With the digital revolution upon us, developing business-focused apps has moved to the top of the agenda. However, IT remains burdened with multiple duties and requests, which means they’re unlikely to have the time or resources to deliver custom software solutions quickly. This is where citizen development comes into play.
Citizen development has revolutionized app creation in and across enterprises. It allows organizations to automate workflows and streamline processes without the IT team. Besides democratizing software development, citizen development addresses bottlenecks in digital transformation.
With the ability to shorten build times and adapt to the dynamic business environment, citizen development will play a key role in the future of app development. Below, we take a closer look at the concept and how you can effectively implement it in your organization.
Why citizen development is the future?
Citizen development is a framework that allows non-IT employees to develop custom business applications with minimal or no involvement from IT. It leverages no-code or low-code platforms that enable citizen developers to execute their ideas using drag-and-drop interfaces. This way, business users can help alleviate the stress on the IT department to deliver applications on time and accomplish digital transformation goals.
Citizen developers build apps in runtime environments using development methods sanctioned and approved by IT. Every citizen developer or programmer has modern tech skills and is a problem solver driven by change. The individuals capitalize on their profound knowledge of the organization’s or their department’s processes to develop efficient business apps and/or automate workflows.
How citizen development benefits both IT and business
A company with a good citizen development program has more efficient operations and a happier IT department. Regardless of its size, your organization can reap the following benefits by empowering new citizen developers:
- Reduce IT’s Backlog
The growing need for business apps means IT has an ever-increasing to-do list. When it’s unable to deliver solutions on time, growth stalls and backlogs rise. Citizen development helps non-technical employees to create their own citizen developer apps and can take a lot of pressure off the IT team.
- Optimize costs
Low-code and no-code platforms enable citizen developers to build more with less money and in less time. Companies can leverage existing resources and employees, eliminating the need to purchase third-party tools or outsource app development.
- Foster creative thinking
A business that wants to stay relevant in the evolving app development landscape must create new solutions regularly. LCNC and citizen development enable companies to develop apps that adapt to new requirements and market trends much better than before.
Overall, citizen development spurs innovation and ignites creative thinking.
- Align with user needs
Citizen developers know what data to collect and how to use it. They are experts in their field and can easily develop business-critical apps that meet the end user’s expectations. Citizen developers using no-code platforms focus on solving actual business problems instead of errors and app bugs.
- Create better products
Citizen development increases the odds of applications turning out more effective. When business users develop their own apps, they won’t add any extra fills to them but will incorporate a certain level of crucial functionality. This makes the apps all more effective and powerful.
- Fast-track digital transformation
With market conditions constantly changing, organizations seek solutions to release products and services quickly. An efficient citizen development program can help companies build apps at the desired speed and enhance service delivery.
Learn more: How Citizen Development Unites Business and IT
Top citizen development trends that will shape the future of application development
- Currently, 72%[1] of IT leaders state ticket backlog prevents them from focusing on strategic projects.
- There will be 4x[2] more citizen developers than professional ones in large enterprises by 2023.
- The global low-code development platform market is expected to reach $187[3] billion by 2030.
- Of the 500 million apps expected over the next five years, 450 million[4] will be developed on low-code no-code platforms.
- 60%[5] of all custom apps are now developed outside the IT department, and 30% of those apps are developed by personnel with either no or limited technical skills.
- Low-code no-code software development helps companies build cloud-native apps more than 10x[6] faster and with 70% fewer resources.
- Companies that embrace citizen development score 33%[7] higher on innovation than those that don’t.
- Low-code no-code platforms can reduce the time needed to develop custom applications by 50% - 90%[8] compared to traditional application development.
- 26%[9] of company executives consider low-code platforms the most critical investment in automation.
- 75%[10] of large enterprises will use at least four low-code no-code development tools for citizen development initiatives by 2024.
- 41% of software developers want more than half of their company’s app development to be done using low-code by 2022.
- Enterprises will develop 70%[11] of their new applications using no-code or low-code platforms by 2025 (up from less than 25% in 2020).
Learn more: What Gartner Says About the Rise of the Citizen Developer
Citizen development—the path to a brighter tomorrow
Business technology is moving at a breakneck pace and it’s only going to accelerate. Fortunately, organizations can use citizen development to run their digital transformation faster and better. All you need is a reliable citizen development platform like Kissflow.
Kissflow is a comprehensive no-code work platform that allows you to build a range of products without coding. It bridges the gap between IT and business users by truly embracing the philosophy of simple. You’ll get a plethora of citizen developer tools that are easy to understand and use. So prep for the future of app development by prototyping, launching, iterating, and scaling apps with Kissflow.
