In today’s highly competitive age, businesses need to find new ways to streamline operations and boost productivity. Otherwise, it won’t be long before existing clients leave for competitors, while potential leads don’t even consider your business as a viable option.

Undoubtedly, RPA is a great way to streamline operations and enhance the organisation’s productivity. However, like any other technology, RPA requires consistent investments. It will help ensure that the RPA solutions are up-to-date and perform as desired.

Due to the increasing competition among businesses, relying on the RPA team for everything is a recipe for disaster. Too often, they might not have the time or resources to deliver all projects on time. It can reduce an organisation’s competitiveness and even undermine customer confidence.

The best way to deal with this problem is by focusing on citizen development for your RPA projects. This article discusses the top signs that indicate an organisation must focus on citizen development for its RPA needs. Before doing so, let’s quickly delve into the definition of citizen development.

What is Citizen Development?

The simplest definition is that it refers to creating applications or in this case, RPA solutions without relying upon an RPA developer or IT professional. In other words, a non-technical user would be using a no-code/low-code RPA platform to automate tasks for your organisation or for a client.

While this concept is not new, it is picking up steam since the past few years. The reason is due to the shortage of skilled labour. Instead of cutting back operations or compromising on quality, organisations are encouraging their non-technical employees to contribute to the application development process.

This approach not only accelerates the digital transformation but also fosters a culture of innovation throughout the organization. Everyone is responsible for contributing their knowledge and skills to the RPA development process. Although they are bound to be issues initially, they are resolved over time.

When to Focus on Citizen Development?

1. RPA Backlog Bottlenecks

The foremost reason to consider citizen development is when there is a growing backlog of RPA requests. These requests must not be trivial in nature but can hinder an organisation’s progress. For example, a department’s work is on hold due to delayed response from the RPA team.

When departments are waiting for the RPA team to address their needs, it wastes valuable time and resources. In such a situation, citizen development is the ideal solution. The non-technical employees can handle the small-scale problems, allowing seasoned professionals to focus on more complex tasks.

2. Rapidly Changing Business Needs

In today’s dynamic business landscape, only those organisations can survive which are quick to respond to the changing requirements. These requirements can arise from within the organisation as well as the outside. Citizen development provides agility by enabling users to automate processes that cater to specific needs as they arise.

Indeed, this can give any organisation a competitive edge over its competitors. They need not wait for the dedicated RPA team to come up with a solution every time a need arises. Over time, the non-technical professionals will gain the knowledge and expertise to handle more complex requirements.

3. Lack of Technical Resources

Almost every industry is facing a skilled labour shortage. This shortage is more pronounced in the IT and RPA industry. If your organisation is facing a shortage of technical resources, then citizen development may very well be the perfect solution. Citizen development reduces the dependency on these limited resources.

4. Innovative Ideas from the Frontline

The problem with allowing only the RPA team to develop solutions is that there is too much time wastage. First, a business development officer will hold meetings with the client to assess their requirements. These requirements are then communicated to the RPA team who may have questions of their own.

This back and forth can waste valuable time and resources. With citizen development, much of this wastage can be down away with. Employees who interact directly with customers often have unique insights into their needs. They can turn the client’s requirements into reality without the need for extensive technical knowledge.

5. Cost Efficiency

Another sign that an organisation should focus on citizen development is when it is trying to save money. Of course, hiring experienced developers can be quite expensive. Citizen development reduces the need for hiring expert resources. The non-technical resources can create RPA solutions with minimal training.

Over time, the organisation can realise considerable cost-savings. It can use the money to expand its portfolio, reward its employees, and so much more. With RPA vendors increasing their pricing, citizen development can be a great way to reduce the overall cost of RPA ownership.

6. Empowerment and Employee Engagement

Empowering employees to contribute to digital transformation fosters a sense of ownership and engagement. The most notable benefit of citizen development is that it provides the employees with the tools to tackle their own challenges without outside help. It makes the employees feel valued as contributors to the organisation’s growth.

Conclusion

Recognising the signs that indicate the need for citizen development can help organisations make a smooth transition to this approach. Indeed, by leveraging the skills of non-technical resources, business can improve their responsiveness to change and stay ahead in today’s competitive market.

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