For many years, e-commerce store owners have been faced with the daunting task of choosing the best solution for their business. Until now, most small businesses have opted for SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions due to their simplicity. With SaaS, a store does not require installation on its own server but is provided by the provider. As a result, entrepreneurs did not have to worry about activities related to configuration, servers, hosting or data security. Although convenient, this solution was only sometimes applicable to larger entrepreneurs offering B2B services, where the sales process is a bit more complicated. While SaaS platforms have become better at handling large amounts of data over time, it is still hard to call them an ideal solution for any industry.
Recently, however, a few concepts have emerged that greatly expand the perspectives of both small and large enterprises. One of them is the so-called “composable” approach (Packaged Business Capabilities). Unlike other solutions, this approach allows for the selection of the right components that contribute to achieving a company’s business goals. This innovative approach is known as composable commerce.
Composable commerce
Composable commerce is a strategy that involves selecting the best eCommerce components and combining them to create a custom application. This approach enables both business and technical teams to realize their unique digital vision for their brands by enabling and continuously optimizing digital business experiences that leverage multiple best-in-class vendors to create a complete business solution. Such a solution offers a significant advantage in the marketplace and extensive growth opportunities.
To introduce composable commerce, modern technologies and approaches such as MACH (Microservices, APIs, Cloud, and Headless) and Jamstack (JavaScript, APIs, and Markup) are being utilized to adapt to rapidly changing market dynamics. A cloud-based modern decoupling architecture, the MACH architecture is essential for building a truly composite business strategy.
MACH architecture
In a nutshell, the MACH (Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native, and Headless) architecture is what composable commerce is all about.
Microservices are a key component of this architecture, enabling the creation of Packaged Business Capabilities (PBCs), applications or services developed around specific business functions. In contrast, monolithic applications are too tightly integrated, and functions cannot be implemented independently.
API-First means that all functions are available through an API, enabling a “composite” approach to e-commerce development that combines two or more applications or services.
Cloud-Native SaaS: a Software-as-a-Service that uses the full capabilities of the cloud, including flexible scaling of existing resources, is an essential feature of the MACH architecture. Features are updated automatically, so there is no need to manage updates.
Headless is also an essential feature, as it allows the front-end user experience to be completely separate from the backend logic. This enables full design freedom in creating the user interface and connecting to other channels and devices (e.g., existing applications, IoT, A/R, vending machines, sensors, etc.).
The MACH architecture gives companies the freedom to choose from the best tools on the market and maintains a structure that makes it easy to add, replace or remove these tools in the future.
The MACH architecture
As mentioned previously, composable commerce is primarily focused on providing brands with the flexibility to adapt to technological changes and market demands. By executing business objectives in a fast and agile manner, it enables businesses, as well as developers themselves, to choose a solution and implement components tailored to their needs.
Advantages of composable commerce:
- Tailor-made solution: One of the main advantages of taking a “composable” approach is the ability to select the best components to support critical business processes. This allows businesses to choose what they need, rather than being limited to what is already integrated into a monolithic platform. Customers also appreciate flexible access, with as many as 60% of millennials stating that they are loyal to brands that offer a unique shopping experience.
- Time-saving: Composable commerce makes integrating different components easier, as they communicate through modern APIs. This saves time and allows businesses to focus on their core values.
- Data freedom: With a monolithic platform, there are often lock-in effects where businesses lack easy access to data from other systems. However, the composability ecosystem is integrated with open standards, making access to data easy and precise.
- Vendor independence: Monolithic software providers limit the flexibility of their customers. Composable commerce offers the ability to replace components in a modular structure without waiting for the end of the contract or incurring additional migration costs.
- Quick integration: Composable commerce consists of various business function packages (PBCs). Using off-the-shelf ecosystem connectors, PBCs can be coordinated to solve more complex business problems.
- Simple testing: Composable commerce allows businesses to connect, configure, and test numerous integrations to maintain versatility. This enables them to try out many new features and keep the ones that best suit their needs.
Disadvantages of composable commerce
While composable commerce solutions are an ideal choice for large enterprises and corporations due to their flexibility and wide range of options that increase the chances of creating a unique customer experience, there are potential obstacles and pitfalls to consider, particularly when planning a full microservices strategy instead of a simple e-commerce platform.
One of the main disadvantages is the multiplicity of vendors. Every time a new microservice is implemented, negotiating a purchase agreement, reviewing terms and conditions, and integrating it with an existing technology stack becomes necessary. Moreover, each service provider has its service level agreement, and some handle traffic peaks and other unexpected circumstances better than others.
Another issue is creating an interface for microservice integration. Combining microservices from different vendors requires companies to build a unified user interface based on these components. A smart organization with a digitally enhanced workforce and solid cross-functional collaboration is critical to executing a complex business model successfully.
In conclusion, building and updating traditional e-commerce platforms is usually complicated and time-consuming. It’s impossible to quickly introduce new, much-needed features because all the elements that make it up depend on each other. To update one feature, the entire system must be updated. In contrast, composable commerce offers flexibility and adaptability since the functions are different, and businesses can choose the one that best fits their needs. Accelerating innovation is easy because individual parts can be replaced at any time, making it easier to respond to changing consumer needs and stay competitive.
ONe 3-in-1 platform – a professional solution for B2B commerce.
While it may seem nearly impossible to create a single solution that works for every industry, a composable commerce solution requires considerable analytical and technological skills. However, Euvic Group’s Unity Group is meeting customer needs with an innovative solution. The ONe 3in1 platform is a complete B2B commerce tool offering ready-to-use B2B functionality, full responsiveness, and accessibility on mobile devices using PWA technology. It also has a quick implementation process thanks to ready integrations with popular financial and accounting systems, and it offers any look and feel of the store with the ability to implement your own visual identity. Thanks to the use of APIs, ONe 3in1 makes it possible to connect with other solutions, such as a search engine, CMS, or analytical interface, which is excellent for building a MACH solution.
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