Secrets of Going Codeless How to Build Enterprise Apps without Coding

Building applications without code still requires methods and skills. In this article I describe

the methods that Encanvas has used for well over a decade to successfully deliver situational

applications developments.

Ian Tomlin 17 May 2014

The article ‘Why Your IT Project May Be Riskier Than You Think’ by HBR (November 2011), that followed

a survey of 1,471 IT projects with an average spend of $167m, found that the average overrun was 27%,

one in six of the projects studied was a black swan, with a cost overrun of 200%. And almost 70% of

black swan projects also overrun their schedules. Small wonder then why codeless software is so

appealing to businesses. Removing the code removes the re-working, the testing, the tuning – all those

big IT project teams and expert skills. Wow.

With codeless software, the programming gets removed by using point-and-click interfaces and

parameterized selections together with ready-made building blocks that work similar to Lego® bricks.

Each design element adopts the same approach to properties and configuration choices. Just like Lego®

bricks shaped to perform different tasks, codeless design blocks can be linked together with data, with

applications logic, they can share look-and-feel settings, security settings and other stuff.

Encanvas is one of those applications that does things that you wouldn’t think could be done without a

tour bus brimming with techie heads and a few million dollars of IT software. What makes it more

surprising though is that the apps created by Encanvas since 2003 – dashboard and business intelligence

apps, spreadsheet replacement apps, CRM, project management, learning management, research

portals, quality assurance and compliance apps, performance management systems, regional transport

systems…! – have all been produced with one analyst/author.

Okay… so software that lets you build things without code, a single author…got it! That’s it right? Well

not quite. Even with good tools and people there still needs to be sound process.

Computer Aided Applications Development (CAAD) describes a rapid method of designing and deploying

situational applications for workgroups and teams.

It’s computer-aided because applications are authored using a platform that provides pre-formed building

blocks of technology, negating the need for the majority of programming, testing and re-working associated

with former methods of software authoring.

CAAD differs from previous systems and methods - such as Rapid Applications Development (RAD) and Agile

because it uniquely morphs the role of project manager, business analyst and developer into a single role

competency. This is made possible by employing this new genre of apps design and deployment tooling that

de-skills the programming task. It does not completely remove the need for skills through!

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

CAAD embeds IT transformation into the change process and subsumes the role of programming in the

development of business applications in support of organizational process change. It not only makes

applications ‘better-fit’ to the community of users and beneficiaries they’re intended for, but reduces the

time, cost and risk of applications developments.

How it Works

The CAAD methodology supports the entire application life-cycle. It comprises of four phases:

Phase 1 – Plan

Prior to any programming activity, a series of analyst activities are performed to determine the role, strategic

value and attributes of the intended application.

Phase 2 – Develop

This is the phase where the application is created, published, user tested and iterated.

Phase 3 – Release

This is the phase where the application is formally released.

Phase 4 – Review

This is the phase where the application is revisited and its worth is re-qualified. The nature of situational

applications (in terms of role purpose and economics) is that after a time it may be better to absorb or throw

away applications that have achieved their value.

Stages

Each CAAD phase is further broken down into stages. These are presented in an illustrative form below but

are described in more detail later in this document.

There are usually ‘system and platform’ activities that need to happen prior to the commencement of CAAD

developments. When starting from ‘ground zero’ the full process run-through looks like this:

How it works

1. A new workspace is created.

2. (Plan Phase) A business analyst/designer interviews prospective Users and Stakeholders and defines

the scope of the application, strategic value and defines the attributes of the workspace (screen

constructs, data sources, users and user groups), requirements for records, processes, reports and

meta-tables.

3. The business analyst/designer authors a prototype ‘canvas’.

4. (Develop Phase) The business analyst/designer and stakeholders meet in a workshop and they walk

through the canvas design, iterate the application. Once satisfied with the outcome the application

is published.

5. Users test the application and feedback change requests to the business analyst. Changes are made

remotely to the web-site.

6. (Release Phase) Once the iterations have been completed, the application is signed off for general

release.

7. (Review Phase) Once released, any change requests or technical bugs are logged against the

application and, following analysis, recommendations for improvement may be made.

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

The Key Role of Site Constructs

One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in applications development is the knowledge and

vocabulary gap that exists between IT professionals and Users. This is usually a two-way problem given that

applications Users and beneficiaries have a deeper understanding of the role, purpose, context and

environment for which the application is intended (and may have their own lexicon of knowledge on these

subjects) whereas IT professionals have knowledge of ‘what IT can do’, how IT works, how data, processes

and logic rules need to be organized in order to work effectively, and of course they understand the language

of programming – all of which is scary and alien to Users!

The tooling used for CAAD overcomes these obstacles in part by removing the need for Users and

beneficiaries to see programming code. Instead they visualize the building blocks in a near-WYWIWYG form.

