DEV Community: Shubhankar Sen

An Effective All-In-One No Code Cloud Service: Workmap.Ai

Shubhankar Sen — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 14:22:35 +0000

HyperOffice markets its WorkMap.ai as a portfolio offering and stand-alone brand. It is a cloud-hosted AI-enabled workflow automation and relational database management platform. It combines workflow with database integration tools through a spreadsheet-style interface designed so that multiple employees/stakeholders at small-to-medium businesses can access it.

Workmap.ai says it's a no-code data management and workflow automation tool with spreadsheet-like simplicity - is there any merit to this statement?
Let's find out!

Introduction

First off, Workmap is organized using 'apps.' These are the different applications you'll use to build and run your business. HyperOffice, a leader in cloud technology since 2004, is the creator of WorkMap. These apps will have different workflow tables, including their forms, reports, and automations. There are many useful pre-existing app templates in Workmap, and you can create a custom workflow by scratch. Workflow tables manage your data just like a spreadsheet with added benefits. Thus, we can say that Workmap is a toolbox that enables you to manage any information management or process requirement in your company and realize your ideas.

Features

It is easy to add new data, create relations between data, and add automation to manipulate data based on your needs. They also have features where you can link different workflows, add assignees and generate and send emails automatically and manually. Implementing these features in your workflows is fairly simple as they offer a series of automations you can easily create without coding. These automations are a great way to speed up and properly maintain processes with a workflow without learning SQL or other languages required to query a database. They can be triggered by new record creations, record updates, phase movements, or a date-time condition. Thus, creating automation functions in your workflow tables is pretty easy.

Workmap also lets you create forms to collect data from users, and you can embed these forms to any websites you need to collect data from. This section allows the creator to traverse seamlessly between simplicity and customizability. It gives you a lot of customization and design features while having a user-friendly interface allowing you to create your forms and edit them conveniently.

Workmap also has a reports section which we can use to create as many reports as we want to display. Creating a new report is quite simple, and you can edit the conditions you want to set while creating a new report and add fields that you want to be displayed. Reports can also be shared through links and embedded, just like forms.

According to what we've discovered, the Workmap is incredibly user-friendly, extremely easy to traverse, and does not require any coding knowledge to make the automations work.

Now moving on to the services provided by the company, there are unexpected downtimes with the servers. Still, they rarely last long enough to interrupt productivity severely.

The company executives at Workmap.ai seem very friendly and help you sort out any difficulties with the application and any service-related query/problem.
Customer feedback also helps to inform and inspire social media brand awareness campaigns. Flexible service responsiveness has proved a consistent source of delight for HyperOffice customers.

How do they compare with their competitors in the workflow automation sector?

When we compare Workmap with code-based automation and database systems such as MongoDB and MySQL (open source tools), any no-code service falls short because of the sheer possibilities that code-based automation offers. However, code-based automation comes at a high cost as companies would have to hire individuals with coding knowledge and experience, which won't be feasible for many companies.

This is where no-code automation thrives. The simplicity of a no-code automation system such as monday.com and Hive, which simultaneously can do many different tasks, is amazing. Workmap falls at par with its competitors. Compared to similar no-code workflow automation and database management tools such as monday.com, Hive, and ClickUp, they offer many more features. Here, Workmap may tend to fall behind. Still, the simplistic approach to automation and online database makes this application a better choice over Microsoft access and other platforms.

Pricing

As for the pricing, Workmap.ai offers a $15/user/month subscription, which is quite affordable and budget-friendly for nonprofits and small businesses to establish their websites, databases, and web flows.

Final Verdict

Workmap.ai is a user-friendly no-code automation platform, offering some amazing cloud-based services and database handling that improve automated working and reduce workloads with its intuitive tools and minimalistic approach. Although there are certain aspects where Workmap needs to up its game in avenues such as adding a few diverse features to make automation more engaging, it still stands out to be quite simple and easy to use. We recommend Workmap.ai as the best alternative to MS access for cloud management and automation tools.

Rating: 4.7/5
This cloud-based no code tool is the perfect choice to work with minimal effort and stress and is a great platform to explore your creativity with no-code tools. Thus, we give it a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

How No-code tools became a revolution during Covid-19 for NGOs

Shubhankar Sen — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 10:56:32 +0000

The Coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented situation in which most businesses are rethinking their methods and processes to survive. Several organizations, including NGOs and NPOs, have had to realign their business operations to meet new regulatory health standards while meeting the demands of their employees, customers, and suppliers.

With the global pandemic, most businesses are reconsidering their app development strategy. Businesses are more concerned with operating on tighter budgets. Businesses are under pressure to not only fix what is broken but also to develop new ways of doing things. No-code platforms are no exception, and businesses use them to improve interactions with their teams and customers.

Traditional software development and digitization projects heavily involving IT teams are not feasible in these circumstances. Hence, no-code tools become the best solution for quick work operation and easy management. Here, we shall discuss how no-code tools have benefited NGOs during the Covid-19 crisis.

