# Low-code/no-code: Advise, automate, reap the benefits
**In software development, certain processes are constantly repeated. In response to this need, development platforms have emerged where developers no longer need to write many, if any, lines of code: low-code and no-code. Instead of using a text-based programming language, they work with visual tools. Sebastian Mertens is an expert in low-code/no-code – and made a surprise appearance on hsp live. In conversation with Paul Liese, he discussed, amongst other things, the impact of using these platforms.**

Sebastian Mertens is co-founder of Wemakefuture GmbH and an expert in automation. Accordingly, as a lecturer at the hsp Academy, he leads the e-learning course on automation using low-code/no-code and cloud automation. He describes his course as aiming to show participants the full range of tasks that can be automated. Regarding low-code and no-code, he notes that he tends to refer to them as programmes or applications that can be combined to optimise processes. Quite simply, no programming knowledge is required to integrate automation into work processes.

The first example, which Paul and Sebastian have already discussed: onboarding new clients. With the right knowledge, law firms can easily automate this process. Whilst various law firms still rely on Excel spreadsheets today, with the right automation, all the new client’s data is fed directly into the firm’s software. This means it takes only a fraction of the time. Sebastian Mertens demonstrates exactly how this works in his e-learning course – in a way that staff without any programming skills can understand and put into practice.

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## Huge potential for automation

In conversation with Paul, it quickly becomes clear that Sebastian’s previous experience is very helpful when it comes to understanding the purpose of automation. Sebastian comes to the topic of automation via the programming of bots. In his day-to-day work, he had noticed that a number of process steps caused completely unnecessary media breaks. As an example, he cites sending forms by email, the data from which then had to be entered into spreadsheets. Gradually, it dawned on him just how great the potential actually is in this area.

The expert estimates that, in future, software costs will amount to around 200 to 300 euros per employee. „You can’t do without tools," he states. He compares it to a tradesperson who is either sent to a building site with a poor-quality hammer – or with a fully equipped, high-quality toolbox. Ultimately, the decision made at the outset has a massive impact on productivity.

## Challenging conditions for automation

Yet many companies still tend to stick to the status quo. „We’ve always done it this way" is a formidable obstacle. Communication should therefore be results-oriented if you want to convince a company. Wemakefuture relies on inbound marketing, SEO and similar strategies so that interested parties can find the service provider themselves and discover the wide range of possibilities on offer. The most important prerequisite for successful automation is openness to change.

Many medium-sized businesses would first need to embark on digitalisation before they could even consider automation. The process is therefore much quicker for small businesses, as their infrastructure is simpler. Furthermore, many start-ups and smaller businesses are already digitalised, work with small volumes of data and often already have the right mindset.

At this point, Paul points out once again that Sebastian Mertens’ course is also a Tri-Learning course. This means that participants are not left to their own devices with the webinars. On the contrary, individual questions are answered and the first real-world projects are carried out jointly with clients. This ensures that the knowledge acquired is actually put into practice. Law firms can therefore be confident that their investment in professional development will genuinely generate new projects and deepen client relationships.

## Ultimately, it has to be worth it

The aim of automation is a measurable increase in efficiency. Sebastian makes it clear that we are not talking here about vague improvements in client work. As an example, he cites companies that still draw up their contracts manually and on a case-by-case basis. Going through them page by page to change and adjust entries. Tasks that used to take hours can now be completed in seconds. When we talk about increasing efficiency, we’re not talking about savings on paper cups and the like, says Sebastian.

He invites law firms to act as legal advisers to these clients and to strengthen their market position by providing high-quality advisory services. After all, improvements in efficiency have a massive impact on businesses – for example, in terms of wage costs, but also in terms of productivity and staff satisfaction. The costs of the software and tools therefore pay for themselves very quickly.

When the hsp team asked him about the most exciting automation project, Sebastian immediately thought of: moving 10,000 cows into the cloud. In fact, a farmer wanted to automate a cow’s life cycle. And this is where an important point comes in: „The best ideas come from the customer," says Sebastian. After all, consultants wouldn’t know every business model and every company down to the last detail.

## A future-proof business area for law firms

In future, Sebastian expects ready-made processes to be purchased. These will then be customised within the company. Anyone who today [Digitalisation consultancy](../../en/academy/digitalisation-consultancy/index.md) By incorporating this as a new area of practice within the firm, we will therefore be in a position tomorrow to assist clients in selecting and optimising these automation solutions. Process optimisation and digitalisation go hand in hand.

The same applies to software solutions: it is not a question of buying the perfect software for everything. Instead, software should allow for adaptation to individual processes. That is why interfaces are particularly important. Only they enable the seamless use of different tools, each of which offers the best solution for specific areas.