DXP integration in composable architecture: A comprehensive overview

Highlights

You’ll learn all about DXP integration in composable architectures.

• Seamless connectivity: Integrates multiple systems and boosts user experiences
• Flexibility & scalability: Flexible DXP expands resources to adapt to business growth
• Rapid innovation: Allows you to deliver new features and solutions faster

DXP integration offers flexibility, agility, and scalability, which enables you to innovate. Step into the future today. Request a free demo to see how it works.

Keep reading to learn more!

Businesses are racing to get ahead and stay ahead of their competitors, and many are opting for DXP integration in composable architectures. It is no surprise that Gartner believes that 80% of businesses that go composable will outpace their rivals. 

Here is the thing. Composable architectures allow you to design and build DXPs by assembling modular DXP components that serve specific purposes. They are flexible and scalable, which makes them suitable for dealing with today’s dynamic nature of global business and technology.

DXP integration and composable architecture

DXP integration in composable architectures enables businesses to customize their technology stacks. You go from vendor dependence to technology agnostic and from monolithic to modular approach.

It leads to agility and better user experiences. While a regular digital experience platform (DXP) offers integrated solutions to compose, manage, deliver, and optimize digital experiences, composability offers flexibility.

What is a composable DXP?

A composable DXP is a modular DXP that allows you to select and integrate tech solutions that address your business needs. It relies on APIs and a microservices architecture via a headless approach. 

A composable DXP supports component reuse, which reduces cost and increases the speed of work. It is a distributed system approach that enhances agility, flexibility, and control as you select only solutions that serve your business needs.

Benefits of a composable DXP

A composable DXP offers many benefits, but here are a few.

• Customer-focused: With its advanced data analytics, you can deliver personalized experiences, and your digital marketers can optimize campaigns.
• Technology freedom: You have technology freedom. So, you can choose relevant solutions from any vendor of your choice.
• Better security: A problem or failure in one component does not affect the entire system. So, you can isolate and fix faults, which increases the system's resilience.
• Future-proof: You can always swap and integrate new features and tools via APIs. That allows you to adapt to market shifts and new trends.

Building a composable DXP

The good thing about composable DXP is that you build it from the ground up. So, it is vital to go with solutions that support an API-first approach for seamless DXP integration. Also, focus only on solutions that align with your business goals.

The essentials of building a composable DXP

Modular architecture

A modular architecture promotes seamless DXP integration, enabling you to create a flexible and scalable DXP.

Microservices and third-party systems

Microservices are an essential piece of the composable DXP puzzle. They allow you to integrate third-party systems, which extends the features of your DXP.

API-first approach

An API-first architecture ensures that DXP integration is smooth. It also allows your DXP to work with other services or tools.

Cloud-native infrastructure

Cloud-native technologies are dynamic. They allocate resources based on your needs. So, you can either scale up or down based on demand. They improve resilience and help you save costs.

Headless CMS 

A headless content management system separates the back-end content storage from the front-end presentation layer. It is essential for content creation and delivery to multiple channels.

Security and compliance 

The global average cost of data breaches was $4.45 million in 2023, as per IBM, and analysts expect that to grow by 15% in 2025. DXP security and compliance is how you keep things safe.

Benefits of DXP integration into composable architectures

Improved customer experience

Integrating a DXP in composable architecture helps you deliver seamless integrations that facilitate smooth and cohesive digital experiences.

Greater flexibility and scalability

With DXP integration, you can increase flexibility, which enables you to implement changes and adapt to market shifts. It also improves your ability to scale in order to meet the complex and growing demands of customers.

Best-of-breed technology

You can select the most relevant, advanced, and suitable technologies available. You can always add new technologies based on data and market trends. That way, you keep the DXP up-to-date.

Challenges and solutions in DXP integration

Common challenges in DXP integration

DXP integration offers some hurdles that you need to be aware of, such as:

• Complexity in integrations: DXPs often need existing systems like CRM, ERP, and CMS. These systems use different technologies that may be difficult to integrate.
• Problems from data silos: Different systems manage and store data in different ways, which leads to siloed data. This makes DXP integration difficult.
• Security and compliance: It is also difficult to ensure that multiple modules in the DXP comply with global and regional data laws and standards, such as GDPR and CCPA.

