Citizen Development Insights

A growing number of businesses are turning to low- and no-code platforms in order to enable IT and business staff the opportunity to build apps. As a result, many businesses find these platforms to be a vital element of their operation. 

Nearly nine out of ten no-code platform users globally claimed their roles are crucial to business success, saying that they directly enhanced business performance in a survey of 318 customer firms worldwide. 

The study concluded that no-code apps enable a more comprehensive range of people to work on development. Women make up nearly half of the users; four out of ten are Millennials and seven out of ten work in non-IT areas.

Defining no-code

Software design solutions that allow non-technical users to run software without creating a single line of code are called no-code frameworks. 

These tools visualise offer user-friendly interfaces and drag-and-drop capabilities to help you visualise the implementation process and express your general business logic. 

It’s a programming platform that uses a visual development interface to allow non-technical users to construct apps by dragging and dropping software components to create a complete application. No code does not necessitate any prior coding knowledge on the user’s part.

Process of building application with no-code

1. Set up and agreement of priority

Consider no-code applications as a viable alternative to traditional IT requests in the areas of your business where there are problems or critical difficulties. Seek input from other leadership team members and the workforce as a whole.

2. Choosing the technology stack

Despite the fact that no-code platforms are meant to be used by non-programmers, they must integrate seamlessly into your existing IT architecture.

3. Start with a pilot

Beginning with a small pilot project that affects a single company procedure is always the wisest course of action. It is essential to conduct pilots so that you may learn from your mistakes as you go along.

4. IT mentors

IT executives have a wide range of experience in dealing with various groups’ security, integration, and user adoption issues. Leaders must assign IT liaisons to teams using no-code tools so that they can monitor the work of individuals developing business apps and keep in touch with IT regularly.

5. Security issues

A continual relationship between IT and line of business builders is needed to ensure that organisations can maintain a safe infrastructure while supporting the creation of no-code apps. When it comes to IT oversight, it depends on the nature of the apps being developed and how tightly they are linked to other departments’ activities.

6. Documentation

The first step in implementing no-code tools is for IT and business leaders to collaborate on a policy that identifies the various parties involved as well as the processes and technology that will be required. On the other hand, no-code developers should establish detailed programme roadmaps for their prospective consumers.

7. Trust buildup

As a result of allowing staff the power to design applications, leaders must refrain from micromanaging while encouraging regular communication and updates.

8. App testing

To begin even a simple pilot programme, leaders must implement a rigorous quality assurance methodology. To ensure that new apps are fully functional, they should be put through their paces by actual users from the organisation. Moving to a real-time production environment for the apps should only be done.

9. Prepare for challenges

Developing no-code software is trial and error, and organisations will likely expand on their initial successes over time. Leaders can focus on more strategic matters if workers have the tools to handle some of their difficulties.

Does investing in no-code make sense? 

In terms of business, what are the advantages of no-code programme creation? In addition to time savings, cost savings, and a single platform, WEM’s no-code creation methodology delivers value to the firm when developing business-critical applications.

Several benefits of no-code software development have been discussed: 

• It’s best to concentrate on the app’s core without coding. You will spend more time with your clients and create something they will appreciate using a no-code application-building platform, focusing on the application’s core.
• No-code architecture tools simplify front-end UI design by providing rich models that can be used and customised. You don’t have to start from zero in UI/UX, so you can spend more time with your clients and improve your app experience.
• 80 per cent lower development cost is guaranteed in no-code. Conventional and DevOps software development methods are expensive. Recruit technical skills higher up. Front-end and back-end developers, security consultants, financial experts, and software and cloud professionals may be needed. No-code applications encapsulate front-end and back-end development. One back-end or front-end developer can build the stack. They can evolve faster without starting from scratch. Building on a network eliminates the need to consider cases, databases, and security. 

Final thoughts

There is no way the no-code wave is stopping. For businesses to stay afloat in the ever-evolving world, starting with no-code adoption can pave the way for survival.

According to Gartner, by 2025, 70 per cent of new applications developed by enterprises will use no-code or low-code technologies. Jump on this no-code joyride!

I spoke to a law firm's technology leader a few weeks ago about how she planned to further develop their digital transformation plans.

One of their practices is family law, and we talked about their work so far to help clients plan their inheritance.  Here is what they had done as a first step.  They had sent the clients an online form to fill in and had the questions and answers automatically put into a PDF document and emailed to the lawyer the client was going to meet.  This simple step is a stroke of brilliance.

