Composable DXP vendor selection guide for digital success

Highlights

You'll learn about practical tips for selecting the right composable DXP vendor for your business.

• Define your business needs: Audit your tech stack & highlight gaps
• Evaluate vendor reputation: Study vendor reviews, case studies, awards, etc.
• Check integration: Opt for API-first solutions
• Consider the costs: Ensure that cost and pricing align with your budget
• Test solutions: Conduct proof of concept for real-world fit

According to Gartner's prediction, 70% of organizations will opt for composable tech by 2026. Given its benefits, it is no surprise that Gartner is making such a big call. Despite that, vendor selection is crucial, as it could make all the difference.

There is a buzz around composable technology. So, most DXP solutions, including traditional DXPs, promise to be hybrid, headless, composable, etc. This can make it difficult when searching for a truly composable solution. We outline all you need to consider and the process to enable you to find the best composable DXP for your business. 

But before we go into that, let's explain the concept of a composable DXP, how it works and why you should opt for it today. 

What is a composable DXP?

A composable digital experience platform (DXP) is a tech solution that allows you to select packaged business capabilities from different vendors. Think of it as an ecosystem. You are not tied to a single vendor or burdened with an over-bloated platform with tools that add no value.

Instead, you have total control, enabling you to choose the best solutions for your business, whether that is an e-commerce, analytics, or content management system, etc. Composable DXPs are API-centric, so you integrate these various digital solutions via APIs.

Why does composable technology matter?

It is flexible. You build it from the ground up, so you only add tools and services that serve your business goals. Its modular design also means you can add or swap tools as your business grows.

To do that in a typical monolithic DXP, you would need hours of technical work and hard coding, often leading to technical debt. Composable DXPS are also built on MACH principles, making them agile, flexible and scalable. It has several essential components, such as:

• Headless content management system (CMS)
• API integration layer
• E-commerce platform
• Search and discovery tools
• Analytics and reporting tools
• Customer data platform (CDP)
• Personalization engines
• Content delivery networks (CDN)
• Workflow automation tools

These components ensure you have a suite of tools in one place, giving you control and clarity to create exceptional digital experiences.

Benefits of composable DXPs

By going composable, you get the agility and flexibility to adapt to the dynamic nature of modern markets. It offers more benefits than traditional DXPs, which are slow and require endless configurations. Here are other proven benefits of composable DXPs.

• Accelerates time-to-market: It automates your workflow, reduces IT dependence and supports content reuse. These features enable you to deliver new features faster.
• Increased productivity: Thanks to automation, you can publish more content in less time and reduce IT tickets. Your IT and marketing teams can work on different parts of the platform simultaneously, allowing them to be more productive.
• Faster time-to-value: It allows you to integrate the business solutions that offer the most to your business. This capability leads to faster updates and release of new features, improving your ROI faster than traditional tools.
• Omnichannel integration: Potential customers want clarity and limited friction no matter how they interact with you. A composable DXP allows you to deliver that by integrating all customer touchpoints. Your content stays on brand across all channels.

Finally, one crucial advantage of a composable DXP is its ease of use. It is easy to set up, and you can integrate modules via APIs. It also offers intuitive interfaces that make it easy for business users. But how do you select the right vendor? 

Composable DXP vendor selection

Choosing the right composable DXP vendor requires careful planning. Ensure you understand why you need a composable DXP and that you have the relevant stakeholders on board. Once you are sorted with that, research DXP vendors and follow the below criteria to evaluate them. 

Key factors to consider

Now, you have a list of vendors from your research. Here are factors to consider.

• Vendor reputation is the most important factor to consider. Pointers include customer reviews, case studies and industry recognition, such as a position in the Gartner Magic Quadrant or membership in the MACH alliance. Also, investigate the vendor's ability to meet service level agreements (SLAs).
• Integration capabilities: Check that vendors have flexible and documented APIs for easy integration. Opt for a vendor solution that can integrate with your existing tech stack.
• Scalability and performance: The platform should handle growth in user demand and data volume. Contentstack, for instance, offers cloud-native capabilities and SDKs that support auto-scaling and fast, continuous delivery.
• Technical and customer support: The best vendors offer support that eases setup and usage. For example, Contentstack offers 24/7 in-app human support, developer docs, a No-fail Promise and more. This ensures you get the help you need when you need it.
• Ecosystem and partnerships: Also, pre-built integration, marketplace apps, third-party partnerships, and community support should be evaluated. These features ease the usage experience, making integrating your existing tools and adding new features easy. 
• Cost and pricing model: Focus on vendors whose prices align with your budget. Pricing models include tiered, subscription-based and usage-based. Also, consider the cost of licensing and deployment and if there are any extra or 'hidden' costs.
• Security and compliance: Composable DXPs rely on large amounts of data. You must secure customer data to avoid losses, lawsuits, or other adverse consequences from a possible data breach. Choose a vendor that offers enterprise-grade security and up-to-date compliances, such as ISO 27001:2013, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, etc.

