A shortage of software developers and IT workers in general obliges companies to turn to “citizen developers” within their organizations to create commercial applications supporting digital transformation efforts.
Finding workers with software development skills or training them internally is to become a priority, according to John Bratincevic, principal analyst at Forrester. When you speak with commercial customers, he says, the most common question he obtains is how they can get up and evolve a strategy for developing citizens.
What makes the development of citizens possible is a raft of low code development platforms without codewhich allow professional users with little or no coding experience to develop applications according to the needs of the company. Companies take advantage of these platforms to create “hundreds or thousands of citizens' developers in their organizations. They want to know how to feed people, so they become really qualified in the low code, “said Bratincevic.
“In my opinion, where all this goes, the low-code development will only be table issues for the worker-just like personal productivity tools,” he added.
Low code increased
A survey in January by the IDC research firm of 380 companies showed that 49% of respondents buy low -code or code -free platforms to move internal innovation. The second reason to buy software tools (39%) was “needs related to the pandemic”.
In 2021, the global low -code development technology market reached $ 13.8 billion in income. And the adoption of low-code software development platforms increases by more than 20% per year, according to the Gartner research company. By 2025, low -code development should be adopted by more than half of all medium to large size companies.
The low -code development tools summarize the most commonly used code base and replace it with a graphic user interface or a visual interface “what you see is what you get” (Wysiwyg) to create an application. Technology allows employees that may not have technical training to become citizens' developers, expanding opportunities beyond the traditional job or daily workflow. In addition, low -code tools allow traditional developers to focus on more difficult tasks while others manage simpler development work with low code technology.
FortuneAlthough there are dozens of companies offering low -code and code -free tools, marketplace leaders are outsystems, Mendix, Microsoft, Salesforce and ServiceNow, according to Gartner. The platforms sold by Appian, Oracle and Pega are considered “challengers” to these leaders.
Commercial units include the needs of commercial applications
The Cloud Computing ServiceNow software provider said that more than 80% of its customers now use its low code solution. Application engine. And the App Engine active developer base increases 47% each month, the company said.
Marcus Torres, director general of the application engine sector at ServiceNow, said that the possibility of creating commercial applications with low code and without code tools becomes a set of skills expected for companies. This is due to the fact that the commercial side of the house includes the application needs of a business better than a computer store.
Millennials and young workers who make up the majority of today's workforce are much more comfortable with technology, including software development, than older workers. “They understand that there is an application that provides them with a use,” said Torres. “With these platforms (with low code), people generally try it, get an initial success, then try to do more.”
Torres has seen groups ranging from teams from Human Resources Installations to develop applications, the development work carried out by people who generally do not have technological pedigree.
For example, employees of the servicenow cafeteria team have created a food menu application using low -code Engine tools. Once the menu are online, employees have asked if they would be able to control their food via the application, so the installation team has widened the application to include food controls using the same tool sets. Then, of course, the application had to include a payment system to buy orders, which has evolved more.
ServeGraphic interface of the ServiceNow Application Engine (Click on the image to enlarge it)
“They (employees) generally start with an application based on forms, then find that they want to do more,” said Torres.
One of the servicenow customers, Deloitte UK, created a portal Use the engine application for everything employees need to do their job. In the portal is a “Myonboard” application that has scanned the integration process, including the previously printed, digitized paper forms, then sent by e-mail. Employees can also use the portal to find a vacation to come and book meeting rooms. Human resources are a major user of low-code development tools, according to Sarah Pfuhl, vice-president of global development of talent at ServiceNow.
HRs are a home for the development of citizens because the needs of companies are constantly evolving there – in particular as a result of the pandemic and the rise in remote work. In fact, the most used demand in the Pfuhl department was created by an HR employee who simply saw a pain point and found a solution for this.
Before creating an online center for apprenticeship and development (L&D), the PFUHL HR team by email between ET E -mail with employees looking for education opportunities. The process was difficult, long and not scalable as the company grew up.
The HR team was able to use the low code to build a new L&D hub which centralized all training programs in less than a month to better initiate the 17,000 company employees worldwide. They were then able to add a process of appointing the learning program in less than a week with these same tools.
“This woman was not a developer, and she started doing HR a few years ago,” said Pfuhl. “She created the L&D Hub all using a low code in a week. Then, she went to our digital technology team to ensure that she was in the governance of our company and went to the company to ensure that it is properly for them. ”
“As soon as it could show what the product would become and what it could do for people, everyone jumped on board,” continued Pfuhl. Since its launch in February, the L&D HUB has been used by 3,500 unique users in the last month.
“There is simply no way to have this level of engagement without this center,” said Pfuhl. “I think that (the low code is) the wave of the future. Like all other digital transformations, HR will also have to kiss this.
“I think we know what our employees want. We are listening to, ”she continued. “If a company does properly, it is because you do what employees tell you that they need. They want a workflow. They want it to be easy to use. You want the iPhone to be easy.”
Prevent citizens' developers from becoming a thug
Governance is essential to the launch of any new application created by a citizen developer, said Pfuhl. You can't just start an application; Once built, the commercial side must always consult the computer side to ensure that it corresponds to the company's directives.
“I must tell you, from now on, I am looking for this state of product mind in my team, because I think it will become the future,” said Pfuhl.
Schneider Electric, a digital automation and energy management provider with around 130,000 employees worldwide, has had a citizen development program for seven years.
Abha Dogra, main vice-president of digital technology and North America IOC at Schneider Electric, said that governance and management to avoid spreading applications are essential to a successful low-code development strategy and without code.
ServeCenter for the management of application application of the servicenow application (click on the image to enlarge it)
Otherwise, commercial applications created outside the traditional development process can expose a company to vulnerabilities, such as cybersecurity attacks and the creation of non -eagging digital assets. It can also increase the “technical debt” of a company or the cost of additional development which comes from the choice of an easy solution compared to a more in -depth approach.
“Your use cases generally start with a small problem, but gradually, they become larger and require a complete software application with hardening development, and appropriate tests with controls and balances for threat modeling. It is a very thin line when suddenly a small use case, which was perfect for the low / without code code, suddenly in the space of a complete application, “said Dogra.
“So, although it is necessary that each company has a platform with a low code / without code, the launch and the introduction of it for the developers of citizens should be well thought out and have a well-delighted mechanism,” added Dogra.
The Torres de ServiceNow agreed with Dogra, saying that even if the departments have always had to face “shade it“Low code and code -free tools have exacerbated the need for carefully planned governance.
The ServiceNow Platform allows users to create a center of excellence for governance and the rules concerning development compared to which each application created can be verified.
“People who do not make software to earn a living do not understand that the highest cost is not associated with the creation of applications but by keeping them. In the past, you would see the departments create an application and say:” Let's go, it's yours now “,” said Torres. “It's like, ‘Whoa. First, I have never known this application; Two, I am not equipped with personnel; And three, what is it? ” »»
“It is not because he does not want to associate himself (with citizen developers) and help. It is because, in the end, they are responsible for the security of the company's systems and data,” said Torres. “They don't want this application to extend … where they turn around and there are 10,000 applications they don't know.”
In the end, citizens' development programs should offer visibility in any application created before it is online, which also guarantees that the software remains within the security and railings of an organization.
“This is how you do things on a large scale and how you make sure that there is no problem that could be a security or conformity problem,” said Torres.
