Content federation: The next stage of composability

Adopting a composable architecture can lead forward-thinking businesses into the future and generate new opportunities for their business. Yet moving to a composable approach isn’t always straightforward, and there are many pitfalls to sidestep along the way.

Content federation makes transitioning to a composable architecture easier and provides the solid foundation needed when building a composable stack.

The pitfalls of composability

Composability refers to a software design approach that enables the arrangement, rearrangement, and removal of individual components using a no-code platform. This facilitates business agility by replacing cumbersome legacy applications and data silos with modular and interchangeable building blocks.

Enterprises can use composable architecture to create their technology stacks from best-of-breed solutions. By adopting composable architecture and technologies, companies can pivot and adapt to take advantage of new business opportunities, achieve faster time to market, scale without being locked into a single vendor, and achieve numerous other benefits.

However, while many businesses want to embrace composability and its benefits, they must overcome some pitfalls.

1. Too many content and data assets are contained in multiple legacy systems

Organizations that have long relied on legacy systems to manage their marketing requirements may struggle to embrace composability because of the volume of content and data assets involved.

Yes, they can implement a headless CMS to begin publishing content to multiple channels or a new eCommerce system to start embracing headless commerce. However, they might still have content stored in two other CMSs, a customer data platform, and other tools, which can’t be replaced just yet.

2. The costs associated with migrating everything

Composability opens the possibility of modernizing the entire technology stack with best-of-breed solutions. However, migrating to new platforms means purchasing new licenses and service level agreements (SLAs) for the latest software while simultaneously paying for the old ones for a few months longer. Plus, hiring agencies or third-party consultants to assist with the migration process.

3. Tool fragmentation

Another pitfall of composability is the consequent tool fragmentation. Marketers and developers may have to toggle between different systems to find the information they need, which can decrease productivity and delay campaigns.

4. Lack of knowledgeable staff and additional resources

Organizations moving from traditional content management systems and eCommerce platforms might find difficulty in embracing software built on headless architecture. For engineering and content teams in particular, the prospect of having to deal with the learning curve, training costs, and hiring requirements can make adopting a composable approach complex.

5. Collaboration and communication issues

When businesses break up their monolithic suites into smaller microservices-based tools to embrace composability, they must adjust how they work and collaborate internally, with outside partners, and with customers. While composability can solve the issue of silos in the long run, in the initial stages, some communication challenges might appear.

These challenges and potential pitfalls slow down and often discourage companies from building composable businesses; however, through content federation, they can solve them and realize the full benefits of composability.

Allows for a staggered approach to composability

Content federation enables enterprises to stagger their composable business endeavors. They can start with a federated content platform like Hygraph that allows them to integrate other solutions much more quickly than a typical headless CMS.

Hygraph eliminates the necessity for another experience composition solution to manage the orchestration layer required for composability and future-proofs businesses as new requirements emerge. Companies can integrate new solutions when they’re financially and strategically ready rather than attempting to migrate to an entirely new technology stack in just a few months.

Reduces TCO and improves ROI of technology stack

A federated content platform can reduce the total cost of ownership and improve the return on investment when building a technology stack. Fewer tools are required to maximize the benefits of composability, less maintenance and upgrades are necessary, and less tool fragmentation occurs. Content federation can also speed up the time to market as engineering and content teams increase their efficiency, allowing them to launch campaigns faster, generate more revenue, and improve ROI.

Wrapping up

Content federation enables a staggered approach to composability, reducing costs and improving ROI. It streamlines third-party API access and accelerates time to market. With content federation and platforms like Hygraph, businesses can successfully embrace composability and unlock their full potential for future success. Request a demo and see how Hygraph can help you transform your digital projects.