Composable Commerce is a method for building an e-commerce solution. In this approach, the overall e-commerce activity is composed of various systems and services offered by different providers. 

Up until now, online stores have often been built using a single robust system or technology (such as Magento, Shopify or custom systems) that covers everything from content management to product information and customer data. These are referred to as monoliths.

Conversely, Composable Commerce takes the approach of constructing the whole entity from smaller, specialised components. 

What components make up Composable Commerce? 

What kinds of systems or parts does a Composable Commerce solution consist of then? You decide. The configuration can be very simple, a combination of a few systems, or a mosaic of perhaps a dozen services.

An example of a very simple Composable Commerce solution:

• E-commerce solution

• Content management solution

• Chat service

• Marketing automation solution

An example of a comprehensive Composable Commerce solution:

• E-commerce appearance (frontend)

• E-commerce functionalities (backend)

• Product review application

• Search functionality application

• Chat service

• E-commerce text content - content management system (CMS)

• Product information - PIM

• Integration platform - which connects the entire system to backend systems (e.g., ERP and PIM)

What are the benefits of a Composable Commerce solution? 

Renewal and modification are often easier than with a monolith, where dependencies and functional constraints can hinder development. Often, a Composable Commerce entity is comprised of specialised SaaS services, which the service providers actively develop. Thus, the online store stays maintained and evolves to some extent even without separate development efforts.

Reduced dependency. Compared to a monolithic solution, this can mean liberation from individual heavy and costly maintenance updates. As a whole, Composable can be equally expensive and cumbersome, but the dependency on a single central system significantly decreases.

Flexibility. A significant benefit of Composable Commerce is its adaptability to a changing world. The parts of the whole can often be renewed and replaced quite effortlessly. If, for example, the search functionality or product review application feels outdated, it can be swapped for another with minimal other changes.

What about the drawbacks? 

This isn't a walk in the park, by any means. It requires either strong in-house expertise or a trusted partner to smoothly manage the Composable Commerce solution and choose effective add-ons and functionalities.

The more complex the whole, the more demanding the orchestration. Do all the parts work together and if an error arises, how is it traced and who is responsible? What if changes made to products or their pricing are not as expected?

If in the past all problems and successes were easily traceable to the monolith, now there could be much more detective work involved. 

Who is this suitable for?

A Composable Commerce solution is best suited for companies conducting large-scale e-commerce or those with significant growth objectives. It fits well in situations where there are many sales and distribution channels and flexibility, speed, and scalability are sought from the solution.

It's also important to note that managing a Composable Commerce setup can be significantly more challenging than a monolith. It requires insight, an in-house development team, or a competent partner. 

The new forms of digital commerce and growing customer demands are evolving so rapidly that it is impossible for a single provider or system to keep up with the changes. Therefore, Composable Commerce solutions have a bright future. 

Read more: Crasman Insight: The Technological Transformation of Online Services