Nested currently uses webpack as its bundler of choice for its front-end projects. This is a community norm, but has some drawbacks that lead to a strictly timeboxed investigation of an alternative.
Webpack is best known for bundling JavaScript files, however it also has an extensive system for plugins, loaders, and general configuration that can make it an incredibly flexible tool.
Flexibility is not without cost, however, which primarily manifests in time required to understand and maintain the webpack configuration. As many engineers at Nested are still becoming comfortable in the modern front-end ecosystem, adding an understanding of webpack complexity removes time that could be spent developing features that deliver customer value.
This particular investigation sprung from spending time with the team reviewing a 21 day old PR to upgrade webpack from 3 to 4, which highlighted time invested in the tool.