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Tim Kosacek (tkosacek at domain visioninfo.com)
Software Architect, Vision Information Services (www.visioninfo.com)

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I have noticed that the deployed shopping cart has needed minimal upkeep from us.

It has been argued that OFBiz is "too much framework for what we need", but one of the greatest benefits that I have seen is that when multiple modules are using the same framework and data model, a common vocabulary develops. I can go and ask about a module I have no experience with, and as soon as they start talking about "work efforts" and "contact methods", I immediately understand 90% of what they are doing. They don't have to spend time developing/explaining their data schemas. I believe that it has saved us time already, and that it will save us more time as projects mature and new projects deploy.

One of our key marketing points is our ability to quickly "brand" a product with a new customers look and feel and then deploy it fairly quickly. The OFBiz framework has much of this ability already built in.

We could have developed the things that OFBiz offers, but if a tool exists, why build the tool from scratch? We have been able to concentrate on new features rather than concentrate on whether or not the controller we just built is working correctly.

Deployed Shopping Cart (in use since Q1 2002) - $60 Million Company
Deployed Shopping Cart and User Tools - $40 Million Company

Live site: Discovery Toys
Ken Fultz (ken.fultz@icentris.com)
*Vice-President of Information Technology,
iCentris, Inc (*www.icentris.com)

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