Avoiding the Excel swamp in the company-wide internal tools with UI Bakery

The mission of introducing the low-code solution in the Rhenus team was clear: eliminate inefficient data workflows and replace ad hoc Excel-based processes with structured, database-driven applications. With over 600 internal users and growing demand from multiple business units, the company needed a way to quickly build lightweight tools for everyday needs, without the overhead of full-stack Java development.

Their initial approach involved using Retool, but shifting licensing strategies and limited intuitiveness sparked a re-evaluation. While alternative solutions like PowerShell and Microsoft Forms were tested, none fully met the demands for scalability, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness.

After a second tool validation phase lasting just three weeks, UI Bakery emerged as the clear winner. It provided the company with:

• Enterprise licensing and cost efficiency;
• User-friendly interface and intuitive development workflow;
• Rapid prototyping for small-scale but critical internal tools.

Now adopted across the company by roughly 30 developers, UI Bakery empowers business units to build their own apps without extensive involvement from core development teams.

The Rhenus team used UI Bakery to develop a variety of internal applications, including:

• Simple list maintenance tools for team communication,
• A company-wide feedback app to gather structured data on various points,
• A documentation app based on the arc42 template,
• A Fit-Gap Analysis tool for Information Security, replacing Excel-heavy processes.

All apps shared the common goal of offering standardized input, database storage, and group-level access control.

UI Bakery has significantly streamlined internal development:

• Faster delivery of tools through intuitive UI design;
• Time and resource savings, especially by avoiding the need for front-end developers on smaller projects.
• Knowledge sharing within teams leading to even quicker development cycles over time.

Most importantly, the Rhenus team no longer needs to commission the central development team for every request - teams can now create smaller tools independently, speeding up delivery and reducing bottlenecks.

According to Hinrich, the company is still expanding their use of UI Bakery but has already made substantial progress toward its goals.

“UI Bakery has definitely helped us save both time and development resources... It’s quick, simple, not overloaded, and a pleasure to work with.”

Even the support has exceeded expectations, described as more like “chatting with a colleague” than dealing with traditional customer service. UI Bakery has empowered the Rhenus teams to quickly build and maintain internal tools, replacing inefficient Excel-based processes with structured, scalable apps. The company has already seen significant time and resource savings, with development now faster and more accessible. As adoption grows, UI Bakery is proving to be a key enabler of agile, decentralized app development.