Why use a decision framework?

Saturday, August 13, 2011 gc 0 Comments

In my view, a decision framework represents a simple, yet potentially powerful, sequence of decisions to make and actions to take. Teams, projects, and clients must navigate effectively when tackling new business opportunities, projects, and technologies. A decision framework structures information in a way that makes it easier for people to make decisions and take actions.


A decision framework can help you...

• Avoid traps and pitfalls such as analysis paralysis
• Converge on the right decision
• Take action
• Do the right thing (most important of all)

For an example of a decision framework, check out this article that I recently wrote for the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN). The article is a decision framework for WCF (Windows Communication Foundation) development. WCF is a unified communication framework in .NET for building connected, service-oriented applications:


The article also contains a couple of previously unpublished patterns: Instrumentation and ServiceProtector. I hope that the framework will help you develop the SOA that is right for your organization and that you also find it engaging.

Please let me know what you think of the decision framework method. I think that it has potential to be used in a lot of areas. I have already started simple decision frameworks for Azure and TFS.

In my view, the decision making process is the key to great design, but perhaps not in the way you that you might think—more to follow.

Enjoy!