Even logic rules and links are transformed into visual indicators that non-IT people can understand. Then

applications are quickly progressed to a published stage (this is a near instant act) which means Users and

beneficiaries can see the end-result as it is being manufactured. Another way that the CAAD methodology

overcomes this knowledge and vocabulary gap is to create ‘structures’ that non-technical people can grasp.

One example of this is the use of Site Constructs.

A Site Construct is a pre-defined User Interface configuration that performs a specific function in the end

application. On the following pages we describe the constructs of a typical Encanvas application. Rarely do

applications include all of the components described here. Depending on the complexity and number of

‘jobs’ performed, the role of constructs will often merge or may sometimes not be required. So far there are

14 site constructs that are regularly used in applications design using the CAAD methodology – but this

number is growing over time. These are listed below.

1. Start Wizard

2. Keynote

3. Landing

4. Highlights

5. Work Page

6. Data Entry (standard)

7. Data Entry (wizard)

8. Assembly (side-bar)

9. Assembly (top-down)

10. Library

11. Views, Previews and Maps

12. Reports

13. Users

14. Share

15. Export

16. Meta-data

Over the following pages I describe the CAAD Methodology in detail.

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

PHASE 1.

PLAN

1. Purpose and Job Worth (Analysis)

Purpose

The purpose of this stage is to understand the reasons why an application development is being considered

and to qualify whether it is really necessary. It’s also to qualify the function of the application and what it

‘needs to do’.

About ODI

Outcome driven Innovation (ODI) is an innovation process developed by Anthony Ulwick and described in his

book ‘What Customers Want: Using Outcome-Driven Innovation’ later popularized by Clayton M.

Christensen, Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. It is built around the belief

that people hire products and services to get a job done.

Applying ODI to Apps Design

Needs are Constant, Solutions Vary

A job statement describes what needs to be done:

Job statements should not describe mechanisms or platforms (e.g. “cutting” the grass, “brushing”

teeth).

nd a Contextual qualifier (ODI

method) such as “Teach the reading of English language text”

Jobs are distinct from products or a solution. It pays to qualify what the job is before trying to find

a way to do it better (i.e. keep the need separate from the product or solution).

Method

An interviewer will analyze the jobs done by role holders. Then he/she will seek to discover how the

job can be done better for each role.

For any activity there may be several role types and it therefore becomes necessary to interview a

number of people performing each role to ask them:

What jobs do they do?

What activities take time to do, or inhibit the job from being done well? (i.e. posing questions that

expose where a sub-optimal activity exists?

What inhibitors and constraints prevent them from accomplishing the job as well as it can be done?

(i.e. exposing what customers thing is the cause of the constraint and qualifying how it could be

improved by doing things better or differently).

Tools

Capturing insights on roles, jobs and constraints benefits from a simple framework in the form of a

spreadsheet or database application. For each job stage, the data captured should include:

User Roles

Capabilities (jobs that need doing)

Job Outcomes Statements (how the outcome of the job is measured – such as to “maximize or

minimize ‘object’ by ‘value’ + context”)

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

Constraints (what prevents the job being done better)

Corrective Importance (the value of doing the job better to the role)

Life-cycle Management

Encanvas Casebook™ is a software application that provides an online tool-set for creating a Job Card and

Job Definition for a workshop project. It establishes a simple project process where milestones can be

assigned and responsibilities allocated. This builds a record of project actions and contributions to ensure

appropriate governance. The structure of the Casebook builds a complete picture of requirements and the

desired outcome. This knowledge of project activities builds as a casebook for future review and scrutiny so

learning lessons can be captured.

Outputs

The focus of ODI interviews is to produce a job definition – a factual account of the job – not how the

customer does it, what tools and platforms they use to achieve it or what they think about the state of the

industry!

The output of this stage is an article that qualifies the job and its attributes of:

User Roles

Job Stages

Job Outcomes

Job Constraints

Corrective Importance

Summary

To qualify the purpose of an application (ODI) methods are employed. ODI principles pre-suppose that

applications are employed to get a job done better.

The key questions therefore are:

What are the roles?

What are the jobs?

What constraints exist that prevent the job being done better (i.e. What takes the time?)

How important is it to overcome the constraint(s)?

2. Strategic Advantage (Analysis)

Purpose

There are many ways organizations can improve their business processes and systems to work more

profitably. The key question becomes ‘Why this and why now? The purpose of this stage is to place a

strategic value on a software development exercise.

About Value Innovation

Method

The ‘value of innovation’ is quantified by establishing the impacts of change on targeted customer and

stakeholder actions. Key attributes should be qualified in terms of how they eliminate and reduce costs or

raise and create value. Each attribute should be assigned a weighted value of importance (normally a mark

out of 10 where 1 is low and 10 is high). These values can then be debated with stakeholders and customers

to assign an Innovation Value.

