{"id":600711,"date":"2023-01-24T06:49:21","date_gmt":"2023-01-24T12:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/24\/is-composable-business-most-essential-technology-trend-to-meet-challenges-of-2023-and-beyond\/"},"modified":"2023-01-24T06:49:21","modified_gmt":"2023-01-24T12:49:21","slug":"is-composable-business-most-essential-technology-trend-to-meet-challenges-of-2023-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/24\/is-composable-business-most-essential-technology-trend-to-meet-challenges-of-2023-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"Is composable business most essential technology trend to meet challenges of 2023 and beyond?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content-center\">\n<ul>\n<li><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i data-icon=\"2\"><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"contributors-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/Editorial\/2019\/Marc-Ambasna-Jones-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"Marc Ambasna-Jones\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Marc-Ambasna-Jones\">Marc Ambasna-Jones<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\tPublished: <span>23 Jan 2023<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"content-body\">\n<p>\u201cLife\u2019s what you make it,\u201d sang the synth-pop post-rock band Talk Talk in 1986 \u2013 perhaps a suggestion we should all take on board when considering the predictions for 2023. Economic forecasts are starting to make Nostradamus look like a fun dinner party guest, so when we start seeing stories about composable computing being the answer to troublesome times, it\u2019s worth exploring.<\/p>\n<p>A year ago, Gartner was predicting that composability would be one of the biggest tech trends of 2022. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252491816\/Gartner-Composability-will-make-business-more-resilient-and-agile\">2020, it defined composability<\/a> as: \u201c[A means of] creating an organisation made from interchangeable building blocks. The modular setup enables a business to rearrange and reorient as needed depending on external (or internal) factors like a shift in customer values or sudden change in supply chain or materials.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It outlined four principles: more speed through discovery; greater agility through modularity; better leadership through orchestration; and resilience\u00a0through autonomy.<\/p>\n<p>The idea that organisations could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/feature\/Making-the-enterprise-composable\">architect businesses for real-time adaptability<\/a> and resilience in the face of uncertainty is an interesting one. Organisations using technology based on modular, packaged business capabilities rather than having to fit processes and plans around the prescribed functions of large software applications is certainly a shift in approach.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/umbraco.com\/blog\/new-ceo-at-umbraco\/\">Kim Sneum-Madsen<\/a>, CEO of open source content management system company Umbraco, works with the UK\u2019s Royal Navy and The Royal College of Surgeons. He believes the composable approach to app development is increasingly important, not just to adaptability but to future-proofing IT investments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe economic situation will force companies to focus their budgets on technology that directly benefits customer experience and brings in more revenue,\u201d says Sneum-Madsen. \u201cNo one wants to pay hefty software licences for features they\u2019re not using and which don\u2019t directly benefit the bottom line. This will drive more companies to adopt a composable approach to their tech stack, which allows them to blend best-of-breed technologies that keep pace with consumers\u2019 expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Joe Cicman, senior analyst, digital transformation, at Forrester, points out in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/dxp-you-keep-using-that-term-i-dont-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means\">blog<\/a>, the problem is that organisations have become used to doing enterprise tech in a particular way, bolting on subscription software to core enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools, for example, so they can meet the changing needs of departments.<\/p>\n<p>Cicman writes: \u201cEvery day I asked myself, \u2018how is it possible for one vendor to create one product that works across multiple industries and grows in scope as a company\u2019s digital remit grows?\u2019 After talking to the vendors, turns out \u2026 it\u2019s\u00a0not\u00a0possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sneum-Madsen\u2019s work with the Royal Navy is a good example of this, where Umbraco\u2019s \u201ccomposable architecture and headless CMS\u201d has been the control centre for the MyNavy app. It has a huge remit, in that it has to be all things to all people, providing training and career planning, healthcare management, family support and arrangement of travel, among other functions.<\/p>\n<p>Currently used by 35,000 people across the globe, MyNavy allows for the sort of flexibility required to meet the varying needs of users, integrating the most appropriate third-party applications, rather than being locked into a single supplier\u2019s feature set.