Unstoppable growth in e-commerce: On the road to independent success
The RETAIL NXT 2023 presented Thomas Adelbauer, Team Lead Application & Data at MediaShop GmbH, explains how his company achieves flexibility and agility in the e-commerce landscape through innovative IT strategies. With a clear focus on Best of Breed, Microservices and internal development teams He provided insights into transformative technologies that are also groundbreaking for other retailers.
E-commerce as a tailor-made suit: Why best of breed is crucial
MediaShop has deliberately opted against monolithic systems and instead relies on a Best of Breed approachThe IT infrastructure is built modularly, with each component coming from a specialized provider. Adelbauer compared this approach to a bespoke suit, perfectly tailored to a company's needs, as opposed to an off-the-rack suit.
Advantages of Best of Breed:
- Flexibility: Components can be replaced individually without affecting the entire system.
- Scalability: New technologies can be easily integrated, for example to support new frontends such as voice commerce or mobile apps.
- Cost efficiency: MediaShop has already been able to save 60% of the cost of a component by replacing it with a better alternative.
Microservices: Agility in Technology
Another key point was the switch to Microserviceswhich makes it possible to develop, scale, and operate individual features or functionalities independently. Adelbauer emphasized that this not only improves performance but also simplifies maintenance.
Advantages of microservice architecture:
- Performance increase: Services can be scaled as needed, which saves costs and prevents overcapacity.
- Reusability: A service can be used in various sales channels such as webshops or call centers.
- Faster troubleshooting: Errors are easier to locate and fix because they are limited to isolated services.
- Technological freedom: Each microservice can be developed with the optimal technology, independent of other systems.
Internal development teams: Retaining know-how and control within the company
MediaShop has built an in-house development team that is closely aligned with the company's goals and culture. Adelbauer emphasized the importance of retaining technical expertise within the company to avoid dependence on external partners.
Why internal teams are crucial:
- Shorter routes: Direct communication within the team reduces misunderstandings and accelerates processes.
- Identification with the company: Employees who are proud of their work often deliver higher quality results.
- Control over processes: Companies can develop their own agile methods that are precisely tailored to their needs, such as the "MediaShop method" at MediaShop.
- Cost savings: When fully utilized, internal teams are often cheaper than external agencies.
A building block for the future
Adelbauer's presentation made it clear how important it is for retailers to rely on flexible and modular IT systems to keep pace with the rapid changes in the market. He emphasized that the combination of best-of-breed solutions, microservices, and internal teams enables MediaShop to achieve faster... Time-to-Market enables and makes the company competitive in the long term.
Key Takeaways for Retailers:
- Modularity is key: Opt for systems that are easy to expand and adapt.
- Flexibility through microservices: Develop independent services that are easy to integrate and scale.
- Build your own expertise: Retain technical expertise within the company to remain independent and innovative.
- Promote agility: Develop your own methods that are perfectly tailored to your needs.
Conclusion: Future-proofing through smart IT strategies
The challenges in e-commerce are complex, but through smart IT decisions such as best-of-breed solutions and microservices, MediaShop has found a way to remain flexible, agile, and efficient. Adelbauer's presentation impressively demonstrated how retailers can leverage their IT infrastructure as a competitive advantage, not only to overcome current challenges but also to operate with future-proofing in mind.