TL;DR: Traditional IT‑first automation models are slowing under the weight of backlogs, skill shortages and long delivery times. Business‑user‑first (citizen development) approaches—where business users build under IT governance—deliver faster, cheaper and more scalable results. Real-world cases, such as Shell, demonstrate that governed citizen development can save millions and unlock innovation. Success requires strong guardrails and collaboration between IT and business.

Digital transformation is now a global priority for leadership and a matter of survival. Yet the rush to digitise has created escalating backlogs within IT departments and a shortage of skilled developers. Forrester researchers estimate that the U.S. alone will face a deficit of 500,000 software developers by 2024. As companies grapple with resource constraints, low‑code and no‑code platforms have emerged as a way to empower citizen developers—business users who create applications using visual tools.

IT-first: Centralised control and its limits

Under an IT‑first model, central IT teams own the entire automation lifecycle. They gather requirements, design integrations, write code, test and deploy solutions. This ensures technical rigour and control, but the model struggles when every business unit relies on a single team:

• Growing backlogs and skill shortages. The digital‑transformation wave has created an upswing in IT backlogs. KPMG reports that only 24 % of low‑code users had any prior development experience and that many IT professionals plan to deliver ten or more apps, yet the average development time remains five months per application. Meanwhile, 42 % of IT professionals anticipate delivering more than ten apps but face delays. Forrester researchers warn of a looming shortfall of 500,000 software developers in the U.S., underscoring the challenge of staffing a purely IT‑centric model.

• Slow time‑to‑value. When IT teams are responsible for understanding every business process and delivering bespoke code, development cycles stretch. Large enterprises typically require months to deliver new apps—KPMG notes that the average project takes five months or more. Such timelines cannot keep pace with rapidly changing market conditions.

• Limited scale. Even as demand grows, IT capacity remains fixed. The backlog of enhancement projects continues to grow, and only a fraction of proposed automations ever get implemented. Central teams often prioritise mission‑critical projects, leaving smaller process improvements unaddressed.

Business-user-first: Empowering citizen developers with guardrails

The business‑user‑first approach—also called citizen development—gives domain experts the tools to build and automate their own solutions while IT establishes governance. Research suggests this model is already widespread: nearly 60 % of custom applications are now built outside IT, and 30 % are created by employees with limited or no technical skills. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 80 % of low‑code users will be business professionals rather than IT staff.

Key advantages of this model include:

• Faster development and higher adoption. Business users are closest to the processes they want to automate, so they can iterate quickly without lengthy hand‑offs. KPMG notes that 79 % of organisations build a web application within a year using citizen‑developer programmes. Because users build the tools they need, adoption rates tend to be higher than centrally developed solutions.

• Bridging the translation gap. Citizen developers understand both the business context and the problem at hand. Subject‑matter experts can articulate requirements and craft solutions without relying on scarce IT translators. This reduces miscommunication and speeds up delivery.

• Cost and resource efficiency. By distributing development across the organisation, companies relieve pressure on IT teams and reduce the need for large developer headcount. Low‑code/no‑code platforms reduce development costs, accelerate time‑to‑market and decrease the “translation” problems between business and IT.

• Room for innovation. When employees are free to automate repetitive tasks, they can focus on higher‑value work. The low‑code market’s 28 % annual growth rate reflects the appetite for such innovation.

Case study: Shell’s citizen-developer movement

One of the most visible examples of business‑user‑first automation is at Shell. Shell launched a “DIY” software‑development initiative using Microsoft Power Platform to enable any employee to build apps. Shell initially aimed to train 500 citizen developers, but the programme quickly scaled beyond expectations. By 2023 the company had trained more than 6,500 employees and over 4,000 of them were actively developing applications. Shell’s citizen developers have built over 75 new applications with more than 200 additional apps in the pipeline.

The impact has been tangible. Shell reports that citizen‑developer solutions have saved millions of dollars and improved safety and reliability across business lines. A Microsoft case study notes that DIY developers built solutions to provide customers with transparent CO₂‑emissions data, automate furnace‑energy optimisation at the Shell Chemicals Park Moerdijk and streamline lifting‑permit approvals—reducing approval time from 2.5 hours to about one hour. Shell’s head of citizen development, Paul Kobylanski, says the initiative empowers the business to deliver value IT cannot always reach and allows IT to focus on strategic programmes.

Other examples

KPMG’s review of low‑code deployments lists several organisations that achieved rapid results. A large retail bank in Australia rolled out 23 enterprise applications at a rate of more than one per month; an international airport in the U.S. delivered 18 new apps in nine months; a healthcare organisation developed a spend‑management platform in under nine months with a single developer; and a financial services company built a loan‑eligibility app for pandemic relief in six days. These examples demonstrate that, with the right platform and governance, citizen‑developer programmes can deliver enterprise‑grade solutions quickly and at low cost.

Governance and risk management

Empowering business users to build software does not mean abandoning control. KPMG emphasises that low‑code adoption must be accompanied by governance, risk and control procedures. Potential risks include application sprawl, duplicated functionality and security vulnerabilities. To address these, organisations should:

• Maintain an application inventory to track citizen‑built apps and prevent duplication.

• Enforce role‑based access and permissions to protect sensitive systems.

• Provide training and a centre of excellence, starting with blended IT–business teams and evolving into ongoing training programmes.

Academic research echoes this need for balance: although citizen developers reduce the burden on IT, they still require support and governance. The combination allows IT specialists to focus on critical projects while business teams handle local innovation.

Conclusion

The surge in digital transformation has overwhelmed traditional IT‑first automation models. Backlogs, developer shortages and long delivery times make it difficult for central IT teams to satisfy growing demand. Low‑code/no‑code platforms and citizen‑developer programmes offer a way forward by distributing development to those who understand the business. Market forecasts and academic research show that most low‑code users will soon come from outside IT, and examples like Shell demonstrate that governed citizen development can deliver rapid, high‑value applications at scale. However, success depends on robust governance, training and collaboration between business and IT. Organisations that embrace a business‑user‑first architecture—where business users create and IT governs—will be better positioned to accelerate digital transformation, reduce backlogs and unlock innovation.

Business users create. IT governs. Both teams win.

Sources

• Muma Business Review 2024: Digital transformation, IT backlogs, skill shortages, low‑code growth, Gartner 2026 forecast.

• KPMG 2022: Low‑code adoption, developer shortages, time‑to‑value, governance practices, case studies.

• Forrester Research: U.S. developer shortfall forecast.

• Shell Global & Microsoft case studies: Shell’s 6,500 trainees, 4,000 active citizen developers, 75+ applications, millions saved, emissions and safety apps.