Overcoming DXP integration challenges

Here are three practical ways to deal with DXP integration issues.

• Adopt a robust integration strategy: A robust DXP integration strategy aligns business goals and technology, reducing the risks of complex integration. It improves data flows, which eliminate data silos. It also fosters user adoption, as there is a deliberate effort to train the team.
• Utilizing middleware: Using middleware in DXP integration helps to manage data flows. It also provides a standard interface for seamless interaction between disparate systems. It reduces complexity, which makes for more consistent data.
• Testing and quality assurance: Tracking the system is essential in DXP integration as it helps you identify issues before they impact the DXP. It ensures that the DXP works as it should for different situations and use cases.

Continuous improvement tips for DXP integration

Just as you deploy strategies to overcome DXP integration issues, it is also vital to watch the system and improve it. That would include regular software updates, user feedback integration, and regular training for the team. 

These strategies keep the system robust and resilient, and you will have a capable development team to manage it.

How to integrate DXP into composable architectures

DXP integration requires planning as there are many variables to consider. But here are the three main steps.

1. Strategy development

A successful DXP integration starts with developing an overarching strategy. Outline your:

• Business objectives
• Current digital maturity
• Technical and IT requirements
• Targets and expected outcomes 

Communicating with relevant stakeholders is vital to get them on board.

2. Technical considerations

Any DXP integration plan must also consider the status of the systems already in place. Evaluate your current system to know what you need to upgrade. Consider API design and security. Also, consider the role of microservices to break up the DXP functions into smaller, flexible units.

3. Testing and deployment

After completing your DXP integration, you must test the system. That way, you know if or how it works. Ensure that the integrations are seamless and correct any issues you detect. Integrate DevOps practices and use container tools like Docker and Kubernetes for deployment. Also, layered security and compliance protocols should be established.

Case studies

Emma

Emma struggled to cope with their growth phase, as the system did not have the right integrations.

Contentstack’s composable DXP and headless CMS solved the problems. It allowed them to implement DXP integration, which boosted integration with online stores and over 3,500 physical ones.

Andreas Westendörpf said this about the digital transformation. "The beauty of headless commerce is that it not only delivers short-term results but also that it opens an elegant, logical long-term set of options for the future. This is what we have found with Contentstack and MACH-based technologies."

Read more about Emma's omnichannel success via an API-first DXP.

Waltz Health

Waltz needed a DXP integration to merge product data, pricing and branded assets templates.

Contentstack’s composable DXP offered that, which enabled them to integrate third-party services to boost patient care.

Sunil Kripalani, the Chief Technology Officer, spoke about the changes. "The flexibility that's baked into Contentstack isn't just enabling our staff to work more efficiently, it's a true business enabler that's helping us consider new service offerings. Using APIs, we can pull in new data streams and create unique experiences for our provider partners, as well as within niche markets."

Read more about Waltz Health's DXP integration success.

FAQ section

What does DXP stand for? 

DXP stands for digital experience platform (DXP). It is a set of integrated technologies that allow you to compose, manage, deliver and optimize digital experiences.

What is a composable DXP? 

A composable DXP is a digital platform that allows you to integrate multiple modules based on your specific business needs using APIs and microservices.

How does microservices architecture benefit DXP integration? 

Microservices makes it easy for you to manage DXP integration, as each service is small and independent. It also improves system resilience, as an issue in one component does not affect the whole system. You can also fix, swap, or update components faster.

Why is third-party system integration crucial for DXPs? 

With third-party integrations, you can add more features and functions to the DXP. That enables you to adapt to new demands and also extend the research of the DXP. 

What challenges might arise during DXP integration? 

It is never easy to adapt to a new system. Hence, your team might struggle with that at first. A few of the new systems may also not be compatible, and you may experience some difficult technical issues.

Learn more

DXP integration into composable architectures drives digital excellence and works as a technical upgrade. With DXP integration, you increase speed, boost security, and enjoy the freedom to choose any solution from any vendor.

DXP integration enables you to leverage all the benefits of APIs, microservices, and a headless system. That births a reliable, resilient, and agile DXP that allows you to reach your customers on all digital channels.

Your customers deserve the best digital experiences you can offer. Start your composable journey to make it happen. Request a free demo today to get started.