mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

Join us in exploring the world of modern development, evolving technologies, and the art of future-proof software

Author name: Joe Stangarone

Joe Stangarone is a 40+ year veteran of the IT industry and president of mrc—the software company behind the award winning development platform, m-Power. Joe shares his leadership and technology insights through the Cup of Joe Blog, focusing primarily on ways businesses can save time, money, and increase productivity using technology.

Busting the biggest low-code myth

Today, I’ll bust one of the most common myths about low-code software: The idea that low-code means low customization. 

I see this myth repeated across most low-code articles these days. The articles claim that low-code software improves development speed (which is true) at the expense of customization and flexibility. 

To be fair, some low-code tools DO have this drawback. But, all low-code tools are different. Some create websites. Some create basic web applications. Others are built for enterprise applications. Some offer customization. Others do not. 

Placing all low-code tools in one big category is like saying that cars, bikes, and rollerskates are equal because they’re all ‘modes of transportation.’ While true, they’re very different things. The same is true for low-code tools.

The reality: Some enterprise-level tools offer unlimited customization–even down to the code level. When you get into the enterprise-level low-code tools, you’ll find that customization is critically important. Why? Here are a few reasons. The amount of customization available in the tool determines:

  • How well the tool fits your business needs
  • The amount of limitations you run into over time
  • Whether or not you get locked into the tool

What customization features should any enterprise low-code platform provide? We created a video on this topic that covers 6 different customization features to look for, and explains why each is important. You can find it here:

Want to learn more, or see a customizable low-code platform in action? Set up a demo here: m-Power demo.

What are the most common low-code use cases?

Low-code development usage is growing fast. According to Gartner, the low-code market will grow 20% this year. They expect it to grow even more next year.

But, you’ve probably heard these stats a thousand times. The low-code market has grown steadily for years. No one will argue that point.

The bigger (and more important) questions: We know that adoption is on the rise, but…how are these businesses using low-code? What are the practical use cases? What can you build with low-code? 

How to Choose the Best Low-Code Development Tool for Your Business

EducationLow-code development has taken the tech world by storm. According to Gartner, the low-code market will grow from $18 Billion in 2021 to $32 Billion by 2024. It’s picking up steam and shows no signs of slowing down.

The problem: As demand grows, so does the total number of platforms on the market. Anyone looking around for a low-code tool will find hundreds to choose from.

The worst part is, they’re all different. They all have different capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Some focus on mobile while others focus on workflow. Some offer reporting/dashboarding features while others don’t. I could go on.

How do you know which one is best for your business?

The answer: It depends on your business, needs, budget, etc… To help you cut through the confusion, we’ve written up whitepaper that goes into more detail on the topic. It explains key areas to consider when looking for a low-code tool, and will hopefully make the process less painful. You can find it here: How to Choose the Best Low-Code Platform for Your Business

Video: Create a database CRUD application in 5 minutes

analyticsWe just released a new video that shows you how to create a database CRUD application in 5 minutes using a low-code development tool. If you’re not familiar with CRUD, it stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete, and it’s a fundamental concept in database management.

A CRUD application lets you perform these four basic operations on a database table. I know…this might not sound very exciting. But CRUD applications are the backbone of most modern software applications.

Case Study: How to get the most out of low-code

When most companies look at low-code software, they’re trying to fix a specific need. Maybe they get it to create a specific web application or system, speed up development, or help their end users create the applications they need. Of course, it’s great for all of that. But…it can be so much more.

The fact is, most companies aren’t getting the maximum value out of their low-code investment. If you’re only using it to solve one problem or help in just one area of the business, you’re missing out.

Thanksgiving Day Football: Fun Facts, Stats, and Web Apps!

In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we decided to celebrate in true m-Power fashion: We made a data-driven web application! Better yet, it’s all about Thanksgiving Football! We grabbed all the Thanksgiving Football Game statistics we could find and put them in a database. Then, we created a few handy web applications that answer questions like:

  • What is my team’s record on Thanksgiving Day?
  • Which teams have made the most appearances on Thanksgiving day?
  • Who won last year (or any year, for that matter)?

Sounds exciting, right? You can find it here: Thanksgiving Football Statistics.

Bonus!

While we were building the applications, we ran across some great facts about the Thanksgiving Day football games. So, we’ve pulled some of the more interesting “fun facts” and listed them below. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Football Fun Facts

  • The Detroit Lions(82 appearances) and Dallas Cowboys(54 appearances) have appeared in Thanksgiving Games most frequently, but…have never played each other.
  • The Lions and the Cowboys have only ever played home games on Thanksgiving (which explains the first fact).
  • Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson holds the NFL record for most rushing yards (273) in a Thanksgiving game.
  • Reggie White won John Madden’s first-ever “Turkey Leg” award, which was given to the MVP of the Thanksgiving game starting in 1989.
  • The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only current team who have never played on Thanksgiving Day.
  • The only current teams who are winless on Thanksgiving are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Jacksonville Jaguars (because they haven’t played)
  • The Detroit Lions have the most Thanksgiving day wins (37), as well as the most Thanksgiving day losses (43).
  • The Brooklyn Dodgers are in the top 10 teams with the most Thanksgiving Day appearances…despite having folded in 1945.

Finally, from all of us here at mrc, we wish you safe travels and a very happy Thanksgiving!

5 (unique) ways to improve business productivity with technology

trendsIn this article, we’ll explore actionable ways that your business can improve productivity. Since this is such a broad topic, I’m focusing only on improving productivity through the use of technology.

In the spirit of productivity, I don’t want to hide these tips behind a long intro. Rather, let’s get straight to the point with a couple of notes before we dive in.

Case Study: Low-code doesn’t mean low customization

developmentThere are many myths floating around about low-code software. One of the most common myths: Low-code means low customization. There’s a general belief that low-code tools offer limited customization and functionality. Many believe there’s no way to add features or customize the output to perfectly fit their organization’s needs.

The reality: Every low-code platform is different, especially when it comes to customization. The problem is, when people use a basic low-code tool that limits their options, they assume that all low-code tools are similar. This isn’t the case.

The fact is, many enterprise-class low-code tools won’t have these limitations. You can customize applications however you wish. You can add custom logic or features if needed. You can even edit at the code level on some tools.

Here’s a case study that provides a great example of this. An automotive service company needed a way to create web applications and workflows that could be:

  • customized to their exact business needs
  • integrated with their existing systems
  • used to securely capture, share, and manage data across distributed locations
  • created and delivered quickly

After trying other low-code tools that lacked important features and customization options, they discovered the m-Power Development Platform. Read the whole case study to learn how m-Power addressed their needs and why they say, “m-Power owns the space on customization in terms of how well it integrates into what you’re doing and how easy you make it.”