#31 - Micro-Frontend Inspired Dependency Management
Streamlining Team Collaboration by Decoupling Dependencies with Micro-Frontend Architecture
The Scenario
Let’s imagine a fictional streaming service, StreamFlow. The product offers a platform for streaming movies and live events via a mobile app and a website. Let’s meet three of the product teams:
Movies: Manages the content library, movie pages, trailers, ratings, etc.
Live Events: Handles live streaming, event pages, registrations, etc.
Platform: Oversees the homepage and core infrastructure.
Here is the team and services structure:
The teams were designed to be autonomous and independent, managing their respective domains. However, a new initiative by the Live Events team challenged this structure: they wanted to feature a 20-second live streaming preview directly on the homepage.
To integrate this new component into the homepage, the Live Events team had to follow the traditional process for managing dependencies:
Define the Requirements.
Review with Platform Team Owners
Review Technical Constraints and Approve Architecture
Write Code and Integration
Test and Approve Code Changes
Deployment Management
While this process maintained team autonomy and ownership, it introduced significant overhead regarding dependencies and integration efforts. Some challenges included:
Ongoing Dependency: Any subsequent changes to the live stream preview required collaboration between the two teams, complicating updates and maintenance.
Split Ownership: The Platform Team managed the frontend application, while the Live Events team controlled the backend streaming functionality, leading to fragmented end-to-end oversight.
Alternative Scenario
Let’s consider an alternative scenario inspired by micro-frontends.
Micro-frontends are an architectural approach that deconstructs a large web application into smaller, independent modules. Different teams can develop, test, and deploy each module separately.
With this approach, here's how the application structure might look based on the team's domain:
With this new structure inspired by micro-frontends, the StreamFlow homepage application is now managed by the Platform Team, which also incorporates components from the Movies and Live Events teams.
For instance, imagine the homepage features a dedicated section or "strip" that displays content controlled by the Live Events team. This strip can show various live events or previews based on an agreed-upon contract and scope.
By defining clear contracts between the teams, the Live Events team can work more freely without the overhead of integrating their work with the Platform team. This approach mirrors insights shared previously about APIs and Deadlocks.
Takeaways
We can apply the core principles of micro-frontends, especially the phrase “loosely coupled yet highly cohesive,” to general teamwork.
Change Roles and Responsibilities
The Marketing Team often needs to run ad campaigns and update the website's promotional content, requiring frequent involvement from the Development Team.
To reduce this dependency, the Development Team implemented a Content Management System (CMS) and provided tools that allow the Marketing Team to manage ads and promotional content independently.
This change in architecture (implementing a CMS) led to a shift in the Marketing Team's responsibilities, ultimately reducing their dependency on the Development Team.
Define Better Contract
The Sales Team frequently requests new features or modifications from the Product Team based on customer feedback and needs. This often disrupts the Product Team's workflow and priorities.
The Product Team established a structured process and clear guidelines for feature requests to reduce this dependency. The process included templates, supporting tools, and recurring meetings with offline status updates.
This change in contract (new process and communication) led to better collaboration with minimal disruptions for both parties.
All-In Taskforce
In some cases, close coordination and frequent communication are essential. The team identified multiple partners and teams involved for a new product launch, requiring tight collaboration.
The company formed a cross-functional task force dedicated to the project, including members from each relevant department. With clear roles, regular sync meetings, and supporting tools, they reduced the friction of inter-departmental dependencies.
This structural change (new cross-functional team) addressed the challenges of having multiple teams on the same project, helping to push it forward faster.
Conclusion
By illustrating a technical problem solved by micro-frontend architecture, I showed how dependencies can be managed by changing roles and responsibilities, defining better contracts, and forming cross-functional task forces. Identifying such challenges in advance and acting upon them will help you streamline team collaboration and enhance efficiency.