This is not the most technologically challenging thing in the world to do.  Nor is it perfect.  But it is an awful lot better than what was happening before.  

Before the firm implemented the online form, the first meeting would be the client telling their lawyer many essential details.  Did they have children?  Did they own a property or many properties?  The lawyer would be scribbling notes or frantically typing fields into the matter management system.  Time would fly by, and the meat of the discussion would be limited.  Now the lawyer showed up with all the details in hand, and that vital first face-to-face engagement with the client was more advice-driven, more productive and gave a better impression of the firm.

The point here is that it is best to start simple and expand step by step. In the 'hyperagile' world of no-code, where you can make a change in minutes and release a new version in seconds, you don't need to get to perfect before release, just to better.  ('Hyperagile' - good, isn't it?  It's your new favourite awful buzzword.)

Delivering better often and not perfect at some unknown point in the future has some critical advantages.

First, you deliver value to your end users faster.  In this case, the frontline lawyer and client got a precious improvement in performance from something straightforward.  And that means they are now more open to other changes that the digital transformation programme may bring.

The second benefit is much less obvious.  

If you are going to shoot for perfection, you have to know what perfection looks like.  But the chances are you have no idea.  People with different points of view will have different visions of the ideal.  And, of course, what is perfect now may not be in a few months.   

If you are delivering progress, you don't have to have that model of perfection.  You can change and evolve as you go along.  It is better to deliver the next step and get actual usage data and feedback that guides you to the next stage than to strive for some abstract ideal.

It is something that the software industry has learned painfully over the years, and it is a lesson that anyone leading digital transformation should remember.

As defined by Gartner, a citizen developer is a persona for an employee who creates application capabilities to be used by themselves or others – for example, forms, automations, connections to other systems.  The increase in citizen development is part of the trend towards the democratisation of IT – people who don’t sit in the IT department being able to access sophisticated technical capabilities without technical or development training. These people are working within individual business units and are using no-code tools to rapidly develop applications. They simply don’t need advanced technical training. They need an analytical mindset and an understanding of their subject matter, but they don’t need to be developers. And they are on the rise – with an ever-increasing younger, more tech-savvy workforce wanting to develop their own applications. Gartner further showed in 2021 that 41% of organisations already used a platform for citizen development, while another 27% expected to use one within the next 12 months.

What are the implications of this for legal? Who are the new citizen developers in law? We’ve heard from a number of them in this white paper. In a GC’s office, they are the legal ops specialists who sit in the legal innovations department and their role is, with input from the legal experts, to assess the challenges the department faces and begin to develop these applications. In law firms, it’s not the front-line lawyers developing these applications (although as we’ve shown in this paper, they will have a massive contribution to make) but rather the Legal Tech teams. 

We are witnessing the rise of multi-functional teams to develop solutions. Lawyers or people with legal expertise plus IT departments who arrange and secure the correct platforms for delivery, join with citizen developers or legal technologists. The latter of these, take the expertise of their lawyers, assess the solution that needs creating and then are developing them on no-code platforms. And no-code is a massive growth area – Gartner predicted a 23 percent expansion within business Worldwide during 2021.  

The implication for cost reduction by moving this functionality out of pure IT development and into legal is massive. Automation is now in the hands of the citizen developer making it possible to automate areas that previously could not as the gains in time simply did not justify the investment.

For the new generation of workers just entering the workforce (who we fondly call Gen Z), it’s about meaningful jobs and building an impactful career than run-of-the-mill stuff.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, people are reflecting on what they want from their jobs and growth trajectory. Gen Z, in particular, is placing more importance on workplace flexibility. “Work-life balance” has become the ultimate selling point to attract, motivate, and keep early-career workers. In addition, these young employees desire cutting-edge technology that will enable them to remain as productive, effective, and connected as possible.

The Equation between Gen Z and Technology

Gen Z is the first generation who grew up in a digital age. Therefore, they are accustomed to connectivity and technology. Early exposure to devices from millennial parents is thought to have resulted in them having their smartphones by the age of 12. Global Web Index’s survey indicates that 98% of Generation Z worldwide own smartphones.

At least 8 hours a day is how 74% of Gen Z spend their free time online. They are available on various gadgets, including laptops and tablets.  Their exposure to digital media affects how people get information and form opinions. Advantageously, these can serve as platforms for creative expression, inquiry, and learning.

