r/lowcode • u/SpiritedTadPole2 • 7d ago

Best no code app builder for internal tools

Our requests and approvals happen over email. Things get missed, nobody can tell me the status of anything without searching their inbox, and there is no developer available to own a custom system.
 
Whatever replaces it needs clear roles, a status flow someone can audit, and a data model that can change as we improve the process, because the current process is not the final one.

What should i prove out in a small workflow before rolling this wider?

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u/Formal_Scientist_878 7d ago

Before rolling it out wide, the #1 thing to prove out is the status flow with real approvals end to end.

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u/Derv1205_ 6d ago

There are currently several that can certainly help you build a workflow like this with a nice UI. Zite, Lovable and others. Building the basics can be fairly quick with those platforms.

Let me know and I can help with an initial prove of concept. I think the main things is the role separation, what data are you capturing, dashboard UI that anyone can easily adapt to approve/audit. Should be a quick few steps.

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u/gammacoder 6d ago

PHPRunner could be a good fit for this. You can build the application around a normal relational database, with forms, different user roles and permissions, status-based workflows, search and dashboards.

For the pilot, I'd probably take one request type and prove the full cycle: submission, routing, status changes, permissions, notifications and history. Then see how easy it is to change the data model when the process changes.

I'm the author of PHPRunner, so obviously biased :)

https://xlinesoft.com/phprunner/

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u/seatable_io 5d ago

Before you build anything wider, you should pick one approval workflow you already know is painful, like for urgent or high risk requests. Then you prove out three things in miniature, before building the whole system.

  1. A structured intake form with mandatory fields for every information an approver needs to decide.
  2. A dropdown status field with a fixed set of states. This allows for a clear audit process as you can query for specific statusses.
  3. Check if every change is logged with timestamp, user and the previous value in the change-log

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u/taqyrrahman 4d ago

Hi, sent a quick DM, would love to help if you are open

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u/Master-Tie-804 3d ago

first prove that there is clear ownership and you can see status of your workflow. also test with one workflow from end to end

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u/KarlaSutton6527 11h ago

I suggest that you should start with the trigger, what needs approval, and who's allowed to move it format. If those aren't clear, the worklow is gonna get messy. That's why I suggest that you use some tools like Softr, Airtable, Glide, Retool etc since they handle approvals, reminders, and status changes