This article describes our vision of the future of software development using the Novulo platform. It elaborates on techniques for using Novulo applications as data sources for (parts of) other Novulo applications, allowing applications to be "clustered."
In any organization, multiple departments will require their own specific interface. It is true that this can be done from a single large Novulo application, but there are advantages to using several smaller applications. In most organizations, several separate applications will be used, often with redundant data. What if data could be "borrowed" from other applications? It would remove redundancy, speed up the development process, and allow developers to create a landscape of applications working together in perfect harmony.
Consider a company that has a sales and administration department. The sales team has a typical sales application, focusing on leads, opportunities, etc. Once a contract has been signed, the order goes to administration and the data is then entered in the typical administration application. Obviously, by working in the same application, the process can be streamlined by all departments.
However, the involvement of business in the design process means that in maintenance, small changes and tweaks will be frequently released. It is easier to create a new release of the application supporting the sales process than to have to update one large application. Distribution of functionality over multiple applications better reflects the construction of separate departments, each with their specific goals and workflow, working together in one environment.