• Ever wondered what ERP is or how its software works?
• Not sure whether your business can benefit from a custom ERP system?
• What if you don’t know how to set up a custom ERP for your brand?

Each of these difficulties can be tough to overcome by themselves. While 81% of ERP projects produce high ROI for companies, that leaves 19% of ERP projects that could go off the rails if you don’t know where to start! A less-than-stellar ERP platform could cause you to waste a lot of time and money, leaving your business in jeopardy.

Fortunately, we’re here to help. We know everything there is about integrating complex ERP software tools and other software solutions into existing tech stacks and architecture. We also know what goes into designing and implementing a custom ERP solution that works specifically for your brand and its unique needs.

In this article, we’ll break down what ERP software is, why it’s so beneficial, and how you can design and implement a custom ERP solution for your brand in no time. Let’s begin!

Enterprise Resource Planning Explained

In a nutshell, enterprise resource planning is a type of software or tech solution that helps organizations manage their business operations and day-to-day procedures. Depending on the ERP platform you use, it might offer tools for or help you accomplish tasks like:

• Inventory management
• Accounting
• Logistics management
• Employee management
• And more

If you design and use the right enterprise resource planning system, you can see a variety of benefits like improved productivity, better collaboration, superior customer service, and faster decision-making. All of these will help your business serve its customers better than ever before and scale up to become bigger over time.

Most ERP platforms include some common features and tools, such as:

• A common database that lets businesses centralize the information from across different departments or sections
• Automation tools, which frees up extra time for your workers and speeds up order processing, invoicing, etc.
• Data analysis tools, which allow you to better understand your business and your customers
• Integration with third-party software solutions
• CRM or customer relationship management. Many ERP tools come with CRM modules that allow you to track and manage customer data for better customer interactions and loyalty
• HR modules and tools for handling employee management and onboarding tasks
• Supply chain management modules, which help you with manufacturing, logistics, and distribution tasks so the flow of goods never stops

At its core, every ERP platform is meant to optimize, streamline, and automate business processes to boost your profitability and improve your overall operational efficiency. It’s in your best interest to make and integrate custom ERP software soon – more than 53% of businesses look at ERP as one of the most important sectors for future investments.

Types of ERPs

Depending on your needs, your brand can build one of several types of enterprise resource planning software solutions. The most common types of ERPs include:

• On-premise ERP, which lets you control everything since it’s based at your business’s physical location
• Cloud-based ERP, which is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution. You and your team members access the ERP from afar
• Hybrid ERP, which includes elements from both of the above types
• Open source ERP, which is free and inexpensive, but isn’t custom-tailored to your business’s exact needs or specifications

Each of these ERP platform types could be what your brand needs depending on your goals. For example, a cloud-based ERP might be ideal if you don’t have the infrastructure, space, or resources to build and maintain the architecture necessary for a full enterprise resource planning platform. However, this requires giving up control over your ERP to a third party (not necessarily a bad thing if you trust that party).

And on-premise ERP, on the other hand, is one that you build and totally control. This is more possible if you have extensive resources you can devote to such an approach, though it does require you to maintain the servers and hardware associated with your platform in perpetuity.

Any ERP platform type could work for your brand. Take a hard look at your needs and resources to come to the right conclusion.

When Do You Need a Custom ERP?

If you haven’t built a custom enterprise resource planning system before, you might not know that you need this software. However, you can look at your business and how it performs to determine whether a custom ERP system is something you can benefit from.

Good signs that you need a custom ERP include:

• Your current software tech stack isn’t letting you grow or hit your objectives, especially as you scale your brand. This could be because of tech limitations, increased visitor traffic, or something else
• You have a lot of disparate systems that don’t play well together. This can happen if you start with a very small company and gradually add new tools to the mix. Eventually, however, those tools need to be able to function more completely with each other
• You aren’t meeting customer expectations. A well-designed, custom ERP solution could help your brand function smoother and more efficiently than ever, helping you deliver better products and services to your target audience group

If you notice one or all of these signs, looking into a custom ERP could be a wise choice. 

