Most of the engineers and developers I know are fond of using web frameworks and would switch to using one when they have the option. But, for many developers it's not as simple as just choosing one and developing with it. They have to get leadership to buy into a different system from the one they are already using. So, let's look at web frameworks from 4 of the big decision points for managers. Looking at these points will help us see that web frameworks are not just something for developers to get behind but something that supports and can help improve on the goals of leadership at the same time.
Cost
Cost is an issue for any organization. Cutting costs while putting out a solid product is something leadership is always looking for. This is one place web frameworks shine. They cut costs in several areas and allow you to do more with the same amount of money you would have spent building without one.
As we follow along with the other elements we will see how cost is tied to each one and we will see both a benefit due to lower development expenses and a positive opportunity cost.
Schedule
Web frameworks help you build applications faster. Many include functionality you would have built anyway. They all take care of tedious work that slows down developers. I've seen web sites and web applications built in anywhere from 4 to 10 times faster than without a framework.
Schedule ties back into cost. Being able to roll out sites, applications, and features faster means there is less development cost. Plus, there is a positive difference in opportunity cost.
Quality
Quality is an important issue in any organization. No one wants to put out a low quality product. Using web frameworks increases quality. All of the top frameworks have unit testing tools. This allows you to test out your creation. Aside from the unit testing, when you use a framework there are hundreds or thousands of people who are testing, using the same framework, finding issues, and fixing bugs in the base framework making for a more stable and bug free base to your product.
This, again, ties back to cost. When you use a web framework there is less cost in testing. They make it easy to test and there are many more people testing the base your product is built on.
It, also, ties to schedule. Part of the shorter schedule to build the application is the built in testing and less time to fix bugs as there are others who are fixing them along side you.
Scope
Using web frameworks means less time to roll out a product and a product that has increased quality. That means you have more time and money to add more features and refine the the existing ones based on feedback. For the same budget and same time you could have built something from the ground up a framework lets you do it with more scope included.
This benefit to cost, schedule, quality, and scope applies to any organization. Whether it's a big business or a tiny church there is a benefit. If you haven't considered using a web framework before now is a great time to consider the switch.
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