Composable commerce is often likened to the use of LEGO bricks. With LEGO, you’re able to join pieces together in any configuration or pattern you’d like.The essence of composable commerce is the idea of optimizing your commerce ecosystem through the use of discrete, API-connected modules, each targeting a specific business need.
Composable commerce operates under three guiding principles:
- Business-centric solutions, which empower you with tools to address your specific business needs.
- Modular architecture, which creates flexibility through the use of microservices.
- Open ecosystem, which provides you with useful support, guidance, and integrations for crafting your solution.
Traditional commerce platforms offer a one-size-fits-all solution from a single vendor, many complete with the basic capabilities to set up and run an ecommerce business. Essentially, they offer you the building blocks you need to customize commerce experiences for your customers online. This worked well for businesses in the first wave of digital commerce when companies went online for the first time and customers required simple, standardized experiences.
The addition of new digital touchpoints have surpassed what monolithic architectures were built for. Ever-increasing consumer expectations for engaging digital experiences and the steady rise of e-commerce as the primary channel for most businesses to engage and convert customers has changed the perspective of digital marketers and merchandisers.
Who is a good candidate for Composable Commerce Architecture?
Businesses that are looking for flexibility, scalability, and the ability to quickly adapt to changing market conditions are good candidates for composable architecture. This includes businesses with complex needs that can’t be met by a one-size-fits-all solution, as well as businesses that want to future-proof their technology stack.
What is Composable Commerce Architecture?
There are terms in the world of digital commerce that have their moment and disappear after a while and no one really remembers what it was about. However, that is not the case with composable commerce and its approach combined with the MACH architecture.
MACH stands for Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless. These are the acronyms that have united ecommerce and the composable concept, it is not possible to think of composable ecommerce without first drawing a MACH architecture.
What does MACH stand for?
- Microservices: Individual pieces of business functionality that are independently developed, deployed, and managed.
- API-first: All functionality is exposed through an API, making it possible to tie together two or more applications or services.
- Cloud-native SaaS: Software-as-a-Service that leverages the full capabilities of the cloud, beyond storage and hosting, including elastic scaling of highly available resources. Functionality is updated automatically, eliminating the need for upgrade management.
- Headless: The front-end user experience is completely decoupled from the back-end logic, allowing for complete design freedom in creating the user interface and for connecting to other channels and devices (i.e. existing applications, IoT, A/R, Vending Machines, sensors, etc.)
Through this graph we can understand the elements that make up the ecosystem of an electronic commerce, each element has a functional, commercial value and some personal characteristics. The composable architecture allows for aseptic, autonomous and individual developments with each one of them, without having to depend on using the same Technologist Stack, compatibility between programming languages or infrastructures.
This means that you can develop such disparate microservices, such as a Loyalty plan for your different segments and apply them in a Smart TV checkout or in video guides for the use of your products, all decoupled and working independently from the rest of the microservices.
Who is a Good Candidate for Composable Architecture?
Composable architecture offers several benefits, including:
- Scalability: Each component in a composable architecture can be scaled independently, allowing for more efficient use of resources.
- Flexibility: Composable architecture allows businesses to select the best technologies for each component of their system, rather than being tied to a single technology stack.
- Resilience: Because each component is independent, failures in one area don’t necessarily bring down the whole system.
- Speed of Innovation: With a composable architecture, businesses can quickly and easily implement new features or technologies as they become available.
What are the Platforms with Which You Can Have an Ecommerce Like Composable?
There are several platforms that support composable ecommerce, including Adobe Commerce, commercetools, BigCommerce and Elastic Path. Each of these platforms offers a range of features and capabilities that can be combined to create a custom ecommerce solution.
Can I Use Composable with Adobe Commerce?
Yes, Adobe Commerce supports composable ecommerce. It offers a range of APIs that allow you to integrate with other systems and build a custom ecommerce solution that meets your specific needs.
With Adobe Commerce modular and open architecture, developers will have access to customize the application and meet business requirements. Adobe has come up with capabilities to reduce the time of integration between multiple systems, decrease the cost of deployment if each and enhance the overall performance, security, and scalability of the composable architecture:
- Adobe Developer App Builder
This tool empowers developers to create customized e-commerce applications with ease. It provides a robust and flexible framework that supports the integration of various functionalities, enabling businesses to tailor their e-commerce platforms to their unique needs and preferences.
- Adobe I/O Events
Adobe I/O Events is another notable addition. This service facilitates real-time tracking of events and activities on the e-commerce platform. It provides valuable insights that can help businesses understand customer behavior, optimize their marketing strategies, and ultimately enhance their sales performance. - Catalog service
The Catalog Service for Adobe Commerce is a game-changing feature that streamlines product management. It provides a centralized platform where businesses can easily manage their product information, including descriptions, images, prices, and inventory levels. This service not only simplifies product management but also ensures that customers have access to accurate and up-to-date product information. - Live Search
The Live Search feature, powered by Adobe Sensei, takes product recommendation to a new level. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), this feature provides personalized and accurate product recommendations based on customers’ search queries and browsing history. This can significantly enhance the shopping experience and boost conversion rates. - Quick Checkout
Last but not least, the Quick Checkout feature powered by Bolt promises to make the checkout process faster and more convenient. This feature reduces the number of steps required to complete a purchase, thereby minimizing cart abandonment and enhancing customer satisfaction. - PWA Studio
A PWA eCommerce platform employs a range of performance optimization and responsive design techniques to swiftly load content on any network and deliver a consistent experience across desktops, tablets, and smartphones. With Adobe Commerce PWA Studio, you can revolutionize the mobile experience, assist merchants in acquiring new customers, enhance conversion rates, and improve search engine rankings (SEO).
- Store Fulfillment
Store Fulfillment for Adobe Commerce provides merchants of stores and warehouses with advanced, mobile-enabled BOPIS solutions. This feature caters to the growing customer demand for omnichannel fulfillment while reducing costs.