When it comes to running a successful business, the internal processes you have in place might not spring to mind as your biggest priority. But getting this right can supercharge how your business functions.

Many business owners are so focused on things outside of the business, they forget to optimise stuff on the inside. Things like building a customer base and that all-important bottom line are clearly a priority, but it’s important to remember that none of that would be possible without a solid foundation of internal processes. These processes run the gamut from user management, workflow tracking, customer contact logs, and anything else your business might need. They’re as unique as your business.  

With this deep-dive guide, we’ll explore 5 different no-code platforms you can use to transform your internal systems.

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What makes no-code tools such a good fit for these internal processes? 

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• Drag-and-drop design with rapid deployment to production means your business can stay agile and responsive to change. No need to liaise with developers or take days to make changes — just a few clicks and your workflow is optimised.
  

• Seamless integration with other apps makes growth simple. Rather than needing to brief, spec, and develop new features, you can simply find a no-code solution and plug it into your existing stack. Simple!
  

• Save time and money by avoiding the ever-growing costs of managing a third-party development team. Out-of-the-box solutions combined with low monthly subscriptions make it easy to manage and forecast the cost of your internal systems. 

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5 no-code tools to improve your internal processes.

1. Internal

While some of the tools we’ll be looking at have very specific use-cases, let’s begin with something a little more holistic. 

Internal, also known as Internal Enterprise, is a no-code business solutions development platform which allows businesses to build internal tools without engineers or developers. The possibilities for creating your internal admin system are almost endless: property listings, stock inventory, employee rotas, approval queues — you name it. 

If you have existing data housed across multiple databases, Internal can handle it effortlessly, even if you’re unfamiliar with coding or SQL database operations. You simply plug your data into Internal and it instantly generates a customisable web app which allows you to manipulate that data in many ways. 

Here are the best reasons to give Internal a shot as your internal systems no-code platform of choice:

• The ultimate no-code admin console. If, like most businesses, your client-facing operations use multiple platforms producing tons of data, it can be a pain to manage so many back-ends. Internal can be a single back-end admin console to rule them all.
  

• Drag-and-drop simplicity. With no coding or design experience, you can use the Internal visual editor to build workflows which are best suited to your business and its data.
  

• Connects to APIs and third-party apps. No matter where your data lives or who is hosting it, Internal can turn it into something powerful without having to log in to other platforms. 

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2. Processica

There’s no question about it: the future of business is automation. This is just as true for internal operations as for external, and it’s here that Processica enters the spotlight. 

A no-code platform designed to automate communication-based workflows, you might think of Processica as a telephone operator of sorts. The platform manages:

• Email distribution
• Bulk SMS messaging
• CRM systems
• Directory services

Processica helps by eliminating the need for manual communications with instant reminders and notifications about workflow next-steps. 

Here’s why you should consider Processica for streamlining your company’s efficiency:

• Simple workflow creation with visual design tools. Processica lets you build steps and triggers into your workflows so you can easily visualise what your internal processes look like.
  

• Optimised for Microsoft users. Processica is built to work with Office 365, Azure, Microsoft Teams, and PowerApps, so you can hit the ground running with your existing infrastructure.
  

• Built for any use case. Whether you are escalating customer tickets, managing shift rosters, or notifying an entire team about important changes automatically, Processica can make it happen. 

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3. Stacker

Spreadsheets have always been a key tool for businesses, but they’re not always the most scalable way of doing things. 

Enter, Stacker. Stacker is a no-code app built to transform the data held in your Airtable or Google Sheets tables into fully functional web apps. If your team often finds itself bogged down by the user interface of Google Sheets, or you’re having problems with user permissions and access, Stacker solves it all seamlessly. 

Whether you’re using Airtable and Google Sheets to manage customer profiles, monitor your sales process, or create an approval workflow, you can make it all beautiful with Stacker.

Here’s why we recommend it:

• No-code app design redefined. Stacker exemplifies what’s possible with no-code by leveraging existing apps (Airtable and Google Sheets) and using them as data sources for entirely customisable platforms.
  

• Effortlessly beautiful design. There’s no need to work with data engineers or front-end developers, because Stacker takes care of all of it for you. All you have to do is drag and drop.
  

• Mobile or desktop, create it in moments. By simply plugging in your Airtable or Google Sheets, Stacker will instantly create an app which your internal teams (or even customers) can access via mobile or desktop browser. 

‍Full disclosure: NoCode.Tech was bought by Stacker in early 2022. Our editorial independence means that we review Stacker completely impartially – as we do every other tool in the no-code space.‍

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4. Retool

When it comes to internal tools, the database is usually king. After all, databases are where all of your internal data lives — it just makes sense. But when it comes to making changes to or asking questions of your data, things can get a little more technical. For non-technical internal users, this can be a hurdle. 

Retool is the perfect solution to this dilemma. 

Retool instantly integrates with your existing database(s) and enables advanced tools to help you build useful internal tools quickly and visually. It works by breaking down your internal tools into building blocks, like tables, lists, charts, and so on. From there, you can drag and drop the blocks you need to provide the data your team needs. 

Here’s why Retool is worth a look:

• Connect to any data source. Retool integrates with almost any database or API, meaning you can bring in data from anywhere and access it all in Retool. No runaround, just efficiency.
  

• Low-code accessibility for developers. Retool is as complex as you want it to be. It’ll work as a drag-and-drop editor out of the box, but it also allows developers to write custom code and use it in Retool.
  

• Secure permission is built in. With lots of data comes a need for solid security, and Retool has you covered. It’s simple to create access permissions for users so that “for your eyes only” data stays that way. 

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5. Glide

Here’s an example of a no-code app which we had to mention because it’s the perfect example of the no-code ethos in action. Glide is a fast, simple way to turn a Google Sheets spreadsheet into a fully functional app in less than five minutes. Big words, we know, but that’s why it’s such a great example of no-code. 

Users can simply log in to their Google account, import the relevant sheet, then use the visual editor to adjust the look of their app. From there, it’s all about tweaking workflows and functionality based on the data in the source sheet. 

Need more reasons to try Glide? Here you go:

• Seamless syncing with Google Sheets. With Glide, your Google Sheet is your database. That means any changes made to the sheet are instantly reflected in the app.
  

• Fully featured app design. You can use the visual editor to add maps, images, text fields, and even file uploaders.
  

• Endless internal use cases. With a Google Sheet as your database, you can create employee directories, job application trackers, task approval workflows, asset management tools, and more. 

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