Picture the scene…you’re about to embark on a journey taking you into the future. Either you can take the guide who has been around for a long time but isn’t ready for what the future holds, or you can take a whole team of experts, purpose built to be ready for the future. Which one would you go for?
This is the choice facing many retailers right now. Stick with legacy systems and hope for the best or invest in transforming their IT architecture to a composable stack that will future-proof their digital ecosystems while dramatically improving customers’ experiences.
As far as we’re concerned, there’s only one choice, and that’s investing in systems that will make sure you’re ready for what the future brings – and this is where MACH-certified software comes in.
To bring you up to speed, here are 8 ways MACH-certified software is changing the game for retail:
1. The seal of approval. If a piece of software is rubber-stamped as MACH-certified by the MACH Alliance you know instantly that it’s already had to meet and pass specific criteria. What MACH does is ensure that the SaaS companies you’re working with are actually delivering what they say they’re going to deliver from an architecture perspective. For example, to be part of the MACH Alliance a software vendor has to actually be microservices-first and not a big, monolithic system with an API bolted on to it.
The MACH Alliance brings together tried, trusted, and proven software vendors that are cloud-native, API-based and built for the current and future needs of retailers. The MACH Alliance is the seal of approval for these vendors that retailers know they can trust.”
– Jörgen Ingelström, Chief Strategist at Sitoo
2. Agility and flexibility. Being able to respond to changes in the market or to customer behavior is one of the most important things you need to be ready for the future. MACH-certified software is built on modern architecture principles that enable you to rapidly adapt and evolve your systems, making it easier to introduce new features, scale operations, integrate with third-party applications, and respond to changing market needs.
3. Time to market. The modular nature of MACH-certified software allows retailers to develop and deploy new functionalities or services more quickly. Instead of traditional monolithic systems where changes in one area can affect the entire system, modular architecture enables independent development and deployment of different components, accelerating time-to-market for new business opportunities.
4. Best-in-class CX. MACH-certified software emphasizes the use of APIs, which enable seamless integration between different systems and applications. This interoperability allows you to create personalized, omnichannel experiences for your customers, leveraging real-time data and services from various sources. For example, you can integrate your POS with your e-commerce platform and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, marketing automation tools, analytics platforms, and more, providing a unified and consistent experience across channels.
5. Scalability and elasticity. MACH architecture, with its cloud-native approach, gives you both scalability and elasticity. You can easily scale your infrastructure and resources up or down based on demand, ensuring optimal performance during peak periods and cost-efficiency during slower times. This flexibility helps avoid overprovisioning or underutilization of resources, ultimately leading to cost savings.
6. Vendor neutrality and future-proofing. MACH-certified software follows an open and composable approach, allowing you to select best-of-breed solutions from multiple vendors rather than being locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem. This vendor neutrality reduces dependency and provides the freedom to choose the most suitable tools for specific business requirements. It also future-proofs retailers’ technology investments by ensuring compatibility and adaptability as new technologies and solutions emerge
7. Secure by design. MACH-certified software provides you with enhanced security measures, ensuring the protection of sensitive customer data and safeguarding the integrity of your business operations. One of the key reasons why MACH-certified software offers better security is its adherence to modern security standards and practices. These software solutions are built using microservices architecture, which enables the implementation of robust security protocols at each individual service level. With MACH software, retailers can benefit from a distributed security model that minimizes the impact of potential breaches by isolating and containing any compromised services. Additionally, MACH-certified software often undergoes rigorous testing and auditing processes to identify and address vulnerabilities, ensuring continuous security updates and patches.
8. Innovation unlocked. MACH-certified software empowers you to embrace innovation and stay at the forefront of the ever-evolving retail landscape. The modular and flexible nature of MACH architecture enables you to easily integrate and deploy new technologies and applications, fostering a culture of innovation.
With MACH-certified software, you can seamlessly add and experiment with new functionalities, services, and integrations without disrupting your existing infrastructure. This agility and adaptability allows you to test new ideas and opens up possibilities for leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation, allowing you to create personalized experiences, optimize operations, and drive growth.
– Jörgen Ingelström, Chief Strategist at Sitoo
Innovation and experimentation are crucial to the future of any retail organization. The role of technology should be to help retailers to offer seamless transactional experiences while incorporating brand discovery and storytelling. It all comes down to removing friction and adding convenience for the consumer.
If you don’t know where to start, the MACH Alliance ensures that the software retailers’ purchase delivers what it promises.
If you want to learn more about our approach to retail and how it can benefit your business, we’d love to talk to you.
Last updated: September 12, 2024
