Functionality

Functionality is a very general term we use to describe any aspect of our product that performs a task for our end users. In other words, it is the thing that makes a website function. When we say that a request involves or adds functionality, it means that a developer is necessary to complete the request. In another instance, the request is simply to update the look and feel—a design-only change. In this case, we would not call it functionality because it does not change how the component works and does not require a developer to complete it.

Functionality has a number of different levels of complexity:

  • Out-of-the-Box, which means we’ve already built the functionality into our product, and it is intended for reuse with little to no modification. This is the lowest cost option for adding functionality to your website.
  • Customized, which means it is mostly Out-of-the-Box, with minor to moderate tweaks in the way that it works or the content it holds.
  • Completely custom, which means the functionality is being built from scratch for one specific need. This can have a medium to high level of complexity.
  • Integrations and APIs, which means that the functionality requires access to at least one source of data from a vendor, outside server, or other website. This is the highest level of complexity and can become very costly when multiple integrations or APIs are involved, such as BU Dining’s menu and nutrition pages.