<\/p>\n<section data-menu-title=\"To the MACHs\">\n<h3><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>To the MACHs<\/h3>\n<p>It is this idea of future-proofing enterprise technology and enabling personalised experiences across a broad range of functions that sits at the heart of the <a href=\"https:\/\/machalliance.org\/\">MACH Alliance<\/a>, a not-for-profit industry body of over 70 members dedicated to \u201copen and best-of-breed enterprise technology ecosystems\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>If you are wondering what MACH stands for, it is, according to the alliance, an industry tech standard for modern technology. The prerequisites to achieve this standard are: microservices\u00a0based; application programming interface (API)-first; cloud-native software as a service (SaaS); and headless, where front-end presentation is completely decoupled from back-end logic and designed to be channel-, programming language- and framework-agnostic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMACH is absolutely the right way to go about it,\u201d says Steve Nolan, chief technology officer CTO at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252462145\/Online-fashion-brand-Boohoo-sees-year-on-year-revenue-growth\">Boohoo<\/a>. The online retail brand, which has endured a rollercoaster few years, has been very acquisitive. Its stable includes PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, Burton, Oasis, Coast, Wallis and Nasty Gal.<\/p>\n<p>The business was built on a Sage 200 financial management back end, but as it grew\u00a0rapidly \u2013 just under \u00a32bn in sales, according to its financials, from its 14 destinations and 19 million active customers globally \u2013 the need for scalability and flexibility exposed a few problems.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was hard to make changes and it was creaking,\u201d says Nolan, adding that the business needed a more adaptive, cost-effective infrastructure that would also optimise the supply chain operation and improve efficiencies. The plan was to jettison bolted-on applications that sat on top of the Sage system and replace this with a composable MACH architecture, plugged into Microsoft\u2019s Dynamics 365 ERP system. The company\u2019s multiple products were then centralised in a single Akeneo product information management (PIM) system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn\u2019t need an IT degree as a business user to utilise the PIM,\u201d adds Nolan. \u201cThe digital back end has revolutionised the way the business operates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, it\u2019s not all plain sailing. Nolan admits that differentiating between caching static data and changing, personalised data for performance needed attention and, even in the age of open APIs, integration between systems has not been easy.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that what works to composable computing\u2019s advantage \u2013 the modular nature and open ability to connect with other applications \u2013 is also, at the moment at least, a disadvantage. When it comes to collaborating with other businesses \u2013 in a supply chain, for example \u2013 there is a need for suppliers to embrace a similar approach to data. Despite the open, easy-to-use intentions, there are complexities and a requirement for skilled integrators to make it work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t have business composability if the tech components can\u2019t be easily integrated, and their underlying data accessed and moved,\u201d says Bryan Oak, co-founder of Kompozable, an expert in integrating composable architectures. \u201cThis could be to complete a business process or to liberate the data for decision-making. Having the ability to move and fit together different tech components within a business will be key to achieving the vision of composable business.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div>\n<figure>\n    \u201cYou can\u2019t have business composability if the tech components can\u2019t be easily integrated, and their underlying data accessed and moved\u201d<br \/>\n   <\/figure><figcaption>\n    <strong>Bryan Oak, Kompozable<\/strong><br \/>\n   <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>There is also a need for clear communication and collaboration across different teams, departments and suppliers. Without this, composable computing systems can\u2019t be properly managed or implemented, according to Vicky Grobbelaar, founder of Ethiqs Legal, a boutique law firm for tech.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey rely on a robust infrastructure to support the scalable nature of the system, which makes implementation costly, both in time and money. While they can provide better security, it doesn\u2019t come without risks,\u201d says Grobbelaar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDue to the modular nature of the systems, it\u2019s often harder to monitor and control access to sensitive data.\u00a0It can become complex to manage as it usually requires a business to manage and maintain multiple individual components, increasing complexity and overheads.\u00a0Businesses might become \u2018stuck\u2019 with particular vendors as the use of certain components and technologies in the system can make it trickier for a business to easily change vendors in the future,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n<p>Almost certainly, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, but this is far from the plug-and-play image, for the moment at least. There\u2019s a bit more to it than that, and for any business looking to become more composable, it is something of a cultural as well as a technical journey.