Empower your business with smart software choices

“ITsounds petty,” Chaim started, “but every once in a while, one of my employees comes to me saying the coffee corner is out of milk. Listen, I’m a busy CEO — why should I have to worry about the milk? We rent here because they offer services like that. My team should be able to notify Michal’s team directly for things like that.”

I’d come back to Michal’s office to discuss technical requirements for the software, hoping to learn more by meeting with her team and a few tenant business owners.

“Exactly!” Baruch chimed in. “It’s great having an in-house team for small requests. But if my employee’s computer breaks, I don’t want to hear about it. She should be able to just let Michal know we need a technician.”

I turned to Tim and Daniel from Michal’s team. “On your end, when a business needs something, how does it work?”

Daniel leaned forward. “Michal usually just texts me the business name and floor. I go down, and they explain what they need. But the requests stack up — and I end up running around trying to help everyone.”

“And she doesn’t give us details about what’s urgent,” Tim cut in, “so I just go in order of her texts. Sometimes, I get to a business long after they’ve reached out, only to find they’ve been sitting around unable to work. If I’d known, I’d have gone there first.”

I listened and took notes, my mind whirring. I understood their challenges, now it was a question of portal preferences. I was ready to go over the options with Michal so we could decide.

Types of Portal Setup

To set up the right portal for your needs, you first need to define exactly what those needs are. The first question to consider is whether you want a web app (an online site accessed via the Internet) or a mobile app (an app for phones, available in app stores). Alternatively, you might want a portal that’s accessible on both desktop and mobile. This choice lays the foundation of the portal’s accessibility. Once that’s decided, there are still some other key questions to consider.

Key Questions to Address:

• Data Storage: Where will your data be stored? If you’re already using a data management tool or spreadsheet, the portal should ideally integrate with that. If you don’t have existing data storage or don’t plan to use any other tool, choose software that can store the data within the portal.
• Functionality:  What features do you need? Is the portal you’re envisioning simply a user-friendly space to display data, or do you require more complex functions like dashboards, payment processing, or automated actions?
• Design Vision:  How specific is your vision for the portal’s look and layout? While all portal options aim for a polished and intuitive design, a highly customized layout may need more flexible setup options.
• Integration with Other Software:  Are there other tools or platforms you use that need to connect with this portal? If so, you’ll need portal software that can integrate seamlessly with those tools.

With these questions answered, it’s time to explore software options that align with your needs. Here are the three main types:

No-Code Software:

No-code platforms offer a drag-and-drop interface, allowing you to set up a portal using built-in elements. It’s straightforward and quick, ideal for simpler portals where users log in to view organized data without heavy interactivity.

Examples:

A portal where employees can view company announcements

A customer-support hub displaying FAQs and troubleshooting guides

A client dashboard showing account information and status updates

Low-Code Software:

Like no-code, low-code platforms offer pre-built elements but allow for added customization with code. This option can handle everything a no-code platform can but enables more complex interactions and data manipulation by users.

Examples:

A portal where customers can submit forms and track order progress

A learning management system with interactive quizzes and assignments

A project management dashboard that team members can update in real time

Custom-Built (Full-Code):

For complete control over design and functionality, a custom-coded portal is the way to go. Although it’s more time-intensive and costly, this option provides ultimate flexibility in appearance and user interaction.

Examples:

A healthcare platform where patients book appointments, view medical records, and message providers

An education portal designed for young students to do schoolwork on

A financial services portal providing clients with customizable financial data and analytics

Each of these options has a variety of software choices within the no-code and low-code categories, each with unique features and limitations. Once you determine the category that best fits your needs, you can select the ideal software to bring your portal vision to life.

Liora Waxman is the Director of Content Strategy at TidyStack, a company that creates and sets up software/automations for businesses to perfectly fit their needs.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1041)