From spreadsheets to web and mobile applications: 3 examples of transformation
In companies, using spreadsheets as databases and creating personal interfaces is more common than you think. We have met hundreds of people during our digital transformation projects who do not find market solutions with the necessary business or process logic and therefore create Shadow IT solutions independently, without the consent of the IT department, risking their data security.
Let’s examine three cases in which Low-Code has transformed these solutions into real web and mobile applications
Customer Support
The customer support staff of a company in the retail sector used spreadsheets to manage all their data and request history, and they had added masks to simplify the search for the thousands of data added over the years. There were four files of over 1GB each, and with the advent of smart working, management had become impossible: every morning, users had to download files, modify them during the day, and then reload them in the evening to a shared folder online. All this led to problems of data duplication between files, different versions between people on the same team, data security (because they were present online and on all the operators’ computers), and calculation performance, given the amount of data present in the files.
Thanks to WebRatio Platform’s Low-Code, the spreadsheets have become a single web application with four sections over the course of four weeks, eliminating all performance problems, possible errors deriving from dragging and copying text boxes, and data risks, improving functional access and usability. The application also allows the tracking of activities for analysis and reporting useful information for monitoring company performance.
Furthermore, this system acts as a starting point to expand new digital features that enhance a business, such as automatic response systems or predictive analysis.
Finance
Spreadsheets were also used in the finance department of a manufacturing company to calculate final balances and cost estimates. The office received data on these media from various internal sources, such as the payroll and contributions office, and external sources, such as banking and financial organizations. Sheets containing financial data were also shared across online folders.
This system presented a risk of losing track of receipts and payments, having shortfalls in the financial statements, and sharing fundamental data with unauthorized third parties.
In a month, Low-Code technology has made it possible to transform these disorganized and risky processes into a web application that can be accessed by both corporate users and authorized personnel of external organizations through authentication. It includes customized interfaces and functionalities based on the roles performed within the process
Business Analysis
A strategic consulting company with several thousand customers used a file with 40 spreadsheets for each of these, containing all business data, to improve management control: budgets, forecasts, graphs, and forms for research and analyses. The company’s consultants faced a long and complex data management process, always with a risk of duplication, transcription errors, and access by third parties.
In two months, the thousands of files have become an application that can be used online with search and data entry forms, eliminating the possibility of errors and risks.
The company has also revolutionized its business model, adding a new source of revenue thanks to the web application: customers can access various types of information after signing up for a subscription, and it is planning to create an app for smartphones and tablets to provide mobile access to the most important indicators and analyses.
These examples show how rapid the transformation of Shadow IT solutions can be with Low-Code, increasing security, simplifying access to data, drastically decreasing the time to carry out activities, and increasing the quality of work and employee satisfaction.
All these results contribute to reaching the breakeven point of returns on investment in applications created with WebRatio Low-Code in just six months.
Do you want to transform your business with digital solutions?