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

Outputs

Innovation Value can be presented in the form of a strategy canvas as illustrated below that shows how an

application beats its competition (i.e. the previous method employed to complete the process).

3. Applications Attributes (Analysis)

Purpose

Preparing a prototype design not only requires a fundamental understanding of the job that people are hiring

the intended application to perform, and the roles that contribute to that job, it also requires a more

fundamental picture of:

Records

Processes

Reports

Settings and data access requirements

The purpose of RPRS Analysis is to document the attributes of an application so that a prototype design can

be easily determined.

Method

Like ODI, the insights required for RPRS are captured through interviews with application stakeholders and

by benchmarking existing applications (or competitive applications). In order to complete the case-file

application design definition, business analysts/designers will need to qualify:

What key content entities exist that will require support in the form of a record or sub-record?

What processes does each user role fulfil (this should come from ODI)?

What reports does each user role require from the application – and in what format/delivery

mechanism?

What related data is needed to populate referencing tables/meta-tables/drop-downs?

Outputs

Outputs are presented in a case-file (or a spreadsheet when Encanvas CaseBook™ is not used).

From these insights a prototype can be formed so that Workshop discussions can be framed around

‘something’ rather than working from a blank canvas.

Creating a Prototype/Design Concept

It’s normal for workshops to be pre-empted by the development of a straw-man prototype. This is to avoid

contributors starting their workshop looking at a blank canvas! The information gained through the job

definition and discovery phase forms the basis of the prototype design. This can then be iterated in the

workshop phase working collegiately with stakeholders. There is no pressure for the prototype to be

‘perfect’ from the outset because the activity of iteration engages stakeholders more into thinking about

‘what will work’.

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

PHASE 2.

DEVELOP

4. Workshop Iteration

Purpose

The purpose of a Design Workshop is to create an application from the insights gathered during the planning

phase, and with the active participation of application Users and Stakeholders

Using tools like Encanvas, Users and Stakeholders can be fully engaged during a workshop while the

application being developed takes shape. The absence of ‘code’ from the design environment and the use

of placeholders for design elements and data/logic links makes it easy for Workshop participants to envision

the end solution. One click publishing means the outputs of the workshop are visible and can be reviewed

as a ‘live system’.

Method

The scope, value and attributes of the application is pre-agreed from the outputs of the Planning Phase. A

prototype is normally produced prior to the Workshop to provide a starting point for debate and review. The

Workshop is led by an analyst/designer who performs the ‘building’ activities. Each canvas is presented to

the participants who discuss the suitability of the design and provide feedback. The analyst/designer iterates

the application design until all feedback has been adopted or acknowledged as not being appropriate. Once

all changes have been made the product is released for User Testing. If a large amount of changes are

needed, a follow-up workshop may be scheduled.

The Design Workshop

A workshop involves an analyst/designer and various stakeholders and contributors. Workshops take the

form of a design forum where the initial prototype is debated by participants and changes are made

iteratively to the design. Some of the changes will be made immediately. Where the design needs

considerable iteration, it’s not uncommon for the workshop to be halted and re-convened once the bulk of

change requests have been applied. A project manager may attend to capture the change requests and

ensure the application is progressing towards its ideal design (consistent to the Casebook outcome

definition).

Publishing the Application

The outcome of the workshop phase is an application that stakeholders believe will meet the required need.

Once an agreement is reached by the project team that the solution is fit for purpose ‘in principle’ it is made

available as a published application for User Acceptance Testing (UAT). There is no significant transition

between the pilot phase and the UAT phase given that the Encanvas platform removes any need for platform

installation, design iteration, testing or performance tuning. There may nevertheless be activities such as

the authoring of help notes and documentation (and the assignment of permissions, data structures etc.)

that can delay UAT by hours and sometimes days.

User Testing

The nature of UAT testing for a situational application is one of further iteration that extends ‘design’ into a

quasi-operational or alpha-test mode. Requests for change by Users are formalized (by using tools such as

Encanvas Casebook™). All User requests are logged and assigned to a business analyst.

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

Documenting the Application

Most applications require some form of documentation and instructions of use. Documentation may simply

to catalogue the existence of the application and its compliance with information security policies. It may

also include terms of use and detailed instructions to Users on what the application is for and how to use the

features of the application. Increasingly, User guidance is presented on-screen and in the form of help videos

which are easier for Users to learn.

Making Enhancements

Each change request received through UAT is reviewed and must be accepted for adoption by the project

manager and business analyst prior to work being commenced. This prevents unnecessary work being

adopted before appropriate levels of sponsorship have been gained.

Outputs

The Output of this stage is a completed application that is ready for User Testing.

