--- title: "Citizen Development and Low-Code Platforms: A New Era of Empowerment" description: Citizen development simplifies app development by providing drag-and-drop tools with user-friendly interfaces, enabling non IT employees to develop software. image: https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/citizen%20developer.jpeg --- [![Service Dynamics Logo - White](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/Service%20Dynamics%20Logo%20-%20White.png?width=885&height=342&name=Service%20Dynamics%20Logo%20-%20White.png)](https://www.servicedynamics.co.nz) [![Service Dynamics Logo](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/Service%20Dynamics%20Logo.jpg?width=885&height=342&name=Service%20Dynamics%20Logo.jpg) Service Dynamics Logo - White](https://www.servicedynamics.co.nz) ![Service Dynamics Logo](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/hubfs/Service%20Dynamics%20Logo.jpg) - [Services](https://www.servicedynamics.co.nz/services) - [Solutions](https://www.servicedynamics.co.nz/solutions) - 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Increased Agility: Teams become more self-sufficient and respond faster to business needs. - Reduced IT Backlogs: IT departments can focus on complex tasks while citizen developers handle simpler solutions. - Accessibility: Enables employees without formal coding skills to contribute to tech innovation. - Personalised Solutions: Citizen developers tailor apps to their exact workflow requirements. #### Challenges and Considerations While citizen development offers flexibility, organisations need safeguards to ensure security, compliance, and scalability. Considerations include: - Governance: Ensuring apps meet security and organisational standards. - Shadow IT Risks: Avoiding situations where unsanctioned or unmanaged tools lead to inefficiencies. - Training and Support: Providing awareness and skills training for employee developers. - Collaboration with IT: Maintaining a balance between IT support and citizen empowerment.   ![ServiceNow\_LicensingWorkshop\_raw](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/ServiceNow_LicensingWorkshop_raw.png?width=500&height=262&name=ServiceNow_LicensingWorkshop_raw.png) #### Citizen Development in Practice Citizen development is particularly important in industries looking to rapidly adapt to change, such as healthcare, retail, and finance.  Organisations adopting this model often establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) to guide employees on best practices and governance frameworks. #### Tools Enabling Citizen Development: - Microsoft Power Platform (e.g., Power Automate, Power Apps) - Flowingly - OutSystems - AppSheet by Google - Mendix Citizen development democratises technology, enabling business innovation from the ground up. It empowers employees to bridge gaps between business needs and technical implementation, fostering a collaborative and agile work environment. ##### Faster Innovation Citizen development speeds up the delivery of customised solutions since employees know the processes and challenges they aim to address. ##### Cost Efficiency By reducing dependency on IT departments, businesses can save costs associated with hiring developers or outsourcing software projects. #### Examples of Citizen Development - Automating approval workflows in an [HR department](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/why-it-needs-to-lead-the-charge-in-digital-employee-experience-dex) using Flowingly . - Building a database app to track and analyse customer data in sales. - Creating a custom project management dashboard for a specific team using a drag-and-drop platform. #### Let’s Rethink Citizen Development Together Platforms like Flowingly show us what’s possible when we shift from control to enablement. The need for good governance hasn’t gone away, but now it can be embedded directly into the tools that drive innovation. At Service Dynamics, we work with organisations across Aotearoa to [implement, support and govern Flowingly](https://www.servicedynamics.co.nz/partners/flowingly) so that business units can move faster, while IT stays in the loop. [Get in touch with our team to talk about how we can help](https://www.servicedynamics.co.nz/contact) you strike the right balance between agility and governance.   [DevOps](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/topic/devops), [Continuous Improvement](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/topic/continuous-improvement), [Digital Employee Experience](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/topic/digital-employee-experience) ##### Like it? Share it: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/citizen-development-and-low-code-platforms) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/citizen-development-and-low-code-platforms) ### You may also like [Why IT needs to lead the charge in digital employee experience (DEX)](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/why-it-needs-to-lead-the-charge-in-digital-employee-experience-dex) ##### [Why IT needs to lead the charge in digital employee experience (DEX)](https://blog.servicedynamics.co.nz/why-it-needs-to-lead-the-charge-in-digital-employee-experience-dex) 2 October, 2022 As recruitment competition becomes tight, and customers seek seamless engagements with brands, the digital employee expe... 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