Organizations often face the challenge of encouraging employees to become citizen developers and make use of available no-code platforms. To overcome this hurdle, a well-structured onboarding process and supportive environment are essential for fostering experimentation and platform utilization among employees. By integrating citizen development into all appropriate company processes, it can become second nature to the workforce.
Here are ten steps to make it happen:
1. Secure early executive sponsorship
Gaining support from executive sponsors early on is crucial for the successful adoption of citizen development. For innovation and digitization to become top priorities, the leadership team must take the initiative, setting up a core group of first users comprising the most enthusiastic problem solvers in the business. Leadership team backing is crucial for any digitization attempt to succeed.
2. Identify the in-house problem solvers
Seek out the employees who are already finding their own solutions for encountered issues. Involving these inspirational and hands-on individuals in citizen development efforts can help create a supportive base within the organization.
3. Understand their approach
Learn how these problem solvers think and work, and how they collaborate with others to solve issues. Leverage their methods and experiences to inspire broader adoption of citizen development practices.
4. Choose the right low-code or no-code platform
Conduct thorough research to identify a platform that best meets your organization's citizen development requirements, e.g., functionality, security, user-friendliness, and integration with existing IT systems. Platforms like AppMaster.io offer powerful tools to create scalable backend, web, and mobile applications with a no-code approach.
5. Implement and integrate the chosen platform
Integrate the chosen platform seamlessly with your current IT infrastructure, enabling business users to conveniently build, deploy, and implement their solutions.
6. Develop governance guidelines
Establish a set of guidelines for effective collaboration between IT and business teams, ensuring efficient delivery of business applications that meet security and compliance requirements.
7. Encourage ideation and idea-sharing
Inspire employees to present their ideas for new applications or software solutions by organizing brainstorming sessions and regular discussions focused on innovation and emerging technologies. Emphasize the hands-on role they can play in the development process using citizen development tools.
8. Incorporate citizen development into the Software Delivery Life Cycle
Create a pipeline for delivering business applications in a secure and deployable manner. A proper assessment process should be in place to evaluate whether a developed app is efficient, secure, and adds value to the organization. This ensures that IT can govern the development process without hindering innovation.
9. Organize onboarding and training sessions
Provide proper training for employees to familiarize them with the platform and its functionalities. The IT department can act as a mentor during this process, offering guidance and advice. By establishing a Center of Excellence, organizations can further promote innovation and growth in this area.
10. Establish a maintenance process
As more applications are developed, it's essential to have a system in place for maintaining them effectively. Assess which applications require regular updates and which are becoming obsolete. An efficient maintenance process minimizes costs, making citizen development a valuable investment for the organization.
By following these ten steps, organizations can successfully integrate citizen development into their workflows, empowering employees to leverage no-code platforms like AppMaster.io to drive innovation and efficiency.