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThinking and architecting for composability is the logical first step, but putting it into practice will take some creativity,\u201d says Kompozable\u2019s Oak. \u201cBy leading with data architecture, you can make better decisions about master data management and integration of transactional data to drive better decision-making. I predict that organisations will get behind the inherent benefits that composable business has the potential to yield. Businesses will realise that organisational design and culture has a big part to play in getting composability to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you are looking for evidence, there is plenty. As well as the MACH Alliance\u2019s work with Boohoo and Umbraco\u2019s work with the Royal Navy and The Royal College of Surgeons, composability has already reached into organisations across sectors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are many examples of organisations that have successfully implemented composable business computing, including major companies in industries such as finance, healthcare and retail,\u201d says Abdul Rahim, an IT professional and CEO of tech blog\u00a0Software Test Tips. \u201cFor example, one well-known example is the UK retailer Tesco, which uses composable systems to quickly and easily create and deploy new applications and services, and respond more quickly to changing customer needs and preferences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ethiqs Legal\u2019s\u00a0Grobbelaar also points to composability being implemented at Durham University, while MuleSoft is working with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/feature\/The-emerging-role-of-software-in-business-development\">Crown Agents Bank<\/a>, a UK-based provider of global payment services, on using a composable approach within its digital transformation strategy.<\/p>\n<p>In that sense, Gartner was certainly right that 2022 would be a big year for composability, but this is just the start. Given all the talk about efficiencies and increasing agility, and the economic pressures to come, 2023 is going to be an even bigger year for composability. The ability to shape and match technology capabilities with needs is not without its challenges, but there\u2019s enough evidence to suggest it will be worth the ride.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"DigDeeperSplash\">\n<h4>\n\t\t\t<i data-icon=\"m\"><\/i>Read more on IT architecture<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/microscope\/news\/252525773\/Channel-feeling-good-about-Q4\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/weather-winter-frost-plants-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/weather-winter-frost-plants-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/weather-winter-frost-plants-adobe.jpeg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Channel feeling good about Q4<\/h5>\n<p><span>By: <span>Billy\u00a0MacInnes<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/microscope\/news\/252523267\/Nolan-gets-the-chance-to-run-Westcon-Comstor-UKI\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/change-improvement-promotion-growth-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/change-improvement-promotion-growth-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/change-improvement-promotion-growth-adobe.jpeg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Nolan gets the chance to run Westcon-Comstor UK&#038;I<\/h5>\n<p><span>By: <span>Simon\u00a0Quicke<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252508880\/Mavenir-shows-path-to-monetise-network-as-a-service\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/network-abstract-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/network-abstract-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/network-abstract-2-adobe.jpeg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Mavenir shows path to monetise network as a service<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Joe-OHalloran-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"JoeO\u2019Halloran\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Joe\u00a0O\u2019Halloran<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/searchenterprisedesktop\/tip\/Comparing-macOS-vs-Windows-security\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineimages\/security_a385093447_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineimages\/security_a385093447_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineimages\/security_a385093447.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Comparing macOS vs. Windows security<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineImages\/posey_brien.jpg\" alt=\"BrienPosey\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Brien\u00a0Posey<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/feature\/Is-composable-business-the-most-essential-technology-trend-to-meet-the-challenges-of-2023-and-beyond\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Tami Block<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Marc Ambasna-Jones Published: 23 Jan 2023 \u201cLife\u2019s what you make it,\u201d sang the synth-pop post-rock band Talk Talk in 1986 \u2013 perhaps a suggestion we should all take on board when considering the predictions for 2023. Economic forecasts are starting to make Nostradamus look like a fun dinner party guest, so when we start<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":600712,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[378,95298,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-600711","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"category-composable","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600711\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/600712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=600711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=600711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}