Composable Commerce: The Truth Behind the Hype – What It Really Means for Your Business

Composable commerce is being hailed as the future of e-commerce architecture, promising more flexibility, faster implementations, and reduced costs. But is it really the silver bullet it’s made out to be? The truth is, it depends and understanding both the advantages and drawbacks of composable systems is essential before diving in.

At first glance, composable commerce looks like a revolutionary approach to solving e-commerce challenges. The concept of breaking down monolithic systems into specialised, interoperable components seems like the perfect answer for businesses looking for flexibility and scalability. But while agencies and service providers are hyping this approach, it’s crucial to understand that composable commerce, much like any other architecture, comes with its own set of trade-offs. In fact, the core principles behind composable architecture have been around for decades, what’s changed is how it’s being marketed.

I had the chance to talk about this at the CommerceTech Conference in Germany earlier this year. The key takeaway from my talk was simple: composable commerce might be the right solution for your business, but only if it fits your specific needs. It’s not inherently cheaper, faster, or easier, as many would have you believe.

In this blog, I’ll break down the key myths around composable commerce and explain when it works, when it doesn’t, and what you need to consider before jumping on the bandwagon.

The Core Concept: What Is Composable Commerce?

At its heart, composable commerce allows you to connect specialised systems into a larger ecosystem, tailoring your e-commerce infrastructure to your specific business needs. You’re essentially selecting “best-of-breed” tools for different parts of your e-commerce stack - think separate services for checkout, product search, inventory, customer management, and order fulfilment and integrating them into a unified solution.

On paper, this sounds ideal. Instead of relying on a monolithic platform like Magento that tries to do everything, you can cherry-pick the best tools for each function. The promise is more flexibility, more agility, and better performance.

But here’s the catch: just because it sounds great doesn’t mean it’s always the right solution.

Breaking Down the Myths of Composable Commerce

Let’s tackle the most common claims around composable commerce head-on.

1. It’s Cheaper

• Myth: Composable commerce will save you money by allowing you to scale and use only what you need.
• Reality: Implementing a composable architecture is not cheaper in most cases. First, you have to contend with the steep learning curve - teams need time to understand how these systems work together, and time equals money. Integrating multiple systems always requires custom glue code to make everything function as one cohesive unit. That glue code needs to be written, maintained, and updated over time, which adds another layer of cost.

Additionally, issues can arise across multiple systems. For example, if you’re using a cloud-based architecture, an unnoticed bug might spin up thousands of servers that don’t shut down properly, resulting in ballooning costs. Instead of saving money, you’re just moving costs from one part of your infrastructure to another.

2. It’s Faster

• Myth: You can develop a composable system faster than a traditional monolithic platform.
• Reality: The learning curve is substantial. Your team needs time to fully understand how the various pieces of a composable system interact with one another. The complexity of this architecture can slow things down, particularly in the initial phases of implementation.

A good anecdote comes from the company Scayle, which developed their own composable commerce framework and implemented it for the brand Kapten & Son. Even though Scayle invented the framework, it still took their full-time team six months to set up the system. If the creators of the framework need that much time, how long will it take a team unfamiliar with the architecture? Composable commerce isn’t necessarily faster, it requires careful planning, deep integration knowledge, and significant time to get right.

3. It’s Easier to work with

• Myth: Composable systems are modular, so they’re easier for teams to work with and manage.
• Reality: With a composable system, you have thousands of potential points of failure.

Understanding the flow of data and functionality across different services is not simple. If there’s an issue with product data, for example, you may not immediately know if it’s coming from your Product Information Management (PIM) system, your search service, or somewhere in the glue code that ties them together.

The system’s complexity means that debugging issues can take far longer than with a traditional monolithic platform, where everything is contained in one place. The interconnected nature of composable architecture can make it harder to identify the root cause of a problem, let alone solve it.

What Does This Mean for Your Business?

If composable commerce isn’t inherently cheaper, faster, or easier, why are so many companies adopting it? The answer lies in its flexibility. When implemented properly, composable commerce can offer businesses the ability to scale and customise their infrastructure in ways that monolithic systems cannot.

That said, the decision to adopt a composable architecture should be based on a thorough understanding of your business’s specific needs. Here’s how we approach this decision with our clients:

1. Understanding the Use Case: Composable commerce is great if you have a complex ecosystem with a need for specialised services. But if your business is more straightforward, a monolithic system might actually be a better fit.
2. Resource Availability: Do you have the internal development resources to manage multiple systems and integrate them seamlessly? If not, you’ll need to account for the cost of hiring external developers or service providers.
3. Long-Term Viability: Are you prepared for the ongoing maintenance that composable systems require? This isn’t a one-and-done solution. Composable commerce is an ongoing commitment, you’ll need to continuously maintain and optimise your architecture as your business evolves.

The Personal Touch: Our Approach at run_as_root

At run_as_root, we don’t push one solution over another. Whether it’s monolithic or composable, we take the time to educate our clients on the pros and cons of each approach. We help them assess their specific needs and business goals to find the right balance between the two.

For example, we’ve worked with clients who had a monolithic setup for most of their e-commerce platform but used composable elements for key components, like search or checkout. This hybrid approach allowed them to take advantage of composable architecture where it made sense while still keeping the bulk of their infrastructure simple and manageable.

We also bring expertise in integration, ensuring that if a client chooses to go composable, the systems are connected smoothly with the necessary glue code. Our goal is to provide our clients with a realistic view of what composable commerce can and can’t do, helping them make an informed decision.

Conclusion: There Is No One-Size-Fits-All

When it comes to composable commerce, the answer is clear: it depends. It’s not a magic bullet, and it’s not the right solution for every business. At the same time, it can offer flexibility and scalability that other approaches can’t - if you have the right resources and expertise.

The key is understanding both the advantages and drawbacks, and finding the balance that works for you. Whether you go fully composable, stick with a monolithic approach, or find a middle ground, the best solution is the one that fits your unique business needs.

At run_as_root, we’re here to help you navigate these decisions, offering the technical expertise and candid advice you need to build a system that grows with your business.