They are more knowledgeable about the technical aspects of technology now that they have been exposed to it. Coding has already been incorporated into the middle school curricula in nations including the United States, Australia, and Israel. Teaching coding to young minds can facilitate adoption and provide them the ability to approach challenges logically and creatively. They can use this expertise not just in programming but in a variety of other careers.

However, due to a lack of mentors and modernized technology, this has not yet been appropriately implemented in other nations. But now that no-code platforms are available, kids will find it simple to start creating their no-code programs, websites, or apps. These resources will make visual programming as simple as dragging and dropping for them. Although there is some code, the learning curve is simple and can be quickly picked up on sites like Youtube, Twitter, Discord, etc.

No-Code and Gen Z – The perfect match

Maintaining employee engagement and preventing burnout is more critical than ever in the face of the “Great Resignation,” which saw four million Americans quit their jobs in July alone. Giving employees the ability to automate away the most tedious parts of their days is the best approach to handle this.

Gen Z is accustomed to using technology to solve problems because they were raised in an era of Google, YouTube how-to videos, and drag-and-drop website builders. There is no reason why this should be any different in the workplace. But unfortunately, no-code is the DIY technology this generation has been waiting for.

No-code platforms have become a golden goose for Gen Z, who have limited access to coding education. A generation of young, “not so obsessed with coding” personnel is being given unprecedented flexibility, thanks to no-code platforms. They can build team-specific applications without much dependency on IT.

No-code is not limited to apps and websites but can enable workflow automation for mundane tasks. As a result, flexibility-loving young employees can save many hours on admin tasks and involve themselves in other high-level analyses and processes.

Of course, no-code tools require deductive reasoning that is inherent to coding. For example, you must be able to create pivot tables or comprehend what machine learning capability is and its potential applications.

The critical thing to remember is that no-code tools are practical because they are simpler to use and appeal to a younger generation familiar with the reasoning these platforms need to operate. Moreover, today’s students view their computers and mobile gadgets as more than merely consuming screens they can activate. Instead, they use them as tools of self-expression, research, and analysis.

Gen Z, No-Code, and Creator Economy

In the creator economy, a person or a group creates visual material or a tangible good and uploads it on a platform. It might be a YouTube video, a handmade necklace sold on Etsy, or even a carefully cropped Instagram photo. It can generate income if someone interacts with it or sees it. Selling, sponsorships, and subscriptions for unique content are ways they can make money upfront.

It’s a tailor-made model for Gen Z for running independent businesses.

No-code is now a tool for creators and young entrepreneurs, with Web3 enabling the decentralization of content delivery. Platforms that can facilitate the production, distribution, monetization, and business management of Gen Z are indispensable for the creator economy to expand. No-code development gives more individuals the ability to become creators and gives creators control over how their work is distributed.

No-code platforms give creators access to other key technologies like AI or blockchain, which can significantly benefit their solopreneur ship. Additionally, they can now create NFT collections consistent with their brand.

Given that most young creators are presumably not tech-savvy, no-code is an ideal tool for the creator economy. Only a tiny fraction of people can create apps or websites from scratch; even then, it typically takes them years to learn and even longer to complete. For a variety of reasons, no-code can give a big push to the middle-class creator economy.

Conclusion

Raising the bar is a crucial aspect of progress in many ways. For example, the standard for data utilization in the workplace, in business, and entrepreneurship is being raised by Gen Z. They are more adept than ever at combining multiple standalone services and integrating them into seamless user interfaces for their clients, readers, and users.

The No-Code Generation can close the productivity gap in the global economy, improving our lives and saving everyone’s time in the process.

Gartner made a significant prediction at the virtual symposium for CIOs and IT leaders. By 2023, there will be at least four times as many active citizen developers at large businesses as professional developers.

For those who don’t know, a citizen developer creates software without receiving formal training in software development by leveraging no-code platforms and analytics tools to automate processes for themselves and their teams.

What is causing this shift in application development?

Essentially citizen developers are business users whose productivity is hampered by laborious, disjointed processes; as a result, they are more than prepared to improve routine operations through no-code development. They can create software to automate manual operations. They can design optimized workflows (automation sequences) by selecting from a list of pre-configured stages and placing them in a logical flow using the drag and drop feature of no-code platforms.

In a survey done by Forrester, 64% of business and tech leaders indicated that process automation is crucial to corporate strategy, supporting digital transformation and customer experience.

