Whilst not everyone would claim to be a creative, creativity itself is unique to humans, being dependent both on our capacity to dream or imagine a future different to the present, coupled with the analytical or logical skills to turn that vision into reality.
Being educated before computer programming became mainstream, I have often envied software developers for their ability to create entire new worlds from mere lines of code, which is why we need to call-out over-zealous marketing teams who re-label configuration tools in legacy products as ‘no-code’. Technically, yes, but their scope is limited to configuring options in a product that was always designed to straight-jacket you. I prefer to use no-code to describe the emergence of cloud-based software that has been specifically designed to enable anyone to genuinely create and launch new products or solutions from scratch without bounds.
Think Mendix for creating your own mobile app, or Camunda for modelling a business process that will run in the real-world like clockwork, or Optalitix for converting your spreadsheet (e.g. pricing model or set of fraud rules) into an API. Or how about a no-code automation platform like Claim Technology to glue all 3 as well as pimp your idea further by adding in another no-code Insurtech API or two?
Too many old-school IT heads seem cock-a-snook about no-code (often those that also suffer from the well-known ‘Not Invented Here’ syndrome) but surely no-code is akin to using walkways in airports? You don’t have to use them but if you do you’ll be that bit quicker with far less effort. By abstracting out features such that either don’t require coding by hand or which, in the case of business logic, are more wisely abstracted out of the application code layer and into a business logic layer like BPMN2.0, software developers can create cleaner, more manageable cost at lower cost, enabling a scarce resource to focus on where they can add most business value.
I like the trickle-down effect of no-code, with its potential to make the most difference to insurance products and services when it ‘democratises’ design and development throughout a business, empowering those with insight and experience to solve problems or seize opportunities in an agile manner without being dependent on someone else’s resource plan, roadmap or budget. Or the way in which no-code can break down traditional barriers between business and IT teams to promote fun & engaging co-creation and an open conversation on how best to optimise the mix of no-code, low-code and code.
Isn’t it about time we embraced the idea of seeing ourselves as creators first and foremost, and the courage to go beyond our preconceived boundaries?
