Low Code No Code Tools and the Rise of Citizen Developers – An Introduction

Quick Summary: Do you know that 80% of businesses plan to increase their use of low-code development platforms within the next two years? This surge is driven by the rise of citizen developers, and non-technical employees using these tools to create innovative solutions. In this blog, we'll explore the benefits of low-code citizen development, how to succeed in this approach, and the exciting future that lies ahead for this growing trend. Read on.

The coding game has come a long way from writing heaps of 1's and 0's. There is a 2018 Netflix series named Explained that has one episode on the history of coding and how it has evolved to the omnipresent applications of modern-day. We can confidently say that nothing digital happens without coders.

However, today’s need for rapid application development has dramatically outmatched the number of professional developers all around the world. In fact, Forrester estimated that there will be a shortage of 500,000 developers by the end of 2024.

So, how can enterprises keep moving forward with this roadblock where developers are unable to keep pace with the increasing demand?

Doable with low code no code platforms, and the notion of citizen development.

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These solutions create a world where you can automate any business in a few minutes and put creative power in the hands of non-coders to accelerate software invention. With the "everyone can be a developer" approach, the focus is on the augmentation of ecosystem components and prebuilt apps.

In other words, why should the world's leading software firms pay $250,000/year to experienced developers when they can just take random guys from the office and help them build software with low code tools? Or why even complain about the scarcity of data scientists when low code tools are there to offer you the relevant data?

This blog will address all your doubts and queries on how organizations can employ citizen developers to create low code/no code apps and boost their growth quotient.

Let’s get to the bottom of how we can skip boring work and focus on the fun stuff, shall we?

What Does It Mean to be a Citizen Developer?

A citizen programmer is a non-IT person or business professional without any formal knowledge in software development. With little or no coding skill at all, they create apps using tools like low-code development platforms for a more efficient and easier workflow.

Low code citizen developers are not similar to professional developers as they don't use pro code (aka high code or traditional code) to create custom software solutions. Perhaps, the most critical contrast between pro code and low code/no code is the volume of coding needed. While low code tools allow you to use drag and drop functionality, graphical user interfaces, and a mouse to build an app, pro code tools solely depend on writing thousands of lines of code.

Most importantly, 500 million applications will get built in the next five years; that’s more than the total number of apps developed in the last forty years. But there are honestly not adequate developers to fulfill the proliferation of apps or modernize the existing ones.

Hence, the only way out is to empower citizen developers who never had anything to do with JavaScript, Python, or C# but know their firm’s business goals.

Although development knowledge holds no importance in this case, there are certain qualities of a star citizen programmer for creating a fine product – ability to take constructive criticism, profound interest in learning the whereabouts of software, working under little oversight, problem-solving skills, etc.

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Low Code No Code Platforms + Citizen Development = A Perfect Solution?

A lot of developers get a bit uneasy when they hear about low code platforms. But in reality, especially if you’re creating processes vs. tools, low-code approaches don’t stop you from being innovative or creative; they actually facilitate it.

For example, you can manage cumbersome, time-consuming boilerplate components and free yourself up to write only the required lines of JavaScript code to demonstrate a unique business problem.

It's also way easier to rewrite or fix the apps developed by low citizen programmers rather than decoding the madness the IT department piled up in the huge, mission-critical Excel spreadsheet. Low code tools are exceptionally stability-saving as they stamp out plenty of confessedly monotonous tasks and reduce noise in work.

Finally, if you look at the proposition from a business point of view, you would definitely want to use your highly-skilled developers for highly-critical projects, especially those related to DevOps culture and software development. Your experienced developers surely don’t want to get bogged down with repetitive, mundane work that keeps them away from experimenting and inventing.

So, low code and no code platforms are basically the best for both worlds – you don't need to create a full-scale Python app for simple data management, and although low code solutions are not going to help you with programming calculations, they will at least get the tedious work out of your inboxes and spreadsheets.

How Can You Benefit from Low Code Platforms Used by Citizen Developers?

As we said, citizen developer frameworks and tools came to the spotlight in response to the growing need for a faster turnaround time. It's a catalyst to boost productivity and spare more room for innovation.

As a result, the tangible benefits of low code/no code app development have inspired, along with any others, 75% of large firms to use at least four of such tools for IT and citizen development by 2024. Around 71% of enterprises using citizen development have accelerated application development by at least 50%. Take a look at some of them:

• Putting a Stop to Shadow IT

More often than not, a heap of requests and tasks get buried in the long list of IT backlogs. This forces business leaders to find a solution outside of IT authority that comes with its own set of problems. Low code tools are IT compliant and hence ensure that everything gets equally addressed. These platforms also provide you with the required control and visibility over all the apps created and utilized in your business.

• Building Apps that End Users Need

Enterprise owners are able to better understand the demands of their customers and the different nuances of the app. Instead of developers, citizen development frameworks empower those close to the business to build apps so that the products are much more likely to satisfy the end users.

• Making the Most of Your Work

Low code/no code solutions can help you immediately deal with business bottlenecks without depending on the IT guys. As a result, employees become more efficient with boosted productivity, saving time and money across everyone in the firm.

• Staying Ahead of Competitions

Every company strives to deliver quality products as early as possible to remain relevant in today’s cut-throat market competition. With the rise of the best low code no code platforms, you can now quickly create apps as per the demands and shorten the development life cycle. This backs your business up with a competitive advantage over others.

• Meeting the Demand for Apps

Everyone now is aware of the indispensable benefits of software apps and how they have been helping organizations streamline their work with ease. Accordingly, the demand for more apps is constantly rising. Citizen programmers are able to bridge this gap by speeding up the development process and meeting the need of the hour.

How to Succeed at Citizen Development with Low Code No Code Tools

The low code/no code trends are here to stay and will have a vital contribution to shaping low code the future of software development. But embracing citizen programming initiatives and deploying them properly is not a piece of cake. So, how can you ensure that your business will succeed in implementing an effective low code culture? Here are the three essential steps:

1. Promote Training at Scale

Your chance of releasing innovative products, both at scale and speed, is much higher if you are able to successfully train your people in citizen development. This is why firms must upskill and empower their employees to make their own moves. Even better, people working together with the goal of acing at low code development can nurture a culture of community and comradery.

2. Transform Knowledge into Action

Make the most of low code no code backend platforms by seeking opportunities by supporting whatever is going on in the organization and adding instant value to real-time projects. Low code developers will play a critical role in emerging initiatives and supporting the strategy in an instant.

3. Leverage Freedom within a Framework

Low code tools come with a win-win equation – business professionals do not only get the knowledge and freedom to create cutting-edge solutions, but they can also do so within an IT authority framework that properly complies with the regulations.

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What the Future Holds for Low-Code Citizen DevelopersTo foster an innovation culture, many organizations hire teams with the vision and potential to bring a real change. That’s where empowering these employees through low-code and no-code development can unlock their creative ideas and drive innovation. So, it's not really a bad idea to accredit them and benefit from their capabilities, is it?Professional developers can also be more productive using low-code platforms and branching into fields they’re not comfortable creating on their own. If there is a technical team to support security testing and customization, your business can swiftly digitize all its operations through self-forming innovation. This is a crucial decision for any corporation trying to get a trump card in the digital age.If you want to be a part of this revolutionary development stream, feel free to consult our experts.