Citizen Developers are becoming more common in the business world. These are users or employees of a corporate department who develop software for themselves or their department, although they are not software developers or work in another role in the company. Citizen Developer is a catch-all term for anyone who does not fall under the traditional definition of a software developer. This can be someone who programs in their spare time, or an employee in a corporate department who writes simple scripts to automate tasks.

The Citizen Developers movement is driven by two key factors

1. First, the rise of low-code/no-code platforms that allow non-technical users to develop applications without programming skills.
2. Second, the increasing complexity of enterprise software means that businesses can no longer rely on IT departments to develop all the applications they need. Business users are taking matters into their own hands and developing the applications they need to do their jobs.

Citizen Development has a number of advantages

1. It allows companies to be more flexible and responsive to change. When business users can develop applications themselves, they can make changes quickly without having to wait for IT department approval.
2. Citizen Developers often have a better understanding of the business domain than IT professionals. They know what users need and how the application will be used, so they can develop applications that are more user-friendly and meet the specific needs of the business

Of course, Citizen Developers also have some disadvantages

1. Because they are not professional developers, their code is often not as robust or well tested as the code of IT experts. This can lead to stability and security issues.
2. Citizen Developers may not be familiar with all the features and capabilities of the platform they use. They may use only a small subset of the platform’s capabilities, which may limit the potential of the applications they develop

Despite the drawbacks, Citizen Developers are playing an increasingly important role in the business world. With the right tools and training, they can develop high-quality applications that meet the specific needs of their businesses. If you’re not yet using Citizen Developers in your business, it’s time to start!

Our team will be happy to assist you

Please contact us if you need help getting started. Citizen Developers are an important part of the business world and can help your company to be more responsive to change and develop user-friendly applications.