The vendor selection process

The composable DXP vendor selection process is not to be taken lightly, as the success of your transition to a composable DXP may hinge on it. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Assess business requirements: Audit your current tech stack and identify gaps and areas that need to be changed or updated. Identify specific business needs that the composable DXP should address.
2. Do your research: As stated, there are many options, including traditional DXPs claiming to offer hybrid or headless solutions. Stick to vendors whose DXP aligns with the MACH principles (microservices, API-first, cloud-native and headless). 
3. Create a request for proposal (RFP): The RFP should be sent to each vendor on your list. It will enable you to assess their offers and capabilities and determine whether and how they align with your business needs. The RFP should state your business and technical requirements, evaluation criteria, budget, etc.
4. Evaluate vendor responses: Collect vendor responses to your request for proposal (RFP). Then, compare their proposals based on budget, features, security and support services.
5. Conduct proof of concept (POC) Projects: Test the proposed solution to ascertain its feasibility to your business case. To do that, define an objective, outline success metrics, develop a prototype, test in real-world scenarios and evaluate the results against the goal.
6. Negotiating contracts and partnerships: By this time, you should be clear on which vendor best suits your business. You can then finalize terms that ensure a mutually beneficial relationship.

Case studies

Mattel

Mattel was stuck with a typical monolithic system that was tightly coupled and required extensive IT resources to make minor changes. They also had to create content from scratch every time they conceived a new idea, leading to a slow cycle.

Mattel went through a thorough discovery process before deciding to choose Contentstack as its composable DXP vendor. The headless CMS was selected to support its website content. The microservice architecture allowed them the flexibility to deploy React or Vue in the front end. It also allowed them to reuse content for many use cases, saving time and costs. 

The changes reduced the incidence of abandoned carts and increased conversion rates by 4.9x on the web and 9.5x on mobile. They also improved their SEO ranking.

Hear from Mark Hall, Senior Director, Digital Technology. "With Contentstack, everything is microservice driven. As we get new molds or styles, we can manage that without any front-end changes whatsoever, which wasn't possible before."

Read more on how Mattel chose Contentstack to reimagine its customer experience.

Technical Safety BC 

Technical Safety BC needed customers to have fast access to its website and mobile app. With over 3000 pages to manage, it needed to ensure consistent brand messaging. It also needed an easy-to-use design interface with a flexible architecture.

They performed a discovery of their internal and external requirements. They also prioritized a flexible, efficient design. They researched different vendor solutions before their digital partner, 8wire Digital, recommended Contentstack. 

"One of the things we liked about Contentstack was how we could use the platform as a central repository and then build multichannel. Moving from an aging tech stack to headless technology meant content was immediately responsive and scalable — which was great for us as a lot of the target audience rely on their mobile devices out in the field." Tim Hassed, founder of 8wire Digital, said.

Keep reading to see how Technical Safety BC chose Contentstack to streamline its content delivery.

FAQ section

What is a composable DXP?

A composable DXP is a flexible digital platform that allows businesses to integrate various SaaS solutions to create tailored digital experiences.

What should I consider when choosing a composable DXP vendor?

To start, consider the platform's features and pricing plans to ensure they align with your budget. Also, consider the vendor's reputation, integration capabilities, security and compliance and support services.

How do I evaluate composable DXP vendors?

To start, check reviews and case studies. Also, evaluate the vendor solution to see if it meets your needs. Create a request for a proposal and conduct a proof of concept. This process allows you to compare vendor responses to determine what suits your business the most.

How can a composable DXP enhance ROI?

It supports content reuse, automates tasks and allows you to streamline workflows. These capabilities reduce IT resource costs, save time and accelerate the release of updates and products, leading to increased revenue and ROI over time. 

Learn more

A composable DXP transforms your digital strategy, future-proofs your business tech, streamlines your workflow and delivers excellent ROI. However, choosing the right vendor makes all the difference.

Consider your business needs, pricing, security, ecosystem, available support and the platform's ability to integrate with your existing systems. Also, understand the platform's capabilities to enable you to align them with your goals.
With Contentstack's composable DXP, you get all the benefits of MACH. So, whether you want to optimize customer journeys, deliver multichannemultichannel or personalize digital experiences, it does it all. You also enjoy a no-fail customer service promise, a rich marketplace of apps, enterprise-grade security and automation powered by AI. Talk to us today to learn more.