Think fast
Thoughts and ideas on how to build tools, automate workflows and speed-up the workplace.
5 Smartsheet Alternatives & Competitors
Managing data around projects, tasks, workloads, and resources is one of the most basic challenges every business deals with. For many teams, this has historically meant relying on spreadsheets. However, over the past decade or so, a class of tools has gained popularity that seeks to combine the familiar UX of a spreadsheet editor with more advanced capabilities - like those of a traditional database. Smartsheet is one of the most popular names in this space.
Ronan McQuillan
May 6, 2024
What is a Workflow Engine? + 5 Open Source Tools
Workflow engines are used to simplify, expedite, and optimize all sorts of internal tasks and processes. By codifying and digitalizing business logic, an effective workflow engine enables us to achieve a high degree of efficiency, repeatability, accuracy, and productivity within daily operations. They’re also a powerful basis for business process automation, integration, real-time analytics, and other digital transformation efforts across your business. Today, we’re exploring everything you need to know.
Ronan McQuillan
May 1, 2024
Top 10 Retool Alternatives & Competitors in 2024
Retool is one of the biggest players in the low-code space. However, that doesn’t mean it’s viable for every business; it’s far from it. Today, we’re checking out some of the top Retool alternatives from across the market. And it’s a crowded market nowadays. However, there’s huge variation between different options - across their pricing, features, target personas, use cases, and more. Today, we’re covering the following: What is Retool? Why would you look for an alternative to Retool?
Ronan McQuillan
Apr 30, 2024
Mendix vs OutSystems
OutSystems and Mendix are two of the oldest names in the low-code space. Together, they occupy a huge corner of the market, with tens of thousands of businesses relying on them to ship custom applications. But, despite being direct competitors, there are huge differences between the two - in terms of key functionality, target personas, pricing, and use cases. Today, we’re giving an in-depth account of everything you need to know.
Ronan McQuillan
Apr 26, 2024
6 ServiceNow Alternatives & Competitors
ServiceNow is totally synonymous with IT service management. In fact, it’s hugely embedded in how countless IT teams deliver services to colleagues. However, despite its dominant market share, it’s not the only option out there. See, ITSM is a hugely varied field. Even the most basic processes can look completely different from one company to the next. This raises a couple of problems for COTS ITSM platforms. Vendors inevitably need to position their solutions towards one type of team or another - even at the level of individual features.
Ronan McQuillan
Apr 25, 2024
A beginners guide to web application development (2024)
It was the year 2010, I had an idea for a web application which would allow my family and I to share images, organise shopping, populate a shared calendar, and store bills. My family was terribly disorganised. We needed this! This idea was going to make me 💰💰💰. There was a small complication with my vision - I didn’t know how to build a web application. But thankfully, I could build a static site with HTML and CSS so it couldn’t be that hard, right?
Joe Johnston
Apr 24, 2024
How to Build a Web App: Beginner's Guide (2024)
Picture by Med Badr In this post, I’m going to show you EXACTLY how to make a web app. In fact, this is the process I’ve used, revised and perfected over the last 5 years. I’ve used this exact process, or a version of it to build over 15 applications of all shapes and sizes. For me, this is 100% the best way to build web applications. But, before we start the tutorial, a quick recap on what we define as a web application at Budibase.
Joe Johnston
Apr 23, 2024
10 Microsoft Access Alternatives for 2024
For a lot of businesses, finding a suitable Microsoft Access alternative for their needs is becoming pretty urgent. See, Access has been rumored to be reaching its end-of-life for a few years now - although Microsoft hasn’t unveiled any formal plans for a retirement party. Even so, in 2023, Access feels like a bit of a product of a bygone era. Not to be outwardly critical, but in the age of cloud computing, low-code development, DBaaS tools, and even AI, it’s tough for legacy platforms to keep up with the needs of modern businesses.
Ronan McQuillan
Apr 20, 2024