently gather, centralize, and manage data is a challenge for any tour operator. Our client was not an exception. The company was seeking to get an internal software that will source information from third-party APIs and automate the travel itinerary creation process. Preferably, cost- and user-friendly tool.
The scope of work
Our experts ensured the client that all the requirements could be covered by Retool. And just in 40 hours a new software was launched. The tool had a flexible and easy-to-use interface with user authentication and an access management system panel – all the company needed. At the end, Retool was considered the main tool to replace the existing system.
Testing New Generation of Lead Management Tool with Retool
Our client, a venture fund, had challenges with managing lead generation and client acquisition. As the company grew, it aimed to attract more clients and scale faster, as well as automate the processes to save time, improve efficiency and minimize human error. The idea was to craft an internal lead generation tool that will cover all the needs. We’ve agreed that Retool will be a perfect tool for this.
The scope of work
The project initially began as a proof of concept, but soon enough, with each new feature delivered, the company experienced increased engagement and value.
We developed a web tool that integrates seamlessly with Phantombuster for data extraction and LinkedIn for social outreach. Now, the company has a platform that elevates the efficiency of their lead generation activities and provides deep insights into potential client bases.
Building an Advanced Admin Portal for Streamlined Operations
Confronted with the need for more sophisticated internal tools, an owner of IP Licensing marketplace turned to Retool to utilize its administrative functions. The primary goal was to construct an advanced admin portal that could support complex, multi-layered processes efficiently.
The scope of work
Our client needed help with updating filters and tables for its internal platform. In just 30 hours we've been able to update and create about 6 pages. Following features were introduced: add complex filtering and search, delete records, styling application with custom CSS.
Together, we have increased performance on most heavy pages and fixed circular dependency issues.
Creating MVP Dashboard for Google Cloud Users
Facing the challenge of unoptimized cloud resource management, a technology firm working with Google Cloud users was looking for a solution to make its operations more efficient. The main idea of the project was to create an MVP for e-commerce shops to test some client hypotheses. Traditional cloud management tools fell short.
The scope of work
Determined to break through limitations, our team of developers turned Retool. We decided to craft an MVP Dashboard specifically for Google Cloud users. This wasn't just about bringing data into view; but about reshaping how teams interact with their cloud environment.
We designed a dashboard that turned complex cloud data into a clear, strategic asset thanks to comprehensive analytics, tailored metrics, and an intuitive interface, that Retool provides. As the results, an increase in operational efficiency, significant improvement in cost management and resource optimization.
Elevating CRM with Custom HubSpot Sales Dashboard
Our other client, a SaaS startup, that offers collaborative tools for design and engineering teams, was on a quest to supercharge their sales efforts. Traditional CRM systems were limited and not customizable enough. The company sought a solution that could tailor HubSpot to their workflow and analytics needs.
The scope of work
Charged with the task of going beyond standard CRM functions, our team turned to Retool. We wanted to redefine how sales teams interact with their CRM.
By integrating advanced analytics, custom metrics, and a user-friendly interface, our developers provided a solution that transformed data into a strategic asset.
In 40 hours, three informative dashboards were developed, containing the most sensitive data related to sales activities. These dashboards enable our customer to analyze sales and lead generation performance from a different perspective and establish the appropriate KPIs.
Building a PDF Editor with Low-Code
Our client, a leading digital credential IT startup, needed a lot of internal processes to be optimized. But the experience with low-code tools wasn’t sufficient. That’s why the company decided to hire professionals. And our team of developers joined the project.
The scope of work
The client has a program that designs and prints custom badges for customers. The badges need to be “mail-merged” with a person’s info and turned into a PDF to print. But what is the best way to do it?
Our developers decided to use Retool as a core tool. Using custom components and JavaScript, we developed a program that reduced employees' time for designing, putting the data, verifying, and printing PDF badges in one application.
As a result, the new approach significantly reduces the time required by the internal team to organize all the necessary staff for the conference, including badge creation.
