Boost Your Business Intelligence: Combining No-code Apps and Open Datasets

No-code database apps are gaining traction as a fast, cost-effective way for companies to streamline operational workflows, improve user experience and reduce the time and resources dedicated to software development and maintenance.

By adopting unified, cloud-based data management apps, businesses can make better decisions based on real-time updates, easily accessible data, and pre-built dashboard reporting. However, building apps solely with internal operational data metrics misses an important opportunity to gain a more full-picture view to inform decision-making.

In fact, savvy subject-matter experts, those closest to the decision-making workflows and with the best understanding of the types of data that can be leveraged and curated to enrich existing data, are turning to open datasets. By layering these freely available sources into their apps, stakeholders gain deeper context and business intelligence and deliver even greater value to internal teams, customers, or partners.

What Are Open Datasets and Why Use Them In Your App?

Open datasets, according to the Open Knowledge Foundation, refer to “any content, information, or data that is freely accessible and can be used, re-used, and redistributed without legal, technological, or social restrictions.”

Datasets are available from a broad array of sources, including government census data, climate data scientists from NASA, financial market data from sources like the World Bank, health-related data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and weather prediction data. Almost any industry you can name, from education to construction and everything in between, has relevant open datasets to freely leverage.

Ingesting an open dataset into a no-code app unlocks access to a wealth of high-quality business data. Providing deeper context into any topic, these data streams give companies more visibility to identify trends, patterns, and anomalies that would be difficult or impossible to spot with internal operational data alone. This layering of information, pulling in data that gives industry-wide benchmarking statistics and high-level trends, adds rich context to build a more comprehensive understanding of the business landscape.

Open datasets also offer a cost-effective alternative to proprietary data sources. By leveraging free-to-use data, businesses can significantly reduce the expenses associated with data acquisition and analysis, and better allocate limited resources.

Streamlining the International Freight System with Open Datasets

Knack’s customer, Gnosis, provides a specific use-case example of the step up in capabilities to be gained with open datasets. Gnosis is a shipping container lifecycle management company working with importers to streamline the international freight system and help them keep track of where their cargo is at all times.

By sourcing data from ports, terminals, steamship lines – all of the participants in the supply chain – bringing them together and layering solutions on top, importers can eliminate the spreadsheets and paper-based workflows that were traditionally part of the process and replace it with a new data integration industry standard.

Expanding Business Insights with No-Code Apps and Open Datasets

With the right user interfaces and business intelligence tools, data can be interpreted in a meaningful way to increase business efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.

Data analysis, data science, and data visualization are essential for businesses to track their key performance indicators (KPIs). By leveraging these powerful technologies, businesses are able to automate processes and make data-driven decisions.

Building apps with internal operational data provides valuable insights, but decision-making can be enhanced by incorporating information about external factors that play a part in business outcomes.

Whether the goal is to identify emerging trends, mitigate risks, or capture new opportunities, layering in open datasets gives a more holistic understanding of the industry, its competitors, and the external market factors that drive growth and success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, no-code development platforms provide business users with an effective way to integrate APIs, data-driven functionality, and business applications without the need for writing code. They are an ideal solution for those looking to develop custom applications quickly and cost-effectively. Low-code platforms can provide business users with the ability to create powerful applications with ease and flexibility, enabling them to quickly and efficiently create powerful business processes.

Ready to start building custom apps that fit your unique needs? Try Knack’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface for free! With Knack, you can easily create a customer database, manage inventory, or build a project management tool with all the necessary tools at your fingertips. And now, you can boost your business intelligence even further with open datasets.

Sign up for your free trial today and see how Knack can help you take control of your data and build powerful custom apps!