The Rise of the Citizen Developer: What It Means for Your IT Team?

The citizen developer is no longer a secondary contributor in an organisation. They are now playing a pivotal role within organisations. They're here, they're building, and they’re changing how companies approach software development from the inside out. Often sitting outside the IT department, these digitally fluent professionals are solving business problems with tools that once belonged only to developers. And while this movement can feel disruptive, it’s far from chaotic, if embraced the right way.  

This blog isn’t about the hype or the panic. It’s about the shift, cultural, technical, and structural, that low-code platforms like Devum™ are enabling, and what that means for IT teams navigating this change. 

The Builders You Didn’t See Coming

Picture this: A supply chain analyst creates a tool to track delivery anomalies using a drag-and-drop app builder. No developer involved. No backlog delays. Just a quick solution to a specific need. 

That’s the new reality. These builders, known as citizen developers, aren’t trying to replace IT. They’re responding to real problems, often faster than traditional channels allow. It’s not rebellion, it’s resourcefulness. They understand business pain points intimately because they live them every day. With the right tools, they can build prototypes, dashboards, or workflow automations that solve these problems with minimal dependencies.

What’s Fueling the Rise of Citizen Developers

Several forces are converging to make citizen development not just possible, but practical:

• Tool Access: Low-code platforms like Devum™ are now intuitive enough for non-engineers to build sophisticated applications. Visual interfaces, drag-and-drop logic, and pre-built components have lowered the barrier to entry.
• IT Backlogs Are Real: According to Gartner, low-code development platforms are projected to grow by around 19.6% in 2023, reaching roughly US $27 billion—driven largely by organisations seeking to alleviate IT bottlenecks and talent shortages.
• A New Kind of Workforce: Gartner had already forecasted that by 2024, 75% of large enterprises will be using at least four low-code tools, signalling growing tech adoption among business teams, not just IT. 
  

Together, these factors demonstrate that traditional development cycles alone can no longer meet the speed or specificity that modern businesses require.

Innovation Without Governance Is Just Chaos

As the number of citizen developers continues to grow, their impact ripples beyond individual teams. Without proper coordination and oversight, this well-intentioned movement can introduce unexpected complications across the entire organisation: 

• Data Fragmentation: Disconnected apps mean data stored in silos, leading to inconsistent reporting and decision-making.
• Security Risks: Unvetted tools and custom apps can expose the business to compliance and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
• Redundancy: Without coordination, teams might build overlapping tools or workflows, wasting time and effort.
• Scalability Issues: Apps may work for one team but break down when adopted more broadly. 
  

According to Gartner, 80% of low-code users will come from outside IT departments by 2026. Meanwhile, the global low-code/no-code market is expected to reach US $44.5 billion by 2026, growing at a 19% CAGR.

This growth underlines the importance of having clear governance in place to support responsible citizen development. Ignoring this shift can alienate proactive employees and create a culture of dependency and frustration. The key is not elimination or restriction, but thoughtful guidance and structured support from IT. 

The Role of IT Is Evolving, And That’s a Good Thing 

The rise of citizen developers doesn’t diminish IT’s role, it transforms it. IT shifts from being the sole builder to becoming an orchestrator of systems, enabler of innovation, and guardian of standards. This evolution means:

• Less Micromanagement: IT no longer needs to handle every internal tool request, freeing them to focus on security, system integration, and innovation.
• More Strategic Impact: By defining frameworks and guidelines, IT ensures scalability and compliance while helping business teams achieve more.
• Smarter Collaboration: IT becomes a partner rather than a bottleneck, enabling cross-functional projects that would have stalled in the past. 

This new role may be unfamiliar, but it’s necessary. IT becomes the force that scales good ideas, not the gatekeeper that blocks them. 

The Collaboration Model: Guardrails, Not Gatekeeping

Citizen developers thrive when there's structure, not restrictions. A successful collaboration between IT and business teams hinges on providing freedom within boundaries. Here’s how to strike that balance:

• Establish Guardrails Early: IT should define key parameters like security protocols, API access rules, and data privacy standards. These act as the invisible tracks that keep citizen-built apps on course.
• Enable, Don’t Obstruct: Rather than saying "no," IT should equip business teams with certified templates, pre-approved integrations, and sandbox environments to test ideas safely.
• Centralise Visibility: A shared dashboard or app registry can help both IT and business teams track what’s being built, by whom, and for what purpose, reducing duplication and improving governance.
• Invest in Internal Enablement: Create internal champions and documentation. Offer training or office hours to support teams taking on their first app projects.  

When IT becomes an enabler instead of a gatekeeper, it unlocks a distributed, scalable approach to innovation, without sacrificing control or security. 

How Citizen Developers Complement IT Teams? 

• Accelerate Development: Citizen developers can quickly build apps using drag-and-drop tools, reducing development time.
• Boost Agility: They enable faster responses to changing business needs by iterating directly on workflows.
• Enhance Collaboration: Working closely with both IT and business stakeholders ensures relevance and impact.
• Free Up IT Resources: By handling routine applications and reporting tools, they allow IT to focus on architecture and innovation.
• Drive Innovation: Citizen developers bring fresh ideas from the frontline of business operations.
• Maintain Governance: IT sets the security, integration, and compliance standards so apps stay within company guardrails. 

Devum™: Turning Business Users into Builders, the Right Way

Devum™ is designed for exactly this moment, a comprehensive low-code platform that empowers business users without compromising IT oversight. It’s not just about making things easy; it’s about making them right.

Devum™ brings structure and creativity together, giving business teams the power to build while giving IT the tools to scale and govern what they build.

The Future of Software Development Is Cross-Functional

The workplace is evolving, and so are software development teams. We’re entering an era where apps are co-created, not just by full-stack engineers, but also by operations managers, HR leaders, and supply chain analysts. In this cross-functional future:

• Developers work on backend logic, APIs, and scalability.
• Business users design front-end workflows, data structures, and reports.
• IT ensures security, compliance, and consistency. 

This distributed approach increases velocity, relevance, and resilience, helping organizations adapt quickly in a fast-changing environment. 

Final Thoughts: This Is a Cultural Shift, Not a Tech Trend 

Citizen development is not a passing phase; it’s a sign of how the world works now. Organizations that recognize this shift and build the right structure around it will gain an edge in speed, efficiency, and adaptability. The message to IT leaders isn’t to let go, it’s to lean in. Guide the process. Build the guardrails. And help shape a new kind of organization where anyone with insight and initiative can make meaningful software. 

So, here’s the real question: What would your team build, if they didn’t have to wait?