No-code and low-code tools can open up innovation for those who don’t have coding skills.
The software license registration app was one of the Power Apps that Cherry built. (Photo: Cherry Tan)
The ability to create digital solutions has become a much sought-after skill. However, many people find the idea of programming extremely daunting, and coders are regarded as the technological elite. In the past decade, a quiet revolution has taken place which has given non-coders the ability to craft digital products without the need to code.
What does this mean in practical terms? In the past, you would need to learn a programming language like Java or Swift to build a mobile phone app. Today, you can create your app with a drag-and-drop interface using one of the many no-code tools that are now available. If you want your app to do more complex tasks, you can add a sprinkle of code – your no-code app then becomes a low-code solution.
HTX has seen how no-code and low-code tools can open up innovation for Xponents who don’t have coding skills, and as part of their continuous training all Xponents are now required to learn Power Apps – a popular no-code and low-code tool that is part of Microsoft Power Platform.
The drag-and-drop nature of creating digital solutions on Power Platform means that such solutions can be built very quickly compared with traditional programming. Last year, for example, HTX’s Civil Defence Programme Management Centre (CDPMC), in collaboration with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), developed eight applications on Power Platform in just three months for the SCDF’s frontline officers.
One Xponent who found herself hooked on Power Apps was Cherry Tan, an Engineer (Digitalisation Planning & Strategy) with HTxDigital, who built three Power Apps in her first year at HTX. She shared that she learned Power Apps through self-learning, “I learnt Power Apps through self-guided learning and exploration from online YouTube tutorials and the Power Apps community for troubleshooting tips and guides.” This means you too can also learn Power Apps through these free online resources!
Does it take a lot of time to create apps like these? It depends on the complexity of the app, Cherry explained, “For simpler apps, I could take as short as a few hours to build the app, while more intricate apps may require weeks.” Compared with traditional apps that require programming, the development time of several weeks is still very fast!
HTX’s InnovA wins
Cherry recently won the Home Team Innovation (InnovA) Project Commendation Award for her three Power Apps solutions, as they had saved 331 man-hours for HTX. What does she feel about her InnovA award? “Winning the InnovA award is an immense honour and a truly humbling and surreal experience. This recognition reinforces the positive impact of Power Apps and stands as a testament to the growing Citizen Developer community. I’m excited to see what innovative solutions the platform inspires next! 😊“
The Power Apps solutions were not HTX’s only win in the 2024 InnovA Awards. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) and HTX won the Platinum Award for the Prison Automated Screening System (PASS), and the SCDF and HTX won the Gold Award for the Road Traffic Accident XR Simulator as well as Commendation Awards for the HazMat Work-Rest Cycle Study and Project Asclepius. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and HTX won a Silver Award for NCC Cargo Paperless Clearance as well as a Commendation Award for the Special Assistance Lane (SAL).
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and HTX won a Commendation Award for the MiniX 2 – the successor to the MiniX – as well as Dare-To-Try Awards for the Mobile Crash Barrier (MCB) Spreader Beam, the Q-Stick, and the Purging of Air in Seawater Systems project. HTX also won Commendation Awards for the Emergency Video System and the Credibility Assessment Lab, as well as a Dare-To-Try Award for TextOracle.
