
Thoughts and ideas on how to build tools, automate workflows and speed-up the workplace.
Google Forms is probably the most ubiquitous form builder tool available today, offering an intuitive, flexible platform for creating custom data collection UIs. However, this is a fairly crowded market, with a range of different vendors targeting distinct segments, including in terms of their primary users, use cases, and other aspects of their market positioning. Therefore, in order to make an informed decision about the right form builder for your needs, we need to have a clear picture of what our options are, as well as their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Ronan McQuillan
Aug 1, 2025
Zapier is one of the best-known automation tools on the market today. Offering a highly visual experience for connecting a wide range of external platforms, it powers all sorts of workflows in countless organizations. However, despite its popularity, Zapier isn’t suitable for all use cases. Today, we’re examining one of the most important segments of the workflow automation market by checking out some of the top open-source Zapier alternatives. Along the way, we’ll check out some of the key decision points when selecting an integration and automation platform, as well as outlining the most prominent open-source vendors in this space.
Ronan McQuillan
Jul 15, 2025
Part of the wider Microsoft 365 ecosystem, Microsoft Forms is one of the most ubiquitous and widely used tools for creating UIs to collect data. The goal is to provide non-technical users with a streamlined experience for building forms, polls, quizzes, and other data collection tools. However, there are a huge number of form builder tools on the market, with individual vendors targeting distinct segments in terms of their ideal users and use cases.
Ronan McQuillan
Jul 1, 2025
Jira is one of the most widely used platforms for IT teams on the market today. More specifically, it offers a highly advanced, ready-to-use solution for managing software projects. However, it’s not necessarily suitable for all teams. Like all COTS solutions, it has its own target use cases and ideal customers. Outside of these, some teams may find that it lacks the flexibility for more fringe use cases or isn’t a cost-effective option for simpler ones.
Ronan McQuillan
Jun 19, 2025
Agentic AI is probably the most exciting new technology in the world of enterprise IT. However, successful implementation is dependent on having the right tools in place. Choosing tools can be an incredibly tricky process, as this is a fast-moving space, with several prominent vendors offering distinct approaches to building AI applications and agents. These vary widely in terms of target users, ideal use cases, and the scope of what’s possible.
Ronan McQuillan
Jun 12, 2025
Enterprise search, AI agents, and intelligent, LLM-powered automations are some of the top priorities for IT managers right now. The promise of fast, secure, and accurate internal processes is driving a huge amount of interest in this space. However, many teams are also struggling to establish ROI. Part of the trouble here is that a huge number of vendors have brought solutions to market over the past few years, including both dedicated platforms and agentic features in existing SaaS tools.
Ronan McQuillan
Jun 10, 2025
In the past few years, several tools have come to market, aiming to simplify and expedite the process of building AI agents. Flowise is one of the most successful entrants into this space, offering a primarily visual experience for creating, deploying, and managing agentic systems. This includes low-code tools that enable us to drag and drop configurable elements to determine agent behavior. This has helped to position Flowise as a popular option for developers and non-developers alike, as interest in agentic AI has exploded.
Ronan McQuillan
May 21, 2025
More and more businesses are leveraging AI within mission-critical internal workflows. This includes a range of internal services across IT, finance, HR, operations, and other departments. To meet this need, a range of vendors have come to the fore, offering streamlined tools for implementing LLM-powered processes. Today, we’re exploring one practical angle on this by checking out some of the top Moveworks alternatives that are currently available on the market.
Ronan McQuillan
May 12, 2025