Where do No-code tools help NGOs?

There are many aspects where no-code tools aid the functionality of an NGO. Following are the key points where one can see no-code tools working to reduce the stress of tedious tasks and management in such organizations:

Managing Forms: Web forms facilitate data collection. Instead of wasting your time (or the time of your employees) distributing and collecting physical forms, forward the link to a pre-made online form. All data collected via webforms can be automatically inserted into pre-built databases, saving you the time and effort of manually parsing them.

Reports and Analysis: Making sense of your data without a framework can be difficult and time-consuming. Fortunately, no-code tools provide powerful reporting features that allow you to simplify understanding the datasets. Large data sets are a piece of cake for AI-powered online tools. Passing the torch to no-code software rather than struggling with it yourself saves time and allows you to work on jobs for which you are adequately equipped.

Case Management: Automated systems allow NPOs to set up requests and fulfill grants to aid in cases such as keeping a tab on refugees and helping in housing, provision of food in particular sectors, or any aid during a crisis. This way case management becomes easier and user-friendly.

Donor and fund tracking: While back-office financial and accounting systems may be in place, connecting them to caseworker client files to analyze allows for and improves audits, billing/invoicing, and performance tracking. This way, the client and caseworker can have a smooth working system to keep donations and funds on track and at par with their needs. Donors can get the information they need to know that their funds are being spent wisely and that the non-profit's objective is fulfilled. Cloud management makes great use in keeping things under controlled and maintained set-up, reducing the chances of misplacing files or losing connections on tracking the expenditure and inflow.

How did No-code tools help NGOs during the Covid-19 crisis?

COVID disruption affects every industry. Recovery and regrowth will depend heavily on an organization's ability to accelerate transformation, embrace change, and respond quickly to unforeseen demands. Organizations of all sizes and shapes will need to quickly respond to change to sail through the crisis and emerge stronger on the other side.

Every NGO serves a specific purpose, which necessitates complete tracking and control of their cases while in an online mode. Through quick automation and case notes, cloud systems and tools such as Caseworthy, CaseFlow, and ECINS aim to reduce this administrative load so that you can focus on working on a solution. NGOs can expand their use of these tools by automating and filtering new cases, sending cases for approval, automating monitoring of caseworker status, follow-up reminders, scheduling meetings, and assessing prioritized cases through data overview.

No-code tools have replaced expensive, paper-based operations such as client support and billing with simplicity and automation in case management strategies, saving a significant amount of time and energy while enhancing the organization’s fundraising during the Covid-19 crisis. Aid Case management became easier and more productive using no-code tools to provide instant help and Covid-19 response hotlines for quick recovery. This includes vaccine drives, arrangement of isolation wards, bills, financial aid and insurances which many NGOs work to provide to the ones in need. No-code tools made it easier for NGOs to quickly connect volunteers to people in crisis via automated systems and chatbots and also assign them tasks via automated webflows and scheduling.

The complete lockdown across countries created a huge halt in the business sector, and a lot of people lost their jobs as well. This was a similar scenario to what NGOs faced during the lockdown as it was physically not possible to manage and schedule tasks so a switch to the work from home along with no-code tools and cloud-based management helped to overcome this issue.

Wrapping Up,

No-code has the advantage of enabling rapid delivery of new apps and features, which has become critical throughout the pandemic. It also lowers the barrier to digital innovation; for example, a citizen developer culture could enable a clinic administrator to quickly assemble new patient engagement models. With no-code devices and cloud systems, data loss has been reduced profoundly and aided NGOS and NPOS in implementing a better working space for their team and volunteers even during an uncalled crisis or a pandemic.

No code automation tools and their use in Non-profitable organizations

Shubhankar Sen — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 10:53:58 +0000

In the working world, people want faster replies and better management when delivering their products to the general public, whether heavy coding for software or setting up a website for their small enterprises.

Most major companies have their website developers and software management systems for easy working, but when it comes to non-profitable organizations, such tasks become one hell of a job. Hence, with the no-code automation movement taking over technical improvisation, nonprofits find these tools to be reliable helpers.

This article will discuss how nonprofit organizations can benefit from no-code automation and where such tools come in handy.

What is a no-code framework?

No-code tools use a straightforward method of drag and drop interface, thus removing the need to code extensively using program languages. No-code automation platforms aim to reduce the extensive workload on workers who do not engage in programming and benefit such populations as marketing employees, HRs, managers, etc.

Such technologies have paved the way for change in the digital world, allowing many firms and organizations to overcome software and program development challenges to their benefit.

Challenges for Nonprofit Organizations

Although most of the population views the working of non-profitable organizations as smooth and easy, the backlog comes with issues regarding information management and process challenges.

