The rise and potential fall of the citizen developer

Let’s flip this whole discussion on its head. Systems integrators and IT department heads are likely 100% correct in their concerns about citizen developers and would love to stop their activities. They will further say that experienced IT professionals should be the only ones to use low- and no-code tools. But they cannot stop citizen developers, nor should they. The fact is, at least some businesspeople have been developing applications for decades. With low- and no code options now so freely available, this will accelerate the growth and reach of citizen developers even more. So, how can we address those valid concerns, yet still take full advantage of application development by so-called citizens?

The most obvious is a bit of a cliché: The right tools in the right hands can result in excellent outcomes. More specifically, low- and no-code applications such as Salesforce Lightning or Microsoft Power App represent one tool of several needed to build applications. They are essentially a top-level layer in a multilayered IT stack. Good citizen development is a collaborative approach involving both IT and business users. The IT skills ensure that code is tested, secure, and compliant and that there is no unintended impact on other business areas from developing a new application. This collaboration should extend to building and providing templates, best practices to follow, and education and training where needed. It’s basic stuff, yet the alternative is chaos. Just imagine the chaos that could ensue if citizen developers are let loose without support, guidance, and guardrails when using the generative AI coding assistants coming to the market.

The necessity of collaboration

Here is the crux of the problem: Enterprise software has never been more straightforward to use, and, if anything, it will get even easier to use. However, it is getting ever more complicated and messier beneath the top-level UI. The business knows what it needs and should be able to build and design tools and automation that work for it. However, the only way this should happen is in collaboration with IT professionals; it should not be one or the other. Instead, they should work in harmony. However, decades of vice-like IT control means IT departments won’t give control up without a fight.

Similarly, decades of exploding shadow IT means that business users will plow on regardless—developing and deploying their software without IT’s consent. Both sides of the equation must give a little and find common ground. AI is already accessing corporate data, processing it, and automating tasks. The dangers here are enormous. However, AI is now all around us in the form of assistants or agents, and when used well, they can bring immense benefits.

Decisions on how, why, and when to use AI must be made jointly by IT and business users and, in many cases, with guidance from legal professionals. The simplicity of use of AI, combined with low- and no-code tools, will always mask enormous underlying complexity. Countless potential land mines are waiting to explode. That situation can be avoided, and the way to do it is simple, yet seemingly so difficult. Citizen developers and IT need to sit down, find common ground, and figure out how to work together constructively.