5. Publish

Purpose and Output

The publishing process using Encanvas is painless because it is a ‘one-click’ activity.

Publishing an application does not mean that an application is released!

Applications may undergo several rounds of User Testing and Iteration before being signed off for general

release. Published applications may still lack documentation and help notes etc. that will be created as Users

become satisfied with a version of the application.

6. Iterate & User Test

Purpose

The purpose of User Testing is to ensure the applications performs as it should in operating including:

Successful delivery of outcomes

Usability

Ease of learning/on-boarding for new Users

Integrity of data model/environment and data connections

Effectiveness of reporting tools

Ability of technical staff to support the application

Applications may go through several cycles of User Iteration before they are judged to be suitable for release.

Fortunately, using platforms like Encanvas, the cost of iteration is extremely low.

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

PHASE 3.

RELEASE

7. Release

Purpose and Output

Applications are made available for GR once the Designer/Project Manager is satisfied that:

Desired outcomes identified in the Planning Phase have been met in full.

Change requests identified in the Development Phase have been completed and no further change

requests are being received and the stakeholders believe the application has reached a point where

it is as good as it’s ever going to get.

The application is appropriately documented and can be realistically supported by IT helpdesk staff.

The output of this phase is a released application.

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

PHASE 4.

REVIEW

8. Monitor/Report

Providing Day-to-Day User Support

Even after General Release, Users will often make change requests for the applications they use. How these

are actioned and delivered will vary according to the design of the improvement and IT functions within an

organization. Ordinarily, business analysts will be appointed to support specific processes or parts of a

business and will retain responsibility for supporting applications in their allocated support areas.

Tools

Encanvas makes it easier to iterate applications during their life as the user organization retains complete

control over the application and how it is used within their business. The economics of the platform mean

that organizations are not penalized for making changes to their applications as needs change. Neither are

they required to pay version upgrade costs. Day-to-day support of applications is made easier by

administrators having access to all deployed applications from a single cockpit (Example: Encanvas Web

Server Manager™). The use of a single platform removes many of the complexities of the deployed

environment. It also de-skills the support task so that one person can support applications in their totality

rather than having multiple support experts managing discrete parts of an application.

The ability to respond to support requests faster is aided by Encanvas Version-Rollback™ (VR) technology

that ensures deployed applications and the Encanvas platform will always remain on a consistent version.

This obviates the need to load a previous platform version before correcting a bug or application discrepancy.

9. Analyse

Purpose and Output

Business processes and released applications should undergo continuous analysis and review for their

effectiveness and suitability. It is the nature of business that nothing stays the same for long and so a review

cycle is necessary (and built into tools like Encanvas Casebook). The purpose of the analysis stage is to

identify which processes or applications could be improved through iteration or new development. Analysis

data can be aggregated using an application like Encanvas Casebook or a spreadsheet.

10. Recommend

Recommending Changes to Apps

The purpose of this stage is to make recommendations to improve applications as the result of analysis

conducted on current and future systems requirements. Recommendations are logged using an application

like Encanvas Casebook™ or a spreadsheet.

Recommending New Apps

The CAAD process encourages the development of new situational applications as needs arise. This reduces

the use of shadow data and shadow systems (self-served applications normally developed by Users using

SaaS tools or desktop applications like Microsoft® Excel, PowerPoint, Word or Access). Shadow systems are

Secrets of Going Codeless, Ian Tomlin

not only a risk to the business, because of the risk of data loss and non-compliance through errors in

spreadsheets (etc.), but also prohibit the effective re-use of corporate information assets.

In Summary

The methods described here have not been applied religiously to all projects. The scope of applications, their

use cases and the needs of the customer have always come first. Nevertheless, project experiences have

demonstrated that certain things have to happen for situational applications to work irrespective of the tools

and methods employed:

1. It pays to have a plan before entering the room with a group of people and the idea of building an

application.

2. Formalizing application attributes such as data management requirements, user groups, workflows and

outcomes is really important before adding the complexity of debating needs with colleagues, users,

stakeholders! This is so much easier once preparatory work has been done.

3. Engaging with users and stakeholders to produce applications that just work is always the best fun! No

question, iterating applications without the need for back-room coding to get in the way produces better fit

apps that users want to use.

4. The WAY you evolve applications with codeless software has to be different. I guess our secret lies in

following the ‘what happens next’ for each user role and make sure every detail is taken care of. Our

thoughts are always to help to ‘get the job done better’. Outcome Driven Design teaches you that.

For programmers this isn’t the end of the world; there are lots of things that coders can do that nobody else

could – but when it comes to building software applications for business affordably, faster, better, with lower

onward support costs, you simply can’t beat an analyst with great tools and a team of users and stakeholders

around a table to communicate what matters most to them.

Ian.