Online commerce has evolved faster than any other platform among modern technology, with the prior years of the epidemic boosting this expansion. Businesses throughout the world have been compelled to adapt or risk falling behind. Consumers are also experiencing it, with 54% predicting that their new online activities would continue beyond the epidemic. To remain nimble, businesses must move away from legacy systems that support conventional e-commerce methods and toward a composable commerce architecture.
So What’s Special About Composable Commerce Solutions?
E-commerce software has advanced significantly, evolving from relatively simple programs to sophisticated platforms rich in features and capability. Monolith architecture was basically the only choice for creating digital commerce solutions when Amazon and eBay launched their initial online enterprises. Cloud computing has since sparked a revolution in the way we produce software. Infrastructure that is widely dispersed, inexpensive, and democratized, as well as containerization and cloud-native platforms, have facilitated the emergence of microservices, API-first, cloud, and headless (MACH) architectures. As a result, the project has swung from utilizing an all-in-one monolithic commerce platform to a highly modular strategy centered on a composable commerce approach.
MACH Architecture Embracing the Change
MACH architecture stands for Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native solutions, and Headless architecture. And all of the elements have contributed to a big change in the e-commerce field. The evolution from an all-in-one handyman to current intelligent commerce architecture took time. The progressive modularization and decentralization of eCommerce solutions, the introduction of API-powered digital ecosystems, the rise of the cloud, and the constant enhancement of the client interface have all contributed to this progress.
Composable Commerce: The Future Has Arrived
The concept of modular commerce elevates online purchasing to a whole new level. It begins the transition from an inward-looking platform-centric perspective to an outward-looking strategy centered on customer experience. During the Covid-19 epidemic, a strong desire was to move away from traditional corporate practices and toward future-proof digital shopping experiences. According to McKinsey, the crisis has caused a shift in consumer purchasing behaviors, with an astounding 75% of customers experimenting with new shopping methods or adding various product brands, merchants, stores, and websites into their routines.
Retailers were forced to prioritize flexibility, agility, and speed due to the development of digital channels and the way customers want to interact with brands at each touchpoint. According to the survey on US consumer attitudes and behaviors during the coronavirus crisis, 60-70% of customers research and purchase in-store and online items using mobile, web, and social media. This trend indicates that omnichannel is becoming more popular, and companies should be prepared to adapt to changes in customer behavior.
Composable Commerce Opportunities
Well, such a development of things creates a lot of opportunities for market participants. Here are some of them to consider.
Expect the Unexpected
Retailers may use modular architecture to build, destroy, and rebuild their digital platforms to match the changing demands of their customers. Each system component, from basic commerce technology and a customer relationship management (CRM) system to a help desk and content, may be installed and evolved individually, providing the flexibility to change modules over time.
Make Use of Best-in-Class Solutions
The composable method ties together many PBCs from various suppliers to create an open technological environment that fosters seamless integration and customization. Because the platform is built on open standards, it can fuse best-in-class boxed services with your bespoke code to tackle more complicated business difficulties.
Enhance User Interface Design
Because current digital commerce solutions are headless, you may construct a unique set of functionalities and distinguish them with UI/UX to reach out to new client kinds, channels, and markets. By following the concepts of composable commerce, you have more control over the appearance and performance of your application.
Allow for Faster Time to Market
In the classic monolithic world; system updates would include code modifications and regression testing, and only then would the system be sent to production. The process may take several weeks, depending on how many revisions were made. In contrast, the composable approach provides continuous integration and delivery, quality automation, and agility. According to Gartner, firms who choose a composable strategy will beat their competitors in the speed of new feature deployment by 80% within the next year.
Last Thoughts
Composable commerce is all about enabling brands and merchants the freedom to fulfill their business objectives while meeting ever-changing customer expectations. It enables organizations to choose best-of-breed solutions for all aspects of their company operations, making quick changes to their technological stack, developing a tailored user experience for each customer, and becoming more competitive in the global market.