From a single no-code platform, citizen developers can build and customize administrative, data-tracking, and reporting tools. Typically, there are separate apps spread across many departments and go unnoticed by IT teams for each of these characteristics. IT teams may quickly monitor and maintain apps by using a single no-code platform to configure all of the applications.

Because of these reasons, a majority of businesses today rely on citizen developers to produce enterprise business software or applications specific to marketing, sales, HR, or other critical functions. These developers typically report to the IT department, and skilled/professional developers supervise their work to ensure the final product/outcome matches the standards.

Moreover, organizations are constantly pushing themselves to build operational and strategic agility for:

• Democratizing application development.
• Overcoming the lack of IT talent.
• Managing modest adjustments well.
• Implementing quick innovation cycles.
• Evaluating the risk and developing mitigation techniques.
• Encouraging citizen developers to creatively use technology and build custom applications with no-code platforms.
• Managing business turbulence brought on by changes in market dynamics, pressure from competitors, and COVID-19-like natural disasters

On the other hand, hyperautomation is on the rise, helping firms make it possible for non-programmers to create complex software. Most of the time, employers do not require prior software development training, although there are specific qualifications for this position.

Things to keep in mind while choosing non-programmers

• Business users who are or have been involved in time-consuming manual processes are known as citizen developers. Therefore, a person with practical experience working with paper-based processes and knowledge of the associated pain spots is the ideal candidate for citizen development.

• Although no technical knowledge is necessary to use no-code platforms, users must have a strong understanding of business logic to construct apps visually. As a result, this may be the second factor to consider when selecting your citizen developer.

• Because citizen development is carried out through a governance model and is not autocratic, an ideal candidate should also have a collaborative approach.

• Citizen developers are much more than just lone contributors. No-code development is not their primary responsibility; they must balance various tasks. Time management is thus yet another trait of a successful citizen developer.

• Business technologists or skilled, full-time developers or coders brought into departments like operations, finance, accounting, or marketing are ideal candidates for citizen development.

Citizen Developers are breaking stereotypes

To automate business processes and data integration, Gartner firmly believes that businesses must collaborate with experts outside of IT. This essentially ends reliance on software development teams.

Additionally, it stated that businesses should reject the idea that the work of citizen developers is easy and non-critical. Most citizen developers actively work on developing new features, user interfaces, and algorithms.

Hyperautomation has played a key role in the success of citizen developers

Gartner defines hyper-automation as a business-driven, focused approach that businesses need to identify, enhance, and automate their enterprise processes rapidly. Because hyperautomation has so much potential and entails many possibilities, relying solely on traditional coders and IT teams will never produce the desired results. Enterprises have quickly realized this and have been proactively training more employees to become citizen developers.

Organizations are no more holding themselves back from realizing enterprise-wide process management and workflow automation. As most of them are adopting a hybrid workforce model, it becomes imperative to encourage non-technical employees toward citizen development and reduce the burden of IT teams already stressed out with simple troubleshooting.

Enterprises are actively investing in citizen developers to democratize and pace up innovation – enabling UI/UX designers, business analysts, and marketers to build priority-specific applications without writing a single line of code. They are trying to nurture code-agnostic development teams with the help of no-code platforms.

Just like the future of coding is no coding, the end of automation is no-code automation. Organizations are stretching themselves to achieve end-to-end automation while rooting for a hybrid workforce model (where the availability of IT resources will always be a matter of concern). Citizen development is evolving and providing a fantastic opportunity for business and IT leaders to fulfil their primary strategic goals, the most significant of which is enterprise-wide automation.

The rise of citizen developers aligns with the rise of digital-first organizations

Organizations are going full throttle in digitization by investing heavily in low-code and no-code tools to build various applications. They are building teams, for example, a team of citizen developers, that rely on agile methods to integrate critical operating units with the IT organization, augmented by a set of new digital roles that are helping in value creation. The idea behind establishing such teams is to promote innovation and value generation by focusing on:

• Using analytics to assess operations and performance before taking action based on the findings.

• Using agile principles to test and deploy new hardware and software.

• Building and delivering new digital processes and solutions for field operations along with back-office processes (that can be standardized and scaled across businesses).

There are a lot of examples and trends that indicate the growing popularity of citizen developers. Can they outnumber traditional developers? It doesn’t seem a remote possibility anymore and is as accurate as it can get.