The Benefits of a Custom ERP for Your Business

In addition, a custom enterprise resource planning system could provide your business with many different benefits, especially over the years to come. If your brand is looking to expand and scale up, possibly into a global business, a custom ERP could provide advantages like:

• Higher business agility/scalability. The larger your business grows, the more you’ll need a software platform that can grow with you. Excellent enterprise resource planning systems can do just that, expanding and growing alongside your brand to provide increasing assistance
• Faster, more efficient business operations. By tying all of your tech tools together and letting you plan your enterprise’s resources from a centralized dashboard or platform, you’ll be better able to leverage your growing business’s people, processes, and materials to accomplish truly great things
• Improve customer satisfaction. Naturally, by providing better products and services, your customers may also provide you with better reviews and an overall superior brand reputation. In the long run, this can help you bring new customers to your brand, driving a positive feedback loop where you make more money and build your loyal customer base simultaneously
• Better employee productivity. In keeping with the above, enterprise resource planning systems oftentimes result in better employee production records and task times. By giving your employees the tools they need to thrive, your brand will achieve greater heights

In essence, a custom ERP could be what your business needs to stick out in a competitive market and reach its maximum potential. Given this fact, there’s no reason not to consider designing a custom ERP soon, especially if you have a little extra cash to spare.

How to Build a Custom ERP

To build a custom enterprise resource planning system for your specific business, you’ll want to keep these steps in mind and follow them closely. By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your eventual tool solves all of your business’s needs and is highly usable by each of your core employees.

Define Your Requirements and Tech Stack

First, you’ll want to carefully define the requirements you need from your ERP software. For instance, if your company currently struggles with logistics and supply chain management, it’s a no-brainer to include some comprehensive, robust supply chain management modules in your new software solution.

You’ll also want to take into account all the tech solutions and software programs you currently use to solve problems. That’s because, ideally, your ERP system will integrate perfectly with those other software solutions or programs. The last thing you want is for your “collaborative” system to not play nice with other programs or tech tools.

You’ll also want to define more personal requirements, like:

• Who needs to access the ERP system? Is everyone in your business or just managers? If it’s the latter, a good security system or two-factor authentication login protocol is a wise idea
• Should your ERP platform be easy to navigate through and intuitive? If that’s the case, you’ll want to double down on an easy-to-use interface that everyone in your company will feel comfortable using
• How much time and money can you devote to the ERP’s development and implementation? This could be a big project for your business, so answer these questions before contracting a development team

Consider Mobile Use

As a side note, determine whether your ERP system needs to be used via mobile devices, not just desktop computers. That’s because mobile interfaces can be drastically different from their desktop counterparts.

A mobile ERP interface needs to be smaller and load just as quickly as a desktop interface, without having nearly as much space or computing resources to do so. A desktop-only enterprise resource planning system may allow your business to take advantage of higher power processes or tools, but it sacrifices flexibility and team agility in doing so.

Again, either approach – a mobile-friendly ERP or a desktop-only ERP – can work. You should just decide which you wish to build. That way, your custom enterprise resource planning system is truly tailored to your business’s requirements.

Work with an ERP Development Service

By far the most important step in this process is to pick and work with the right partner. A good enterprise software developer and service or web development team can make all the difference in the overall outcome of your project and whether your ERP system is truly worthwhile.

Even better, good developers can even update legacy programs and software to make sure it works with your modernized ERP solution. Because of this, you should contact an ERP development team before you get into the nitty-gritty of platform coding, programming, or other development aspects.

Ideally, your ERP development team will:

• Have plenty of experience in enterprise resource planning software development
• Know how to integrate your existing tech stack into your new, crossroads software
• Be able to account for your business’s limitations or requirements

Ask a team about these topics before hiring them. It takes a little extra time but will guarantee that your eventual ERP system is well worth it for your business.

That’s why many brands trust Flatlogic. Our experienced web development specialists can help you launch your project faster than ever with scalable architecture and thoughtful interfaces that your users – whether they are frontline employees, supervisors, or both – enjoy.

Blueprint Your UI/UX

Now it’s time to draw up a blueprint of your UI or user interface and the UX or user experience. Both of these will affect:

• What your ERP look and feels like to use
• How easy your ERP is to use for your employees and others
• How well your ERP works with the third-party programs mentioned above

That last point is especially crucial. For example, if you are making an ERP platform for desktops at your business, odds are your developers will use Swift, Objective-C, C++, or C# based on your operating system and other factors.

On the other hand, if you are making a cloud-based enterprise resource planning software platform, your software engineers might use programming languages like JavaScript, Bootstrap, or something else. The core idea is this: the programming language you use needs to work well with the tech tools already integrated into your business.

