Citizen Development and Common Platforms: The Firm-R Case

This chapter investigates citizen development in semiconductor manufacturing through the case of Firm-R. Semiconductor production involves highly complex processes where operational problems frequently emerge as subtle deviations rather than clearly defined system requirements. Traditional IT-driven digitalization often struggles in such environments because the translation between engineering knowledge and digital artifacts is slow and incomplete. Firm-R addresses this challenge by enabling engineers and operational specialists to build digital tools themselves while relying on common platforms that ensure data integrity and system integration. Citizen development allows frontline actors to translate operational hypotheses into dashboards, applications, and analytical views that support rapid experimentation and problem-solving. At the same time, platform governance prevents fragmentation by providing shared data layers and standardized interfaces with enterprise systems. The case demonstrates how decentralized digital creation and centralized architectural governance can coexist, allowing organizations to expand digital innovation capacity without sacrificing coherence. Citizen development thus functions as a capability-building mechanism within the ADX framework.