Singapore – A recent study from software company Kissflow revealed 83% adoption of citizen development programs among chief information officers, indicating these active programs as a pivotal strategy for achieving business goals.
In the report, it was further found that citizen development is reshaping the way organisations approach digital transformation by empowering non-IT employees to design, build, and deploy departmental applications, processes, and tasks using low-code/no-code platforms.
According to the firm, said movement enables citizen developers to create customised solutions for specific needs without relying on IT departments.
Key findings also include high adoption and strategic importance, where 83% of tech leaders indicated having implemented a Citizen Development program. About 92% further agreed that it plays a vital role in achieving their digital transformation objectives. Among those surveyed, 56% have prioritised CD as a top initiative and allocated dedicated funding.
On the topic of accelerating innovation, 62% of respondents believe that Citizen Development significantly accelerates digital transformation by empowering employees outside of IT to build and deploy their own solutions. Operations and HR departments are also cited as the leading adopters of CD.
Moreover, the findings also reported organisations are seeing faster responses to market changes, increased innovation, and reduced IT backlogs.
In particular, approximately 76% of tech leaders expect faster response times, and 75% anticipate increased solution customisation as a direct result of embracing citizen development in their organisation.
Lastly, an improvement in productivity was observed, with 58% of respondents predicting that implementing Citizen Development will lead to over a 10% increase in individual productivity by streamlining workflows and reducing inefficiencies.
Interestingly, the report also identified key challenges, including data security, as the top concern for 44% of CIOs, followed by the need for seamless integration with existing IT infrastructures.
Governance and the lack of training for citizen developers were also noted as significant challenges that organisations must address to unlock the full potential of CD.
Talking about the findings, Suresh Sambandam, CEO at Kissflow, said, “Citizen Development is no longer a concept for the future. It is already driving digital transformation in organisations around the world. IDC estimates over 750 million digital apps will need to be developed by 2025, while developer shortage is expected to touch four million by 2025.”
He further continued, “With an increasing number of engineering talent entering the workforce across industries, the culture of business teams building simple apps is becoming common. Organisations that have been early adopters of this paradigm are seeing transformative results across the enterprise.
“This report shows that by empowering non-IT professionals to contribute to application development, businesses can innovate faster, reduce backlogs, and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market,” concluded Suresh.