Working with knowledgeable programmers and web development experts should solve this, however, as they will already know about this hurdle and take steps accordingly.

Note that, of course, if you plan to develop a mobile-friendly ERP platform, the user interface needs to also work for mobile devices. This could require a little extra time and testing on the part of your development team, but it may very well be worth it overall for the extra functionality and accessibility it will bring to your business.

Integrate Your ERP Modules

Once your ERP system is well into development, you should integrate your ERP modules with third-party tools.

For instance, your business probably uses Office 365. Skillful developers can integrate it with your ERP system by using different APIs to access data, display into your ERP software, and more. Or, maybe you need to be able to quickly access PDF documents. A PDF SDK (software development kit) allows you to process PDF documents directly within your existing workflows and software applications, so it could be a fantastic third-party integration to keep in mind when designing your custom ERP.

Think of this as a good trial run to ensure your enterprise resource planning solution works with your existing business digital infrastructure/architecture. Each ERP module added to the overall system needs to be tested both individually and in conjunction with the other modules, especially if those modules are meant to interact with each other frequently.

That’s not all. Your development team then needs to test your ERP modules with the above-mentioned legacy software or existing tech stack programs your business uses. Everything must work seamlessly for your enterprise resource planning platform to truly be a success.

Review and Revise

Once your development team is ready, it’s time to launch it across your company, review the program, and revise it as necessary. ERP systems oftentimes require some iteration and editing after initial launch; after all, you won’t know exactly how the program works or if it accomplishes everything you need it to until after it’s up and running.

You can take feedback from your employees based on its functionality, ease of use, and other factors, then use that feedback to improve the ERP system across the board. Think of your custom ERP platform as a project your development team continually iterates on and maximizes.

Wrap Up

Ultimately, a custom ERP could be just what your business needs to take off and reach its true potential. It will centralize your resources, let you plan major operations and projects better than ever, and give your employees the tools they need to leverage all of your tech stack tools together like never before.

Flatlogic is here to help, and we can handle a variety of the development services you need, ranging from web development to UX/UI development and more in the pursuit of your perfect enterprise resource planning platform. Contact us today!

The post Streamline Your Business with Custom ERP: Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

• But how do you secure a web application? 
• What are the easiest methods of securing web applications? 
• and what are the main vulnerabilities web applications face?

Cybersecurity can come at a significant cost, especially if a business has a large attack surface that is made up of a range of technologies and systems. To successfully mitigate any risks, techniques such as input validation, encryption, authentication, authorization, and logging need to be implemented. For the financial services sector in particular, attacks on web applications surged by over 257% last year. 

In this article, we will discuss 8 of the easiest practices for securing web applications, consider the most frequent types of web application attacks, and outline common vulnerabilities.

Why is Web Application Security So Important?

Organizations in the financial, retail, healthcare, and government sectors are among the most targeted by cybercriminals, with threat actors using a range of tools and techniques to infiltrate networks and access databases. A major problem is the prevalence of banking fraud, which is why business owners would be wise to look for digital bank accounts that are known for coming with multiple layers of security. 

Web application security is vital to protect the data of your business, employees, and customers which cybercriminals could use to perform a range of illegal activities. A breached web application could result in significant downtime for a business, as well as damaging its reputation, and causing distrust among its customer base in terms of keeping their details safe. 

Ultimately, anything connected to the internet could be subject to a cyber attack, with network devices of all types and sizes in the aforementioned industries storing and processing information that could prove valuable to criminals. For example, medical clinics have increasingly been relying on third-party software to facilitate direct communication with their patients for handling invoicing, scheduling appointments, and conveying updates from doctors. While certainly convenient, these tools also house very sensitive personal and financial patient data and would be a prime target for cybercriminals. 

What Are The Most Common Types Of Web Application Cyber Attacks?

The main target for cybercriminals when it comes to web applications is the network connection, with attackers employing a range of methods to try and breach a system. 

Common attacks that may be used by a hacker include:

• Bypassing broken authentication protocols
• Bot attacks that launch automated scripts perform malicious actions
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks
• Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks
• Local File Inclusion (LFI) and Remote File Inclusion (RFI) Exploits
• SQL Injection Attacks

The Most Common Web Application Vulnerabilities

The attacks listed in the previous section target web application vulnerabilities which can sometimes be overlooked by even experienced developers and system administrators. Unless mitigated by implementing a comprehensive security strategy, a business’s data is likely to be at risk. 

