Introduction
Imagine a scenario where you're a business professional for a growing company. You've got brilliant ideas to streamline operations, improve client engagement, and even revolutionize your products or services. There's only one catch – you don't have a background in computer science, and these ideas require sophisticated, enterprise-grade applications.
Sounds familiar? You're not alone. Many business innovators find themselves halted by the barriers of technical implementation. However, I'm here to tell you this needn't be the case. Welcome to a space where innovation meets simplicity, where ideas come to life without the constraint of coding proficiency. Welcome to the exciting world of Low-Code/No-Code (LCNC) and Citizen Development.
Whether you aim to build interactive business websites, automate complex processes, or develop intuitive applications, LCNC tools are your gateway to turning those grand ideas into reality. Best of all, you don't need a degree in computer science to navigate this path.
LCNC and Citizen Development at a Glance
Low-code/no-code (LCNC) tools are a game-changer. They let you develop applications with little or no coding. How? By offering an intuitive drag-and-drop functionality that allows you to leverage pre-built components (or, as I refer to them, “pre-coded” elements) on a blank canvas. You then construct the logic by visually connecting different components and defining actions – it's much like creating a slide deck. Actions could range from sending an email to a host of other functionalities.
The LCNC approach democratizes the field of application development, empowering non-IT professionals to create applications, automate processes, or build business solutions. It's this capability that gives rise to Citizen Developers.
With SAP Build, SAP offers three unified products – SAP Build Apps, SAP Build Process Automation, and SAP Build Work Zone – that facilitate application creation, process automation, and business site construction. These products are designed to work in harmony, fostering collaboration between professional developers and citizen developers in what we term "fusion team development".
With its four quadrants, the following matrix will guide your decision-making on whether a low-code, no-code, pro-code, or hybrid approach best suits your project.
The four LCNC Quadrants
Citizen developers, usually lacking the technical background of professional developers, can effectively leverage Low-Code/No-Code tools with a strong emphasis on pre-built content to rapidly meet business requirements.
On the other hand, professional developers looking to create business applications with high productivity and minimal customizations can benefit from a low-code/no-code approach, capitalizing on low-code tools for swift creation and high productivity.
Contrastingly, some professional developers may need a higher level of customization and flexibility during the application development process due to unique business requirements. Their robust development skills equip them to employ the pro-code approach, writing source code and utilizing various frameworks.
Importantly, these approaches are not mutually exclusive. They can merge in a hybrid approach, where Citizen Developers and professional developers form Fusion Teams, utilizing both LCNC and pro-code tools to deliver the best of both worlds. SAP Build sets itself apart by offering an integrated, seamless experience across all its products, facilitating collaboration critical for fusion team development.
Your Free Learning Roadmap to Become a Citizen Developer
The roadmap below is designed to help aspiring citizen developers navigate their learning journey with SAP Build. We have created a comprehensive curriculum of different learning journeys, providing the required foundational training and specialized in-depth resources to become a true citizen developer and quickly get you up to speed. Think of this as your go-to guide to navigating the world of LCNC and SAP Build with ease.
New Learning Curriculum for SAP Build
The beginner learning journey "Compose and Automate with SAP Build the No-Code Way" provides an excellent foundation for those completely new to SAP Build. It will introduce you to the world of low-code and no-code development using SAP Build, guiding you to easily create apps, automate processes, and design captivating business sites. Completing this journey will earn you a social badge to proudly display your newfound skills!
To dive deeper into each product specifically, there are tailor-made learning journeys on an intermediate level, teaching you all the products' core capabilities and packed with plenty of hands-on exercises, tips, and tricks to help you become a real SAP Builder! After going through the prerequisite beginner learning journey, you can pick one of the following tracks to master each product:
- SAP Build Apps Learning Journey (APP400)
- SAP Build Process Automation Learning Journey (SPA400)
- SAP Build Work Zone Learning Journey (WZ200)
- SAP Build Apps & Key User Extensibility Learning Journey (APP410)
Outlook
As of early Q2 2023, there will also be a new learning journey in the SAP Build learning curriculum with a strong focus on general concepts on key user extensibility and SAP BTP extensions, specifically with SAP Build solutions. Simply put, this learning journey covers aspects of fusion team development. More information on this can be found in this blog post soon.
In mid-Q3, we will retire the existing "Utilize SAP Build for Low-Code/No-Code Applications and Automation for Citizen Development" program. However, we have restructured this intermediate and certificate-level learning journey into multiple courses catering more effectively to specific role-based learning requirements. As illustrated and explained earlier, our new beginner-level learning journey is the ideal starting point for mastering SAP Build. Upon completion, you can then freely enroll in one of our intermediate-level tracks. Additionally, you will be able to take on the challenge of obtaining an official SAP certification, showcasing your proficiency in specific skills. If you currently possess a certification from the previous curriculum, there is no need for concern. Rest assured that all certifications issued by SAP Learning remain valid for a duration of five years, regardless of any updates or changes made to our course offerings. In any case, I highly recommend checking our new learning journeys regularly to stay current.
So what are you waiting for? Start your citizen developer path now with our free learning journeys on learning.sap.com.
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