The "no-code revolution" and workflow automation with Zapier
Thankfully, as technology has developed, it is now possible to create digital processes without the need to write any code. Therefore, anyone can learn how to build a website, create email templates, and connect their systems using, in many cases, visual drag-and-drop editors. These editors give you the ability to add and remove blocks in templates rather than writing code in a computer programming language. Instead of needing to use a developer to write this code, the average person with basic IT skills can create these processes themselves. These advances are described as a "no-code revolution," as software providers have pushed forward to develop solutions that will help the non-IT workforce to execute tasks that could previously only be done by software engineers.
Zapier is one of these technology solutions and allows you to automate and manage your business processes without writing code. Zapier essentially acts as a connector or translator between thousands of cloud-based applications that may not have direct native integrations with each other or for which the event requests are more limited, allowing them to communicate with each other. The platform enables users to build business-specific workflow automations with a visual editor using pre-built integrations to seamlessly perform manual and repetitive tasks without human intervention.
Zapier is the brainchild of forward-thinking founders Wade Foster, Bryan Helmig, and Mike Knoop. Wade, Bryan, and Mike recognized the productivity struggles that plague small and medium-sized businesses where many repetitive tasks are handled manually and with an ever-increasing chance of errors occurring. They developed a powerful solution to help businesses with their efficiency struggles, allowing them to connect their web applications together and automate their mundane and repetitive tasks using custom-built workflows. Most importantly, the solution allows the average business owner and their team to use the software without the need for writing code or having specialist help involved. The first release of the Zapier platform was in 2012, and since then, they have grown their integration marketplace to over 3,000 app connections. Zapier is based in California, USA, and as a company that actively supports an ethos of remote working, they have grown their global team to over 300 people located in the US and over 20 other countries around the world.
As well as allowing the less technical user to build custom workflows, the Zapier platform also has an open API, thereby allowing app developers to build integrations with Zapier to connect their apps to the platform. This, in turn, allows their customers to then create custom integrations with thousands of other apps, using Zapier as the connector. In essence, the Zapier user then becomes the developer without needing to use code. Using no-code technology, we no longer need advanced technical skills to harness the power of integration automation.
To help you understand a bit more about BPA and the "no-code" revolution, you can get access to a free masterclass here: https://bit.ly/3e5BUkn.
You now have a better understanding of how Zapier and BPA work hand in hand to help businesses increase productivity. In the next section, we cover the key terms that are used by Zapier and throughout this book.