Ten of the most common web application security vulnerabilities are as follows:

• Broken Authentication – A lack of multi-factor authentication can make it very easy for a hacker to gain access to a user’s profile.
  
• Cross-Site Scripting – Phishing attacks are launched to trick users into clicking a link that executes malicious code on a system. 
  
• Cross-Site Request Forgery – Similar to an XSS attack, this attack aims to take over a user’s session once logged in.
  
• Injection Flaws – Hackers inject malicious data to directly attack unprotected databases and directories.
  
• Insecure Direct Object References – Enumeration attacks are used to access exposed database files and keys.
  
• Missing Function-Level Access Control – Misconfigured, broken, or missing server-side authorization can allow hackers to gain access to the backend of an application.
  
• Security Misconfigurations – This may include unprotected files and directories, outdated software, unpatched flaws, and unused and neglected pages.
  
• Sensitive Data Exposure – Hackers can access data that is not encrypted.
  
• Third-Party Components that Contain Vulnerabilities – Some web applications may use third-party components that could have unknown vulnerabilities.
  
• Unvalidated Redirects and Forwarding – A hacker can use techniques to redirect users to a malicious website in an attempt to steal their credentials and/or data. 

The 15 Easiest Practices For Securing Web Applications

Now we have established some of the vulnerabilities that are common to web applications, let’s consider how they can be mitigated by implementing simple security practices. 

1. Establish Possible Points-of-Entry

Some web applications are client-facing and designed to handle data transactions, for example. This means that a single web application is likely to have a wide number of entry points that could be exploited by a cyber attacker. Therefore, each entry point needs to be identified.

To do this, software features can be broken down into three modules, ranging from critical to normal. 

• Normal Modules do not have direct access to the sensitive information contained in the application but still require monitoring.
  
• Serious modules store sensitive data relating to the organization and its users.
  
• Critical modules contain client-facing features that can be accessed via the Internet, providing access to critical data. These features can include log-in pages and checkout/ transaction screens. 

2. Penetration Testing/ Ethical Hacking

Penetration testing is the process of allowing cybersecurity experts to simulate attacks on a system in an attempt to identify any weaknesses. Also known as ethical hacking, varying levels of information and access are provided depending on the overall goal of the exercise. These levels are referred to as white box, gray box, and black box. 

White, Gray, and Black Box Penetration Testing

• Black Box Pentesting – In a black-box penetration test, the test assumes the role of a typical hacker and is provided with no information regarding the target system. This means they cannot access architecture diagrams or source code unless this information is publicly available. This type of test aims to identify vulnerabilities outside of the network, mimicking the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) that may be used by a real threat actor.
  
• Gray Box Pentesting – The next level of penetration testing is a gray box, where the tester again targets a system as an outsider but has been given some level of user access and information regarding the system. This information could include design and architecture diagrams, making this type of testing more efficient than black-box and simulating an attacker that has gained long-term access to a network.
  
• White Box Pentesting – White box (sometimes referred to as clear or open box) is the opposite of a black box test, providing the tester with full access to any source code, design/ architecture documentation, and other information that needs to be assessed to find vulnerabilities. This is the most time-consuming and comprehensive form of testing and requires the tester to assess large volumes of data to locate any weaknesses, both internally and externally.
  
  This is achieved using an array of tools such as debuggers and source code analyzers. 

3. Log Software Changes

Applications can change frequently, from new libraries, frameworks, and security updates to additional features that provide more functionality. These changes, however small, must be documented to maintain an effective level of web security. Failing to document software changes can make it extremely difficult to identify the attack point should a data breach occur. 

The Benefits of Using Logging Tools

The key benefits of using log monitoring and management tools include:

• Logging tools result in improved detection of any issues
• Response times to any problems are significantly increased
• Better network transparency resulting in great security
• Can provide a better user experience

4. Make Log Data Accessible

Implementing sufficient logging processes is all well and good but it can count for little if it cannot be accessed easily. All relevant parties should have access to any log data to develop an effective incident response strategy. The log should show how the data was collected and its context so that the period leading up to the incident can be analyzed to improve current security and assist in any future investigations. Without comprehensive and contextual logs, the ability to mitigate any vulnerabilities if a security incident occurs is diminished. 

