The trend towards citizen development is growing, and it's not hard to see why. A citizen developer is an individual within an organisation who uses low or no-code development platforms to build and deploy their own technology solutions. They don’t work in IT, they can be anywhere in the business armed with an idea and some technical know-how. Software companies like Microsoft are increasingly empowering them with the necessary tools and templates to do the work. Its Power Platform for example – Power Automate, Power Apps and Power B – provide ways of automating routine tasks, creating applications and streamlining processes. This makes work life easier, more efficient and enjoyable for the citizen developer and colleagues, while also impacting the success of their organisation.
For example, here at PwC, a colleague designed a tailored onboarding app for new starters in the Microsoft PwC Practice, using Microsoft apps. She built that after only watching online tutorials and a little experimentation.
As businesses look for new ways to innovate and remain competitive – and while there is a shortage of tech talent in Australia1– it sounds like a trend worth encouraging.
Benefits of citizen development
Speed and agility. By removing the need for IT departments to handle every request, you can quickly develop and deploy new applications and processes.
Relieves pressure on the IT department, saving time and resources.
Empowers employees to directly contribute to the success of your organisation.
Fosters collaboration between employees.
Reduced cost on app development, licensing and maintenance.
- They can bring a unique perspective to the development process, offering fresh ideas and innovative solutions. They understand their work processes in a way that IT departments simply cannot, and this knowledge and understanding can lead to the creation of more effective and efficient applications.
By creating apps on a recognised industry platform – like the Microsoft Power Platform – you benefit from regular updates and new developments.
- Citizen developers can help you develop a culture of innovation more broadly.
Challenges of citizen development
Requires investment into training of employees to become citizen developers.
Ensuring data security and compliance.
Maintaining a consistent user experience across all applications.
Enhanced maintenance costs for applications if they are developed without the fundamental building blocks necessary for proper software development.
There are limitations. For more complex projects needing additional customisation of the solution, further expertise and knowledge of programming languages will be required.
Without an understanding of software development lifecycles, there’s risk of the solution not being suitable for the intended end users.
More freedom equals greater impact
With over 7.5 million ‘developers’ regularly using the Microsoft Power Platform2, the scale of this new value creation for businesses is immense. In one economic study, the financial value to the organisation was a 140% return on investment, a 45% decrease in app development costs and USD 14.25m in benefits due to streamlining and other efficiencies.3
Citizen developers represent a significant opportunity for businesses to modernise, streamline processes, and stay ahead of the competition. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see much more.
If you would like to talk to one of our authors, please contact Quang Nguyen and Stanley Si.
