How can the concept of Citizen Developers be established in banks? Based on our experience in customer projects, we highlight 5 key aspects for successful implementation. Learn how Citizen Developers drive innovation, increase efficiency, and support Digital Transformation in banking with no-code platforms.
Establishing the Concept of Citizen Developer with
the Microsoft Power Platform in Banks
In the dynamic world of financial services, adaptability is essential. One strategy that is becoming increasingly important in this context is the concept of Citizen Developers: employees without formal programming skills who create simple applications and automation solutions to improve business processes. These can be integrated into the Platform Center of Excellence (CoE) as a new component.
There are five key aspects to consider when introducing the concept of Citizen Developers in banks.
Establishment of clear guidelines and governance structures
The introduction of Citizen Development requires clear guidelines and governance structures to ensure that the developed solutions are secure, reliable, and compliant with regulatory requirements. This includes the definition of standards for development, the review and approval of applications as well as the continuous monitoring and maintenance of the developed solutions.
The Power Platform also comes with several features that support the process and compliance with governance. Among other things, a data loss prevention policy can be used to block or allow the use of Power Platform connectors. This can contribute to monitoring the data flow.
An environment strategy and a rights role model within the Power Platform ensure that the defined application lifecycle management (ALM) process is adhered to.
Promoting a culture of innovation and learning
The first step in establishing Citizen Developers in banks is to create a culture that encourages innovation and continuous learning. Through such a culture, banks can encourage their employees to explore new technologies and develop creative solutions to existing challenges. It is a good approach to build a platform and community for citizen developers where they can exchange ideas with each other. The focus here is on helping people to help themselves
A standardized basic training gives the prospective Citizen Developers an initial insight into the Microsoft Power Platform modules. The employees create a simple use case that combines all modules of the Power Platform - Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Copilot Studio and Power Pages. In the subsequent hackathon, department-specific use cases are developed in side-by-side coaching and implemented by the citizen developers. Within the community, the users present their use cases and thus inspire and support each other.
Provision of tools and resources
In order to effectively support their citizen developers, banks must provide suitable tools and platforms. These tools should be user-friendly and enable employees to develop applications without in-depth programming knowledge like low-code or no-code platforms, for instance.
Moreover, it is advisable to provide templates and ressources that facilitate getting started with digital development. For Power Apps and Power Automate in particular, template solutions with best practices should be offered that already contain extensive design options and functions. The Pipelines feature allows the Citizen Developer to effectively control the ALM process. Power Platform administrators are supported in managing and monitoring the Power Platform with the help of the Center of Excellence Starter Kit.
Facilitating collaboration between IT and business departments
Close collaboration between IT departments and business units is crucial to the success of Citizen Development. IT should act as a mentor and supporter, helping Citizen Developers to overcome technical challenges while ensuring that the solutions developed are compatible with the existing IT infrastructure and strategy.
To strengthen this cooperation, it is advisable to bring together representatives from all areas and define a CoE as an organizational unit that drives the further development and governance of the Power Platform. This also includes jointly coordinating and establishing the overarching process from the idea to deployment between IT and the specialist departments. The Almato Power Backlog App precisely supports this process and serves as a central instance for collecting and evaluating use cases on the Power Platform and maintaining their status.
Measuring success and continuous improvement
Finally, it is important to measure the success of Citizen Development initiatives and make continuous improvements. This can be done by setting clear goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as improving process efficiency, reducing development costs, or increasing employee satisfaction. Regular feedback and iterative improvements help to adapt and optimize the program. Power Platform analysis and monitoring tools can be used to support this continuous optimization process. The Almato KPI App provides a comprehensive set of reports that show the success and challenges on the Power Platform and can be made available to various stakeholders.
Conclusion
Establishing the concept of citizen developers in banks is a promising approach to facilitate innovation and accelerate digital transformation. By setting clear guidelines, creating a culture of learning, providing the right tools and resources, fostering collaboration between IT and business departments, and measuring success, banks can maximize the benefits of this approach. By empowering employees to act as citizen developers, banks can not only increase their efficiency and agility, but also create a deeper connection between technology and business.