5. Web Application Firewalls (WAF)

Simply, web application firewalls help to filter HTTP traffic between the client and the server, blocking any malicious requests. By analyzing traffic, firewalls are one of the most effective ways of protecting a network without the need for many configurations. However, it should be noted that some attacks such as SQL injections and XSS can bypass basic firewalls.

6. Encryption

Implement encryption technologies such as HTTPS, HSTS, and SSL to protect all user data that is sent across the network. Implementing just HTTPS means data would still be vulnerable should anyone gain access to the server.

7. Install Updates Regularly

When it comes to security updates, it is not enough to just update the application itself, as any library or third-party services could be exploited if they lack the latest security patches. Third-party services are especially targeted by hackers as they are commonly overlooked from a security perspective. 

When updating libraries, refer to your documentation to check whether any of them have become obsolete and apply the latest version updates to any that are needed. 

8. Real-Time Monitoring

Sometimes, a security breach can go undetected for over six months, emphasizing the importance of monitoring to identify any unusual activity as soon as possible. Real-time monitoring software assesses user behavior and creates alerts if any anomalies are detected.

9. Automate Security Tasks

Manually performing the security tasks that are required to identify and mitigate security risks on a network has become practically impossible due to the number of endpoints, devices, and users that may be connected to a system. Thankfully, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has made it possible to automate such tasks, allowing security teams to allocate their time and expertise to complete more challenging tasks that require human intervention. 

With AI cybersecurity automation, tasks such as daily scans, real-time monitoring, and low-level incident alerts can all be taken care of. 

10. Manage Permissions

User access needs to be limited based on the user’s needs, ensuring they do not have permission to access any areas of the network that don’t apply to them. Should someone gain unauthorized access to the network with a low-level user’s credentials, then they will be limited in terms of what data they can access. 

Furthermore, this can also limit the extent of a revenge attack should a person leaving the company look to inflict any damage or steal information. 

Zero Trust or Least Privilege?

The Principle of Least Privilege (POLP) is a concept that enables administrators to restrict what resources, applications, and data a user or device can access. Requiring users to authenticate themselves before being able to access areas of the network that allow them to perform the tasks that they need to complete. Simply, a user only has the access that is needed for them to perform their job or function, giving them the minimum level of access privilege. 

By doing so, should a user account be compromised, the malicious actor cannot reach all areas of the network and the amount of damage they can do is limited, preventing a large-scale data breach. 

Zero Trust, on the other hand, is focused on authentication and authorization, requiring users to confirm their identity before being able to access any area of the network. These mechanisms that accurately confirm a person’s identity allow administrators to closely monitor what users and devices are accessing and their behaviors. Therefore, any unusual or potentially malicious behavior can be easily flagged and alerts issued. 

Authentication checks are performed continuously so each user must confirm their identity each time they wish to access the network. The Zero Trust concept is one of the most effective ways of preventing user accounts and devices from being compromised and is often considered a more comprehensive security methodology than POLP.

However, to develop the best possible security strategy, it is recommended to implement both POLP and Zero Trust methodologies. Zero Trust handles the authorization and authentication, and the Principle of Least Privilege to limit the potential damage of a malicious actor gaining access.

11. Establish a DevSecOps Approach

DevSecOps (also known as a shift-left approach) is the process of implementing security testing in every phase of the web application development process. This is achieved with a range of tools and processes that enables collaboration between developers, security teams, and operational teams, creating a streamlined and secure workflow. 

By performing security testing at every stage of development, any security risks can be quickly and easily identified and then mitigated, from the initial design stages to the application’s implementation. A DevSecOps approach is growing in popularity, allowing developers to create code quickly, saving time and resources without compromising on security. 

12. Ensure Accurate Input Validation

A lack of input validation provides an opportunity for hackers and measures should be put in place to ensure all input is syntactically and semantically correct.

Input data should be:

• Include the expected number of characters and digits
• Be validated for length and size
• Whitelisted if possible

13. Implement a Secure SSDLC Management Process

The secure systems development lifecycle (SDLC) is a project management concept that refers to securing each stage of a software development project. This starts from the initial concept and feasibility study through to maintaining the web application once it has been deployed. 

By implementing SSDLC management throughout a web application’s lifecycle they are:

Built and maintained with security as the primary consideration

• Developed in a secure environment with best practices adhered to
• Delivered to clients securely to protect their data

14. Assess Open-Source Vulnerabilities

Many web application development projects make use of open-source tools to reduce costs and reduce the amount of coding required to add various functionality. However, open-source tools present a significant amount of risk if they are not regularly monitored. Zero-day vulnerabilities within the software are one of the biggest risks in web products, requiring the latest updates and patches to be installed as soon as possible before the vulnerability can be exploited. 