Some common challenges faced by NPOs are discussed below:

Maintenance and management of shareholders and donors.
Supervision and management of volunteers and workers.
Lack of tracking system for incoming donations and working of volunteers.
Lack of working on a common platform.
Technical analysis of fundraisers and maintenance of statistical records.

What can be automated via No-code automation?

Relating the topic to how NPOs work, a load of work is involved in operating an NPO, mainly maintaining paperwork, funds, and volunteers. It is not as simple as it sounds and may be overly tedious to do manually.

NPOs can automate various areas via no-code automation. Some are mentioned as follows:

**Volunteer management: **Automating tasks and assignments help communicate importantly with volunteers, track their progress and hourly work, create profiles and shifts, and segregate volunteers based on their studies and skills.

Case management: Automated systems allow NPOs to set up requests and fulfill grants to aid in cases such as keeping a tab on refugees and helping in housing, provision of food in particular sectors, or any aid during a crisis.

Web forms automation: With no-code automation systems, NPOs can easily streamline their web forms and speed up documentation processes along with response collection and segregation.

These database handlings and management can be efficiently conducted using no-code tools like Workmap.ai, Bubble, Community Carelink, etc.

Why do Non-profitable organizations require case management?

It's important to remember that today's organizations must work faster. Although caseloads have increased, the processes and methodologies have remained the same. This means relying on old-fashioned, inefficient tools to handle even more clients, resulting in inefficient workload and management. Some circumstances have become complex and challenging to manage due to the epidemic and the necessity to engage with new or amended government help programs. As a result, there is more waste and a greater chance of significant operational failures.

As donations are the backbone of every nonprofit, they must show that funds are used wisely and efficiently to achieve the best objectives. NPOs must send such reports to sponsors; maintaining such large files becomes humanely tedious and challenging to manage. Here, no-code tools and case management systems work as the best solutions ranging from project management, aid case management, emergency case management, and homeless management systems.

Types of Case Management:

Protection case management
Protection case management sectors in NGOs such as UNHCR and IRC aim to provide support and solutions to persons who are subjected to violations of their human rights and social rights by assisting them in finding a suitable solution. Cloud-based systems and no-code tools offer a wide range of time-saving procedures that can be accessible at any time and location, lowering the cost of maintaining data and files across the country or worldwide.

NGO case management
Cloud systems and tools like Caseworthy, CaseFlow, and ECINS aim to reduce this administrative load to focus on working on a solution via quick automation and case notes. NGOs can further put these tools to use by automating and filtering new cases, sending cases for approval, monitoring caseworkers' status, follow-up reminders, scheduling meetings, and assessing prioritized cases via data overview.
Emergency intervention management
Crisis intervention is a short-term management method aimed at minimizing the long-term effects of a problem on an individual. No-code automation significantly reduces the stress of wrapping up the cases with the best solution in a limited time. Excellent case management applications for crisis intervention include FAMcare, FHASES, and VSTracking.

Humanitarian case management
Humanitarian protection aims to provide aid to people via international laws who have been victims of humanitarian crises such as wars, famines, and emergencies. With tools like Workmap, Exponent Case Management, and Intalio, such NGOs can work with location intelligence to record regional trends and affected areas where refugees require aid, keep a record of funds and donors, and work with document management tools with a user-friendly interface.

NGO project management
Cloud case management applications like QuickBase, Workflow, and Charitytracker not only helps you to keep things organized but also allows users to automate their tasks and keep deadlines for each worker to get their work done seamlessly. With no-code tools, you can have a complete overview of your team, divide tasks and automate them to tick as they are done, thus reducing manual labor and time consumption.

Aid information case management
No-code automation tools benefit from reducing the need for manual work through easy form automation, documentation, and managing patients and victims in need of aid. In such a set-up, no-code tools are helpful in patient-doctor schedules and automated prescriptions for quicker responses. Few valuable tools for such NGOs are Workmap, Community Carelink, and Noteable.

Homeless management information system
The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a database that collects information about homeless people in the United States in a secure manner. Homeless help providers use web-based software to coordinate treatment, manage operations, and better serve their clients. These methods have shown to be quite helpful in tracking and maintaining records of people in distress for nonprofit groups.

How do no-code tools help with case management in NPOs?

In the case of management techniques, no-code systems have replaced expensive, paper-based activities like client service and billing with simplicity and automation, saving time and energy while improving the organization's fundraising.

No-code tools allow users to tailor their cases based on who should operate and access information, resulting in a safer environment for nonprofits. With no-code tools like Workmap and Kissflow, you can swiftly combine cases and workflows using technologies like custom connectors, APIs, and software integrations. Case administration becomes more natural, efficient, and rapid due to this ease of use.

Conclusion

No-code tools have transformed how NGOs and nonprofits operate, allowing for a stream of new ideas and innovations.

Nonprofit companies can benefit significantly from tools and platforms like Access and Workmap regarding data and document optimization and tracking. Such tools and automation are a blessing for technological developments.