No Code? No Problem!

Everyone loves an origin story. Francis Pugeda, Director of Emerging Technologies at Information Services Group, looks back at the Citizen Developer Program, which he established three years ago to empower Ka-Globe to create apps and streamline processes, even without programming skills.  

“As much as we call ourselves a digital company, many of our internal processes are manual,” Chief Transformation and Operations Officer Beck Eclipse said in 2020. “Just for customer-impacting processes alone, 90-95% are manual.”

Such was the case for NTG-Visayas Field Engineers. While they traveled constantly to ensure customers had reliable connectivity, their processes remained manual, primarily using logbooks to track their service vehicles.

This preference for manual was not by choice but rather a lack of choice. Automation is expensive, and because processes are often unique to each team, individual value is often too small to be prioritized. Employees may also not have the programming skills to automate on their own, so they use Google Sheets, Google Forms, and other unsupported software. These solutions were often tedious, error-prone, or costly. 

Ka-Globe’s use of manual processes was not by choice but a lack of choice.

Still, we at Emerging Technologies recognized the weight of these “niche” processes – the consolidated business value of these “small” processes is comparable to or even higher than the big applications we have built.

We looked into low-code and no-code platforms, which enabled employees to build apps using drag-and-drop components. Employees will have the power to solve their own problems with no IT programmers involved, empowering them to be citizen developers. 

Recognizing no-code’s potential to streamline process automation, we tested it on a project that had been on hold for months due to lack of resources. We tasked a non-software developer to build a solution using Google AppSheet, which we acquired from Google at no additional cost. 

Employees will have the power to solve their own problems with no IT programmers involved, empowering them to be citizen developers. 

Remarkably, within a month, we developed a functional application without any software developers, project team, or budget. This success boosted our confidence to expand the no-code initiative. 

The team behind the No-Code Hackathon. From left to right: Lauro Alarcon, Joms Pangilinan, Robert Coronel, Francis Pugeda, Janine Gallardo, Arvin Ordonio. Lesley Ann Haro and Daniel Antonio Tan (not in the picture) are also part of the team.

Our next challenge was identifying the right participants – early adopters eager to learn and use AppSheet to automate their processes. We organized a No-Code Hackathon and invited non-programmers to solve their manual processes within two months. 

Our No-Code Hackathon garnered participants from all around the country, mostly with little programming background.

Although we anticipated 30 teams, an impressive 109 registered, 88% of which had no to little programming background. By the program’s conclusion, we had 59 working applications.

Awarding ceremony for the No-Code Hackathon held remotely in 2020.

Remember the NTG-Visayas Field Engineers who recorded everything in a logbook? During the hackathon, they transformed these logbooks into the sleek Track Gear App. It not only streamlined their monthly vehicle usage reports, which used to take 2-3 days to compile, but it also added valuable features like field engineer onboarding, accident reporting, and gas reimbursement. 

The real win was seeing their gas consumption drop by 15%, a change that speaks volumes about the practical benefits of their initiative.

The Finance team also had no formal training or mentoring, but they were able to create the Fixed Assets App. It revolutionized how they handle transactions and generate reports – it simplified the reporting of over a hundred tasks, making them nearly instantaneous.

Citizen Developers built 59 usable applications at the end of the hackathon.

Organizing the no-code hackathon was incredibly rewarding. It was an uplifting experience to see them invest their time and effort into solutions that no one asked them to make but they saw were necessary. This spirit of proactive problem-solving and commitment to improvement is what I find most admirable and inspiring about all the projects.

It was more than automation; it was about empowering them to focus on tasks that really matter. Freeing up their time from tedious manual processes has sparked a noticeable increase in job satisfaction and morale. 

Testimonials from our Citizen Developers after the No-Code Hackathon.

I remember how proud I felt seeing Project Extra come to life. Channel Management Group developed a mobile postpaid application for Globe stores that has completely transformed the customer onboarding experience. Instead of relying on traditional paper forms or even Google Forms, customers can now simply scan a QR code to access the mobile app. There, they input their details and attach pictures of their IDs and other documents directly. 

This streamlined, contactless process not only sends applications directly to our back-end office but also significantly speeds up the entire procedure. It's a brilliant example of how technology can enhance service efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Nonita Cabezas of Team Trinoma from CMG said that while her team members are “not so techie,” they can now develop even more apps for other tasks and teams.

It was more than automation; it was about empowering them to focus on tasks that really matter. 

If there’s anything I would like to impart from our experience, it’s that innovation requires more than just a great idea and good intentions. It’s crucial to ensure that your solution addresses a genuine need. Always validate the problem with your target users or customers before moving forward – 95% of innovations fail because they don't solve the right problem. While innovating isn’t always easy, it is incredibly rewarding.

Embrace the possibility of making mistakes. Behind every great innovation are countless trials that didn’t quite work out. Each mistake is a stepping stone towards success. Learn from these experiences, seek advice from your leaders, and draw on the strength of collaboration with your peers. Here at Globe, you’re never on this journey alone.

And through it all, don’t forget to take care of yourself and have fun. Balancing hard work with enjoyment is key to sustaining your creative energy.

Francis Pugeda, founder of the Citizen Developer Program.

What are your favorite AppSheet apps? Give them a shoutout in the comments below and let us know why they’re your favorite!