15. Container Management

Containers are software packages that contain all the required elements for a web application to run in any environment. This is achieved by virtualizing the operating system and creating an image that can be run from anywhere, ranging from a personal device to a private data center.

Containerization provides a secure, lightweight, and reliable runtime environment for web applications that offer a level of consistency from host to host. This differs from the concept of serverless technology which gives little to no consideration to hosts. 

To secure containers, the image should be signed using a digital signature tool like Docker Content Trust. Automated scans should also be run regularly to look for any open-source vulnerabilities throughout the container’s integration pipeline. 

Conclusion

Securing web applications is essential to reduce the attack surface of a network, with such applications providing several entry points for cybercriminals if left unprotected. Fortunately, securing web applications can be very straightforward if best practices are adhered to, including deploying firewalls, real-time monitoring, and regularly updating applications and connected services. 

The post The Easiest Practices For Securing Web Applications appeared first on Flatlogic Blog.

Is your web interface or one-page application built using Vue.js? Have you recently run a web performance assessment and are concerned about the results? Are you looking for ways to reduce loading times to provide the best possible user experience? Then read on to find out how to optimize and speed up your Vue.js application in six easy steps. 

Web diagnostic tools such as Google Lighthouse, Google Pagespeed Insights, and GTmetrix are vitally important to ensure your web application is working at its optimal capacity so that your users are provided with a smooth and lightning-fast experience. 

Most consumers will wait no more than three seconds for a web page to load before exiting, yet many web applications fail to meet these demands. Working within the web development and search engine optimization sector for well over a decade, I have learned to understand that speed is everything. A stunning design and great content are one thing, but it counts for naught if the user does not wait around to see it. 

This article serves as a guide for business software developers seeking to enhance their Vue.js applications, detailing strategies to significantly boost performance and outpace competitors. By focusing on optimizing event handling and eliminating sluggish components, among other techniques, developers can ensure their applications not only meet but exceed user expectations for speed and efficiency.

Table of Contents

• Terminology used within this Article
• A Brief Introduction to Vue.js
  • The Key Benefits of Using Vue.js
• 6 Ways to Optimize the Performance of Vue.js Applications
  • Don’t Update Elements Unnecessarily
    • Solution
  • Avoid Duplicate Rendering
    • Solution
  • Remove/ Replace Slow Components
    • Solution
  • Optimized Event Handling
    • Solution
  • Consider using Virtual Scrolling
    • Solution
  • Render Page Sections Once
    • Solution
• Conclusion

Terminology used within this Article

There may be some terminology that you may not be familiar with, so here is a quick glossary to give you a brief insight into some of the terms included in this article.

• Components – In JavaScript, components act like functions that accept arbitrary inputs, similar to other programming languages. Once a component has received an input it will then return an element that will dictate what appears on screen.
  
• Computed Properties – A computed property declares a value that is dependent on other values. Whenever one of these connected values changes, Vue.js then updates the Document Object Model (DOM) accordingly.
  
• Data Objects – A data object stores values or a group of values that can be accessed via an identifier or an expression that has been designated to it. An example of a data object would be a data table or an array.
  
• Document Object Model (DOM) – The DOM is the programming interface for HTML documents, and each document is organized into nodes and objects in a tree structure. This allows programming languages to interact with and make changes to the structure, style, and content of a web page in an uncomplicated way.
  
• Entity Properties – Entity properties contain one or more named properties which can then be assigned more values. Entities of the same type do not need to have the same properties and their values do not need to be the same data type.
  
• Event Handling – Event handling is the management of events within JavaScript, deciding what should happen when an event is executed. Events are written in code known as the event handler.
  
• JavaScript – JavaScript (JS) is an important programming language that helps to create web pages and applications on the world wide web, with more than 98% of websites using JavaScript for client-side behaviors.
  
• Reactive Properties – Reactive properties are defined as accessors of the element prototype. In JavaScript, instance properties overrule a prototype property, therefore, reactive property accessors will not function if a class field is used.
  
• Rendering – Rendering is the process of generating code (such as HTML markup) to display web pages on a browser.
  
