No-code platform / 7 min read

Citizen Developers: The Next Generation of Business Innovators

Are you tired of relying on a small group of developers to bring your business ideas to life? Have you ever wished that anyone in your organisation could build apps, automate workflows, and create solutions without knowing how to code? If so, you're in luck! The rise of citizen developers is transforming the way businesses innovate and grow.

Definition of Citizen Developers

Citizen developers are individuals who create business applications or automate processes using no-code or low-code platforms without the need for traditional programming skills. These platforms enable anyone to build solutions using intuitive visual interfaces, pre-built templates, and drag-and-drop functionality.

Benefits of utilising Citizen Developers

The benefits of utilising citizen developers are numerous. With more people able to create custom solutions, organizations can respond more quickly to changing market demands, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. 

Citizen developers can help organisations reduce their dependency on IT departments, which may have a backlog of requests or lack the necessary resources to tackle certain projects. This, in turn, can result in faster delivery times for business-critical applications.

Furthermore, by empowering non-technical employees to take on development projects, companies can foster a culture of innovation and create new opportunities for career growth. They can offer a fresh perspective and bring unique ideas to the table. They are not constrained by traditional programming paradigms and can experiment with new tools and techniques.

In this article, we'll explore the role of citizen developers in the workplace, the challenges they face, and best practices for success. Whether you're an individual looking to upskill or a business looking to adopt no-code platforms, this article has something for you.

Citizen Developers in the Workplace

Citizen developers can come from any department within an organisation, not just IT. They might be salespeople, marketers, or operations specialists who deeply understand business processes and requirements. Citizen developers typically have a broad range of skills, including problem-solving, project management, and communication.

Examples of citizen developer projects might include:

• Building a custom CRM system.
• Automating a marketing campaign.
• Creating a dashboard to track KPIs.

In many cases, citizen developers can complete these projects more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional developers because they have a better understanding of the business context and can work more closely with end-users

Overview of Citizen Developer Roles

Citizen developers typically work within business units and take on a variety of roles. They may act as project managers, liaising with IT departments and other stakeholders to ensure that applications are delivered on time and meet business requirements. 

They may also act as analysts, gathering requirements and designing applications. Some citizen developers take on the role of developers, building and testing applications. Finally, some citizen developers serve as quality assurance testers, ensuring that applications are functional and meet user requirements.

Examples of Citizen Developer Projects

Citizen developers have been instrumental in developing various applications in various industries. For example, citizen developers in the healthcare industry have built applications enabling doctors and nurses to access patient data on the go.

In the finance industry, citizen developers have created applications that automate financial reporting processes, reducing the time required to generate reports.

In the manufacturing industry, citizen developers have built applications that track inventory levels and optimize supply chain management.

Strategies for Incorporating Citizen Developers into organisations

Several strategies should be employed to incorporate citizen developers into an organisation.

Firstly, organisations should identify potential citizen developers within their existing workforce. This can be done by assessing employees' digital skills and willingness to learn new tools. 

Secondly, organisations should invest in no-code platforms that are easy to use and offer robust support and training resources. 

Finally, organisations should encourage collaboration between citizen developers and IT departments to ensure that applications are developed in a secure and compliant manner.

Challenges of Citizen Developers

While there are many benefits to utilising citizen developers, several challenges must be addressed. The following are the most significant challenges that organisations may face when employing citizen developers:

Limited Knowledge and Skills

Citizen developers typically don't have the necessary technical knowledge and skills. They may not be familiar with programming concepts or have experience with software development processes. This can result in poorly designed or functioning applications that do not meet user requirements. organisations must ensure their citizen developers have adequate training and support to develop applications effectively.

Security and Compliance Risks

One of the biggest challenges of utilising citizen developers is the risk of security and compliance breaches. Citizen developers may not be aware of the necessary security protocols and compliance regulations that must be followed when building applications. This can result in applications being vulnerable to cyber-attacks or not meeting regulatory requirements. organisations must implement strict security and compliance protocols and provide adequate training and support to citizen developers to mitigate these risks.

Addressing Challenges with Support and Resources

To address the challenges that citizen developers face, organisations must provide adequate support and resources. This includes training and education to develop their knowledge and skills, collaboration with IT departments to ensure compliance and security protocols are followed, and quality assurance and testing to ensure that applications meet user requirements.

Best Practices for Citizen Developers

Training and Education

The first best practice for citizen developers is training and education. While no-code platforms are designed to be user-friendly, a learning curve still needs to be addressed (learn how to develop a no-code app from scratch). Citizen developers need to understand the capabilities and limitations of the platform they use and basic programming concepts such as variables, loops, and functions.

Providing training and educational resources such as tutorials, videos, and workshops can help citizen developers get up to speed quickly and avoid common mistakes.

Collaboration with IT Departments

The second-best practice for citizen developers is in a collaboration with IT departments. IT departments can provide valuable support and guidance to citizen developers, ensuring that the applications they create are secure, compliant, and integrate seamlessly with existing systems. By working together, citizen developers and IT departments can build better applications that meet the organisation's needs and comply with industry regulations.

Quality Assurance and Testing

The third best practice for citizen developers is quality assurance and testing. It is vital to ensure that the applications created by citizen developers are thoroughly tested and meet the organisation's standards. This can include user acceptance testing, load testing, and security testing. By implementing a testing process, citizen developers can ensure that their applications function correctly and are ready for deployment.

Conclusion

Summary of the Benefits and Challenges of Citizen Developers

Citizen developers have become an increasingly popular option for companies looking to develop software applications quickly and cost-effectively. The benefits of utilising citizen developers include faster time to market, greater agility in responding to changing business needs, and cost-effectiveness.

However, there are also challenges associated with citizen developers, including limitations in knowledge and skills and security and compliance risks. These challenges must be addressed by providing proper training, support, and quality assurance measures.

In addition to these challenges, it's important to note that citizen developers often require no-code platforms to work on. These platforms allow non-technical employees to create and modify software applications without requiring in-depth knowledge of programming languages or development frameworks.

By utilising no-code platforms, citizen developers can develop software more efficiently, which can lead to greater productivity and cost savings for the company. It's important for companies to provide citizen developers with access to no-code platforms to ensure their success.

The Future of Citizen Developers in the Workplace

Despite the challenges, the future of citizen developers in the workplace looks bright. The trend towards no-code platforms and citizen developers is only expected to grow, driven by a need for more efficient and cost-effective application development. The rise of citizen developers also presents an opportunity for organisations to democratize software development and empower employees to take on new challenges and drive innovation.

Overall, the benefits of utilising citizen developers far outweigh the challenges, and organisations that embrace this trend can position themselves for success in the future. By following best practices and providing the necessary support and resources, organisations can empower their citizen developers to create high-quality applications that meet industry standards and drive business growth.

About Reptile

Reptile is the perfect app design, testing and publishing platform and a leader in the no-code movement.

There are no limits on your creativity. Our powerful no-code platform Reptile with drag-and-drop widgets, custom fonts and CSS you can visualise any app, build, and publish it - without needing your own app developers.

We’ve built many apps that we’re proud of, and if you are interested, here is a link to a few of our recent achievements we’d like to share with you.

Design beautiful apps with us – call us on (+44) 207 183 3690 or send us an email info@reptile.app