Boosting Data Confidence with No-Code/Code-Friendly Platforms

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Modern enterprises are on the hunt to drive transformation around the way they use data and strive to remain competitive in uncertain times. Added to this challenge is the fact that enterprises generate more data than ever. In fact, the average enterprise stores 10PB of data (or 23.1 billion files). So, how can they make proper use of all that data?

A recent survey revealed that 73% of organizations expect analytics spend will outpace other software investments in the next 12-18 months. The irony is that even as organizations increase their spending on data analytics, the same survey found less than half of business decisions are based on analytics.

Against this backdrop, it’s apparent many enterprises still struggle to extract maximum value from their data. There is still too much operating in siloes and analyzing incomplete, non-trustworthy data sets in unstructured documents and spreadsheets.

This needs to change. The enterprise impedance mismatch, where end users are expected to be more data-driven while only a small group of people can actually analyze data is no longer an option.

To boost data confidence in the enterprise, organizations must expand access to data and analytics by providing no-code and code-friendly solutions.

Opening the Door on No-Code/Code-Friendly Platforms

With the realization that writing SQL, R, or Python code is no longer sufficient for quickly delivering business insights, enterprises must turn to a new kind of automation that brings data to more employees’ fingertips: a no-code/code-friendly analytics platform that provides supplementary support for workers who understand the code interface.

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This combination is different than the low-code/no-code revolution that started in early 2010s and quickly gained popularity based on the ability to easily build custom applications without traditional hand-written code.  These solutions were purpose-built for the large population of non-technical users who don’t know how to code, and ultimately opened new doors for enterprises to ensure they made insightful decisions based on accurate data.

However, for those with coding qualifications, these tools provided limited functionality and failed to contribute to the user experiences and process automation needed for more advanced use cases.

The new revolution of no code/code friendly is designed to add value to enterprises as it enables inexperienced coders with its no-code design, while supporting those with seasoned coding experience without having to switch back and forth between multiple tools.

For example, data scientists with the knowledge of Python code can collaborate with non-technical individuals on the same platform. This integration unleashes a new frontier for enterprises facing a skills gap, as it creates a space for employees with different coding skill levels to interact with each other, manage data and produce insights on one unified platform. A programmer who has just hand curated a data set can quickly pass that information onto an analyst who’s utilizing the no-code function to further analyze the numbers – fast tracking the entire process.

While analysts are great at numbers and can dive into the algorithms behind the analytics, they have limited context for what the data means from a business perspective. To be able to make sagacious decisions, enterprises need to grant access to line of business users – such as marketing or finance specialists – who can intuitively point out abnormalities in the data.

The first step is to bring the right people together on one application to give the context to the data and make the insights meaningful. These platforms allow enterprises to support a wide variety of personas, from data analysts to sales and marketing teams, empowering them to perform analytics according to their skill level.

By doing so, enterprises open the door to increased ROI because decisions are backed by data and insights. It also serves as a starting point to upskilling the workforce and making individuals more data literate and confident. 

Navigating New Era of Decision Making with Cloud-based Platforms

In a world where data and analytics is the key to success, it’s critical for enterprises to empower employees of all skill levels to build the applications they need to perform tasks and improve their decision-making abilities. A cloud-based no-code/code-friendly platform makes this possible because it makes it easier for everyone to access the data they need no matter where they are or what device they are working from.

Many organizations are already thinking about this shift to the cloud. In a recent, 2023 State of Cloud Analytics report found that 98% of business leaders indicated they would benefit from more users having access to data analytics solutions through the cloud. And for enterprises who have already opted for cloud-based analytics, they experience greater profitability, resilience, and efficiency as data is now more available and scalable than ever.

Developed with the purpose of democratizing technology to enhance business outcomes, no-code and code-friendly tools bring together different constituents like data engineers, business analysts, and a wide range of knowledge workers. They also free up time for IT and data teams to work on other projects. While IT must continue to play a critical role in compliance, security, and governing the data within these applications, these tools allow more lines of business to work independently and build the applications they need to get their jobs done, rather than relying on data specialists or IT for help.

Meanwhile, having a centralized cloud platform for all the data can also address governance concerns. As part of being confident in a data-driven world, when enterprises utilize one platform for all their analytics needs, it can tighten data governance as it reduces the need to move data back and forth from different tools.

At the end of the day, building data confidence in an enterprise is a multi-spoke strategy. However, teams no longer need to be isolated on their own island manipulating data with limiting low-code tools or waiting until IT can manually code a homegrown data analytics application. By combining the power of cloud-based no-code platforms with code-friendly capabilities, all employees can leverage data to make better decisions, faster.  

About the author: Jay Henderson, the Senior Vice President of Product Management at Alteryx, has spent most of his 25+ year career as a product leader for companies that make software for analytics or marketing technology with a unique background of having spent long stretches focused on each of the three product disciplines – product management, product marketing, and product strategy. Jay formulates product strategy and connects it to the execution, allowing him to scale products, revenue and organizations.   

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