By actively engaging business stakeholders in integration projects, IT can deliver strategic value and reduce risk to the enterprise by investing in an enterprise-class General Automation Platform. Citizen IT activities are here to stay. As Gartner states, “Citizen IT activities are here to stay.”[3] As such IT teams increasingly face a dangerous choice. On one hand, they can choose to risk severe security and governance issues as shadow IT teams experiment with risky, homegrown solutions. On the other hand, IT teams can choose to successfully partner with citizen IT to use a modern, enterprise- class General Automation Platform that adheres to IT’s governance, security, and scalability requirements. Key capabilities for General Automation for IT and Business users The capabilities of General Automation Platform providers can vary. While not exhaustive, this section provides a baseline set of functional capabilities that IT teams should evaluate when looking to acquire a new GAP solution. The most effective platforms blend business-user usability with robust IT governance. We recommend IT leaders ensure their solution meets their organization’s unique business needs with an in-depth priority checklist, such as the one following this page.