Composable architecture and the evolution from multichannel to omnichannel

In the battle for customer attention, content records continue to be shattered in 2023. Even more videos, blogs, social posts, and whitepapers. This struggle has also resulted in two related strategies: multichannel and omnichannel. A multichannel strategy focuses on expanding reach through the growth of channels and touchpoints.

This way, you increase the chances of reaching (potential) customers with a video, blog, or direct purchase opportunity. This is also relevant for B2B organizations, which used on average twice as many channels in 2021 as in 2016. One could say that a multichannel strategy emphasizes quantity. However, this focus on quantity has its limitations.

Consistent quality across touchpoints

The more contact moments, the more difficult it becomes to guarantee consistently high quality across each consecutive touchpoint. At the same time, customers adjust their expectations of their customer journey at a relentless pace. Each new stop in that journey must genuinely add value: an experience that noticeably makes their customer journey easier, more beautiful, or more inspiring.

Now, every experience must seamlessly connect to the previous one. If you schedule a new appointment through customer service, you want to see that information immediately in your mobile app. Moreover, more and more customers expect - consciously or unconsciously - that you use each interaction to get to know them better. Only then can you continue to improve future experiences.

Personalized 'brand experience'

The evolution from multichannel to omnichannel means moving from a large number of individual touchpoints to a personalized 'total experience.' Quality is central. The quality of each subsequent interaction and the quality of the 'holistic' brand experience that emerges when you make your customers' lives easier or more beautiful with each new interaction.

Data plays a crucial role in the evolution from multichannel to omnichannel. Was a customer previously on your website, in your app, or in your store? What interaction, content consumption, or purchase resulted from that, and what does it mean for the current needs of your customer? Unfortunately, traditional platforms often fall short in bringing together and activating this information.

Interdependence of front-end and back-end

Moreover, these platforms create significant interdependence between the front and back ends of your customer experience. This means, for example, that you cannot add a new touchpoint to the front end without first adjusting the back end. The platforms and systems that manage content and customer profiles, process orders, or enable secure payments.

This is one of the main reasons why more and more organizations are switching to Composable Architecture. This modular approach to software development allows you to create complex digital solutions using components specifically developed for that purpose. This way, you always have applications and platforms that seamlessly align with your specific challenges.

Want to know more about composable architectures?

Read our longread:

"Composable Architecture Gives Customer-Centric Organizations Digital Resilience

(reading time: 9 minutes)

This article addresses the following questions:

• Do 'monolithic' software suites limit your flexibility and responsiveness?

• Why do more and more customer journeys end up in digital sameness?

• How to evolve from a multichannel to an omnichannel customer experience?

• What is the power of microservices, APIs, cloud-native, and headless (MACH)?

• Is a composable Digital Experience Platform the Holy Grail for marketers?

• Why doesn't every customer-centric organization immediately switch to Composable Architecture?