• Vue.js – Vue.js is an open-source, JavaScript framework for building user interfaces and single-page applications. It works using the Model–view–viewmodel architectural pattern. 

A Brief Introduction to Vue.js

Vue.js (commonly referred to as just Vue) is a lightweight, open-source JavaScript framework that is used to build reactive web user interfaces. Working alongside HTML and CSS, Vue provides a dynamic suite of tools that are designed to build the frontend of web applications, using the model-view-viewmodel (MVVM) framework.

Vue’s main library is built around the viewmodel layer and provides reactive synchronization between the model and view layers thanks to its two-way data binding functionality. Thanks to this functionality, web apps can be developed on the single-page application (SPA) model. 

One of the key advantages of Vue is that data binding allows HTML elements that are tied to underlying Vue objects to be updated dynamically. In simple terms, this means that web applications can be created that run in the user’s browser without the need to refresh the page when the page is interacted with. This also includes responses to page events within the JavaScript code. 

Before frameworks like Vue, web applications required ‘workarounds’ and a significant amount of JavaScript code to update page elements without the page needing to be refreshed.

Vue’s approach to incremental integration stands out in the business software development landscape, offering developers the flexibility to selectively utilize framework features for tailored installations. This adaptability allows for the addition or removal of features as project needs evolve, making Vue an exceptionally lightweight and user-friendly choice for creating responsive and efficient web applications.

The Key Benefits of Using Vue.js

Used by world-leading businesses such as Nintendo, Adobe, Netflix, and BMW, Vue.js is used for building front-end user interfaces and websites. Here is a summary of the key reasons why this framework is so popular, helping to build the websites of household names and delivering even the smallest of personal projects.

1. Lightweight – The Vue.js framework is just 18 kilobytes in size!
2. Simplicity – Vue.js is very easy to pick up with a basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
3. Comprehensive – Vue.js has all the tools you need for every aspect of a front-end development project, including its browser and end-to-end testing.
4. Strong Support – Vue.js is backed by an active community, meaning there are tons of online support and helpful guides available. 
5. High Speed – Vue.js creates a virtual copy of the DOM so that the entire Dom does not need to be updated when changes are made, significantly improving the performance and speed of the application. 
6. Flexible – Each aspect of an application built in Vue.js is expressed as a component, whether they are written in HTML, CSS, or Javascript, with no need to separate them into different files. Therefore, large sections of code can be written that are easily reusable for different projects. 
7. Two-Way Binding – Two-way binding connects model data updates and the user interface view, making it much easier to update any related components and track the data in real-time. 

6 Ways to Optimize the Performance of Vue.js Applications

Hopefully, you now have a good understanding of what Vue.js is and its capabilities, so now let’s look at ways to optimize this amazing framework even further. 

If you don’t believe your frontend development skills are strong enough yet to optimize Vue.js applications, remember that you can always hire an experienced developer to help guide you along as well. Hiring a freelance developer would likely be cheaper than going through a third-party agency. You can expect to pay between $40 and $60 per hour for an experienced freelance frontend developer, which is less money than what you can expect to pay going through an agency. 

Whether you are new to Vue.js and are looking to build a project from scratch with the help of an experienced developer, or you are interested in optimizing an existing website or interface on your own – here are six ways to optimize the performance of Vue.js applications. 

1. Don’t Update Elements Unnecessarily

A common issue that Vue.js developers encounter is elements or a list of elements being rendered unnecessarily, which is often caused by a lack of understanding of the framework’s reactivity system. Reactivity in Vue.js converts plain JavaScript objects into reactive properties, and often these objects can be updated and rendered more times than necessary. 

Vue.js shows which elements are reactive and which ones are not, making life easier for the developer. However, there is likely to be a large number of reactive properties, computed properties, and properties assigned to a data object which can complicate matters. 

Typically, whenever a new element is added to a list of objects, the entire list will be re-rendered. This is usually completely unnecessary, especially when we consider the date object, for example, which is not reactive and does not need to be updated for elements that have not been changed. An optimal method would be for only changed elements to display a new date, while unchanged elements will remain the same. 

Solution

The key property can help solve this issue as it allows Vue to better recognize elements so they can be reordered accordingly instead of cycling through and updating the entire list. In addition to specifying a key property, child components also need to be created, segmenting the application into smaller, more manageable components.  

