In today's fast-paced digital world, adapting and innovating is crucial for businesses to stay competitive.   

While the classical software development process can sometimes be time-consuming and - more often not - complicated, we recognise the untapped potential to drive innovation at every level.

This is why Accesa embraced the new approach that empowers our client's employees to build their own stand-alone applications and contribute to cutting-edge solutions tailored to their unique business needs, regardless of their department. Since its adoption, this strategy has proven its value in the financial industry, as we'll show in this article. But first — the big question.

What is a citizen developer? 

Citizen developers are more business users than software engineers. Then, you might ask, how come the responsibility of designing and developing applications would be thrown their way? The answer is simple: people and their business needs are at the centre of software development. Who could better define, design and contribute to the implementation process?

While the traditional development process revolves around Software Engineers, advancements in technology have brought forth multiple Low-Code/No-Code platforms, such as Microsoft Power Platforms, where a business user could bring their own contribution to the development.

Creating a new input form is easy - simply drag and drop the field types and descriptions you need. When configuring a new flow, just use the drag-and-drop feature to implement building blocks created by software developers. It really is that simple.

The main goal is to depend less on writing code and more on business-oriented configuration options. As such, users have more power than ever to improve or even create the digital solutions they need to stay competitive.

With Microsoft Power Platforms, hands-on training sessions, insightful workshops and personalised guidance provided by Accesa, the newly formed citizen developers can define, build, and adopt a solution with very little dedicated engineering help.

Accesa's journey with citizen developers

Let us explore each phase of our proven process for enabling citizen developers and its transformative impact on organisations across the financial industry.

Our process begins with understanding and validating our client's needs and goals. Moving to the design proposal stage, we focus on laying a foundation for a tailored approach and considering the technical specifications. Once the timeline, budget and start date are all set, we move on to the education phase in which our experts provide our clients with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed as citizen developers.

Our commitment to empowering citizen developers does not stop there. We understand that ongoing support is essential for long-term success. This is why we offer continuous guidance, mentorship, and assistance whenever our clients are facing technical challenges or if they are simply interested in optimising their solutions.

Embarking on a journey through innovation, let us explore three examples of solutions brought to life by citizen developers with the support of our expert team.

Centralisation App

Efficient Document Management: The app focuses on optimising the process of centralising financial documents, making it easier for employees to access and manage relevant documents.

This improves efficiency by reducing the time spent searching for documents across multiple systems or locations. This also leads to cost savings and better internal collaboration.

CorE - Managing the standards compliance of all subsidiaries

Streamlined Communication: The app provides a centralised platform for the main bank to efficiently disseminate essential information to all subsidiaries.

This simplifies communication channels and ensures that everyone receives consistent and up-to-date information in a timely manner. By using the app to distribute standards, policies, and regulatory updates, we also improved compliance.

As the communication is centralised and the document distribution is made through the app, this also leads to cost and time savings.

Customisable Survey Application

Employee Engagement and Feedback: The app allows bank employees to send surveys internally while also facilitating communication and engagement within the organisation.

Employees feel empowered to share their feedback, opinions, and suggestions. The app also helps with employee satisfaction and retention by requiring feedback and considering valuable ideas shared after completing the survey. Another relevant aspect is related to the enhancement of decision-making as it becomes easier for leaders to use this data to make informed strategic decisions.

These examples show the transformative potential of citizen developers empowered by Accesa.

By democratising app development and providing comprehensive support, we are enabling individuals to drive innovation, solve complex challenges and unlock new opportunities within their organisations.

Together, we are shaping a future where creativity knows no bounds, and every idea can become reality quickly and has the power to make a difference.