Three years into its digital transformation journey, SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP) has found that the real measure of progress isn’t only in numbers—it’s in how people think, work, and lead change from within.

“What we’re seeing now is a true mindset shift,” said SNAP Chief Information Officer Maria Theresa “Mitch” Cabigon, reflecting on how the company’s digital initiatives have evolved beyond efficiency to empowerment. “We’ve trained 19 citizen developers, with 15 more in progress under our third batch, and it’s been inspiring to see how employees now approach innovation on their own.”

That shift began when SNAP consolidated its fragmented in-house systems into a single, low-code platform built on Kissflow. The move simplified workflows, reduced reliance on external consultants, and gave teams the ability to build and modify their own digital tools.

Before the transition, SNAP’s internal systems were described as “islands,” with data stored in silos and workflows managed manually. Development cycles were long, and even simple updates required extensive IT intervention. “By consolidating into one SaaS solution, we moved the responsibility for security and vulnerability management to Kissflow, allowing us to concentrate on change management and innovation,” Cabigon explained.

The payoff was immediate. SNAP not only achieved a 451% return on investment and a 2.8-month payback period, as validated by a Nucleus Research case study, but also saw deeper operational improvements. More than 114 applications have been developed so far, including digitalized workflows for HR, operations, and maintenance. These changes, Cabigon said, improved visibility across departments and sped up decision-making.

One of the earliest breakthroughs came with the digitization of the “Permit to Work” process, which used to depend on paper forms and physical sign-offs. “Now, approvals and documentation happen seamlessly online, which helps us respond faster to audits and ensures that compliance data is readily available,” she said.

For Rakesh Nandakumar, Associate Vice President for Asia-Pacific at Kissflow, SNAP’s success demonstrates what happens when technology is democratized. “Energy companies are naturally focused on reliability and efficiency,” he said. “What low-code does is allow IT teams to focus on higher-purpose work while empowering users with the agility to adapt processes themselves.”

That empowerment has become the cornerstone of SNAP’s digital culture. Through the Citizen Developers Program, business users outside of IT are now building applications that serve their own departments—streamlining workflows, improving transparency, and fostering accountability. “It’s about making sure everyone feels they have a role in innovation,” Cabigon said. “Our users are now confident to suggest and build solutions.”

Governance, she added, is never sacrificed in the process. The platform’s built-in controls, from audit trails to approval workflows, ensure compliance while still giving employees the freedom to innovate. “Low-code platforms like Kissflow have built-in mechanisms for approvals and audit trails, so organizations can stay compliant while still innovating quickly,” Nandakumar explained. “It’s the balance between flexibility and control that keeps transformation sustainable.”

As SNAP continues to scale its citizen developer community, both leaders are turning their eyes to the future. The next phase involves leveraging the data now flowing through its digital systems for analytics and artificial intelligence—turning process efficiency into predictive insight. “To fully leverage AI, organizations need to be 100% digital,” Nandakumar said. “The groundwork SNAP has laid puts them in a strong position.”

Cabigon echoed that vision, describing a company where innovation becomes second nature. “Ultimately, we want everyone to be a problem-solver,” she said.

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