eComm Platform = Chassis. Solution = Car

There seems to be some sort of unwritten law that imposes companies to select the platform before even speaking to Solution Integrators (SI). It's like selecting a chassis instead of choosing a car. In a way, you may well say that at least you know that it's robust. Sure, so you know that if the brakes don't work and you crash, the toughness of the chassis may save your life... or is it the seat belt and the Airbag, which are not actually part of the chassis?

The reality is that a great car is a combination of multiple things and an eCommerce Solution is just the same, never forget this.

Platform = Chassis. Solution = Car.

You need to see how the chassis performs once you add everything else on top of it.

In my opinion, a company should first of all speak to the best solution integrator for each platform. This way, you can see what can be achieved using a specific platform as a base, when a reputable and experienced SI develops the rest of the eCommerce solution on top of it.

An SI with the required level of experience will without any doubt be able to tell you what can and what can't be achieved using that platform, as the platform only represents the starting point. Furthermore, they would also tell you how and show you practical examples of previous works.

In my opinion, you should expect to come out of a meeting with an SI with the following four takeaways:

1. what's the least you should expect (the features included in the platform/chassis)
2. what you could achieve using that platform/chassis.
3. TCO over a three years period at least
4. Time to market estimates.

Ultimately, in most cases it comes down to Time To Market, Risk, Objectives and TCO, so rather than thinking of how much comes OOTB, which can only really define the minimum result you could achieve, you should be focusing on where you need to go. Then ask yourself if that car can take you there, if it's safe to run, if you can rely on expert support for maintenance and ultimately what you can achieve with different chassis, on the same TCO.

• Can the car/solution take me there? (OOTB features and extendability)
• In how much time? (Time to market and alignment with business objectives)
• Is it safe? (Support provided and reliability of the solution, not just the platform)
• How much is it going to cost? (TCO over three years, not just startup cost).

If you are making a substantial investment on eCommerce, at least most of the times, it's either because you have a problem to solve or because you are growing/changing and you need your solution to scale, grow faster and remain flexible.

Let me give you an example of what I see happening quite often.

I often hear that companies send RFPs to multiple platforms. Once they have selected the platform, they then send another RFP to Solution Integrators. Doing this puts your company at risk of excluding the SOLUTION that would have given you the best results and reliability, all because you are not considering what a specialised Solution Integrator (SI) would be able to accomplish on their preferred platform. A specialised SI may be able to achieve amazing results, using a platform that was originally discarded because it appeared to be less powerful.

Platforms don't all work in the same way. Some offer a lot OOTB, others offer fewer features but a much greater flexibility in terms of customisation and scalability.

So what's better? What do I choose?

There is no one size that fits all and new features are released so rapidly, that what is included in the package today is far less important than the ability you have to upscale your solution. Flexibility is the key to success.

Ask yourself this:

• What can I achieve with the different platforms, based on the same TCO, if working with the right SI?
• Which SI can deliver the best solution for my business?
• Which SI will understand my business and my target audience, while proactively help me drive eCommerce growth?

Then ask them, which platform they would use. Some, like the company I currently work for, are laser focused on one platform, others claim to be platform agnostic.

In my opinion, there are pros and cons on both sides. The main advantage of being laser focused on one platform is this:

Your knowledge of that platform will allow you to reach results that others simply can't reach.

On the other hand, a platform-agnostic SI can advise you on multiple platforms. This said if I required advice on multiple platforms, I would call the most skilled and reputable SI operating on each platform, not one that has partial knowledge of all.

If you needed heart surgery, would you go to a surgeon that operated hearts, brains and lungs, or to one who has dedicated his entire career to heart surgery? It's a no brainer really...

For many companies their eCommerce solution is quite comparable to the heart, in fact, it's often at the core of their business, connecting the online world to their brick and mortar stores, syncing with multiple systems that handle invoicing, stock, order management etc.

An eCommerce related project is more often than not a critical project. Remember, the eCommerce platform is not the solution, it's the Chassis.

To wrap this up, I'll summarise this in a few simple, yet very important tips:

1. If you need a new eCommerce get in touch with the most reputable SIs operating on each platform. Make sure they only work with one platform.
2. Focus on your objectives, not on the features. Features change every day. Your objectives don't.
3. The Platform is only a starting point. Believe me, if you compare features, they will all look very similar. It's the SI that makes the difference.
4. Select the SI that understands you, your company, your customers and embraces your vision. You need a partner that will proactively help you drive your growth, not a company that will focus on selling you billable hours.
5. Make sure that if you decide to change after a few years, you can walk away with the solution, not just the data stored in it. Things change continuously, using a tool that you cannot move wherever you like is and will always be a risk.