Composable commerce enables businesses to utilise various solutions, bringing together the functionality needed to best serve their customers. For some, this means using top-tier content management systems to craft beautiful content and experiences. Other businesses, particularly those trading B2B, will likely prioritise handling complex pricing models and inventory control. The power of composable commerce lies in its flexibility of choice.
The freedom to select the most suitable composable commerce application comes with its own set of responsibilities. Using separate applications means that the data used within each needs to be coordinated.
Below, we explore five crucial points related to data management when employing a composable commerce architecture which all businesses will likely need to address.
1. Data Integration
Seamless data flow between various applications is crucial in a composable commerce system. Each application will likely require specific data fed to it to make it operational. A commerce engine needs SKUs and prices, an Order Management System needs... Orders! Businesses must establish robust data integration and extraction mechanisms. This ensures that each application in their platform not only functions effectively but also maximises their investment. For instance, integrating data into the index of a search engine like Algolia is vital for operation, but incorporating sales data into the index significantly enhances search relevance.
Over time the number of integrations naturally increases and changes, for this reason, the process of setting up the ingress or egress of data will not be a one time task. Further to this, the chosen approach to join systems together needs to be hosted, maintained and supported. If the integration is custom built, the responsibilities could fall on the retailer.
2. Data Consistency
With multiple systems in play in a composable commerce world, maintaining data consistency across them is essential. Consider a situation where a user clicks an add-to-cart action on a product listing page to then be told that the product is out of stock. It's a scenario that could occur if your commerce and search engines are not aligned with the most up-to-date view on a stock position; this can have a negative effect on a customer's shopping experience.
In composable commerce, each system has specific data requirements. Consider the array of systems that might need product or SKU information; keeping them updated is an integration challenge. As an example, some applications likely requiring product data include:
Commerce engines, such as Commercelayer
Search engines, such as Algolia
CMS, such as Contentful
Promotions engines, such as Talon.One
Product review solutions, such as Bazaarvoice
Marketing campaign management solutions, such as Bloomreach Exponea
Downstream fulfillment and order management systems
The number of systems which need to be syncronised can be further complicated if one is used to modify or author data. Reflecting these changes across all other systems becomes another crucial task.
3. Controlled Data Sharing
Determining how and when data is shared across a composable commerce system is critical for maintaining business rules, additionally, this can impact privacy and efficiency. For example: how do you identify if a product contains the minimum set of data required to be published to the live store? - does it have all the expected data to be presented correctly by an app or web-page? From a privacy standpoint, this could involve decisions around sharing sensitive customer information. For instance, integrating customer data from an ecommerce platform like commercetools with a SaaS marketing tool requires not only a technical integration but also compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR. Establishing clear data governance policies and applying them across your composable commerce systems is a significant requirement for many organisations.
4. Incorporating Legacy Systems
Integrating legacy systems with modern composable commerce solutions can be complex but often necessary to leverage existing data and functionality. For example, a business might need to integrate an older, custom-built inventory management system with a newer ecommerce platform like BigCommerce. This often requires the development of custom middleware to facilitate data transfer and translation between old and new systems. As with many legacy solutions, customisation can cause standard integration approaches to be inadequate. Any custom middleware will need development, hosting, maintenance, and support throughout the operation of the legacy integration.
5. Creating a Holistic Data View
Aggregating data from various sources into a unified view is essential for leveraging the data effectively. Many systems require key information before data can be created or updated. For instance, ensuring that the data in a CMS driven banner promoting a specific product on a homepage is accurate could involve consolidating a price, product name, and stock status from different sources into a single representation. This unified approach not only streamlines the process of data management but also enhances the accuracy and consistency of the information presented. Moreover, it allows for real-time updates, ensuring that the data remains current and relevant, which is particularly crucial in fast-paced environments where timely information is key to customer satisfaction.
Managing data within a composable commerce system involves considering the different applications chosen to best serve your customers. This includes delivering personalised and efficient ecommerce experiences, maintaining data integrity and consistency, and gaining comprehensive insights for informed decision-making. The right data management strategy enhances the potential of composable commerce and provides the agility to adapt swiftly to market changes and evolving customer needs.
Yoke is building the next generation of SaaS-based composable commerce integrations to address these considerations. Contact us if you'd like to learn more.
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