With this setup, item components will only be updated if the item encounters a reactive change which can improve the performance of an application significantly. Should an item be added or removed from an array, the list will be re-sorted based on the key properties so that only the necessary elements are re-rendered. 

2. Avoid Duplicate Rendering

Similar to the above, but not altogether the same is avoiding the rendering of full lists or bulky elements multiple times. 

For example, a component may have an entity property in the data object, and each entity is rendered by a child component if you have followed the solution in the previous section. The output of this entity property will probably be assigned a user token. When this user token is refreshed, the entire view will be updated, even if the user.status remains unchanged. This is less than ideal from a performance perspective.

Solution

The easiest way to solve this issue is to pass the user.status value as a user.status prop from the parent node. This way, if the value is unchanged, Vue will choose not to render it again. Dependencies such as props, data values, and computed values can all cause an entire list to be re-rendered. This is why it is important to identify any properties that can cause duplicate re-rendering. 

The best way to do this is by downloading the official Vue.js dev toolkit. Once downloaded, navigate to the ‘performance’ tab, and press start to run a performance check during the app load. Once the check has been completed, go to the ‘Component Render’ tab and check that the number of components that are rendered correlates with the number of events created.

Having more updated events than created events when there has been no change to any values suggests that duplicate rendering is taking place. This can happen for any number of reasons, but as a best practice, you should never change entities more times than necessary.

3. Remove/ Replace Slow Components

If you are importing third-party components into Vue, or creating components from scratch, their performance levels must match up to the rest of the application. Even a single component that displays slow speeds can impact the entire product and result in a poor user experience. 

Solution 

Once again, the Vue.js dev toolkit can come to the rescue. In the ‘performance’ tab you can see an estimate of the rendering times for every component within the application. This allows you to easily cross-check any newly added components with existing components to see if they are performing at the desired level. 

If the new component is taking a long time to render in comparison to other components, and it is not possible to reduce its usage, then you should consider removing it and replacing it with an alternative option.

4. Optimized Event Handling

Every event within an application is completely different and needs to be optimized accordingly. Using a one-size-fits-all approach is not practical and can lead to slow page times. 

Two examples of different events are window.scroll and @mouseover which can be actioned numerous times by the user in a single session. If the event handlers used by these events are not optimized, then it may result in them making long-winded calculations that could be run multiple times per second, resulting in lag. 

Solution

The most effective way of optimizing event handling is by using the debounce function, which limits the number of times events are processed. By restricting time-consuming events, unnecessary CPU cycles and API calls are avoided.

5. Consider using Virtual Scrolling

Many modern websites (such as social media platforms) now support infinite scrolling with no impact on page speeds. However, within Vue, this requires a very large list to be rendered, drastically slowing down the page as the user scrolls further down. 

Solution

To implement endless scrolling in Vue without affecting page speed, you will need to implement virtual scrolling. Virtual scrolling allows the page’s grid component to display thousands of records on a single page and is the recommended alternative to paging.

Vue-virtual-scroll-list is an open-source, virtual scrolling project that is capable of rendering extremely large lists within Vue. It is very easy to use when compared to other, similar projects and does not rely on absolute positions which can ‘break’ the user interface.

6. Render Page Sections Once

When an element has been mounted, it probably only needs to be rendered once, as it is unlikely to change or require updating. By ensuring these mounted elements are only mounted once, you will save time each time the page is loaded or events take place. 

Solution

If a section in the app contains data that will not change through the entire page session, then you can use the v-once directive to ensure this section is only rendered once. This simple Vue directive avoids any needless rendering of an element, and small hacks like this are why the framework continues to grow in popularity. 

Conclusion

Even developers who are new to Vue.js and are still learning the ropes can make quick and easy changes to optimize their applications. Here is a summary of the key points you should take away from this article. 

• Vue.js is a framework used for building front-end user interfaces and websites.
• Most elements within Vue do not need to be rendered if no changes are made. 
• You should avoid rendering full lists and large elements multiple times.
• Slow components should always be removed or replaced.
• Event handling can be easily optimized with the debounce function.
• Virtual scrolling can deliver endless scrolling functionality as an alternative to paging. 
• Sections within a page that do not change during a session should be rendered once. 

For more support and helpful information regarding Vue, you can browse the official Vue.js documentation here. Or to easily create advanced user interfaces and single-page applications in no time at all, consider using Flat Logic’sVue Templates and Admin Dashboard Themes.

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