I recently faced a challenge while troubleshooting an issue with a robotic process automation (RPA) solution I developed. The problem involved incompatible data in a database table, which caused the automation to fail.
I could have altered the data in the table, but it would likely be overwritten in subsequent runs, leading to the same issue. The ideal solution was to trace the data back to its source through a series of SQL statements and handle it there. However, this process was time-consuming due to the complexity of the statements. Fortunately, I had a unique advantage: a citizen developer had collaborated on these statements. By simply asking the citizen developer about the data’s origin, I was able to resolve the issue quickly.
Citizen development is often viewed as an alternative approach to traditional software development. Companies embracing citizen development typically employ full-time software engineers to tackle major enterprise challenges while empowering citizen developers to use development tools for addressing their own issues.
In a well-functioning organization, citizen developers collaborate with full-time developers for technical assistance, creating a scenario where individuals with business knowledge expand their technical skill set.
As a software engineering consultant, I’m usually comfortable with my technical abilities, but I continuously strive to understand business processes better. My collaboration with citizen developers has allowed me to shorten the learning curve in these situations. As citizen developers grow and acquire more technical knowledge, their roles within the enterprise evolve. They become bridges between business knowledge and technical expertise.
Intelligent automation is about matching problems with solutions, and success relies heavily on effective communication. The more each side understands the other, the better the solutions can be. When citizen developers, who are already well-versed in business processes, learn the technical language, they become invaluable translators. They’re not just an additional workforce, they’re facilitators of the entire program, enhancing process automation through their unique position at the intersection of business and technology.