With the ever-expanding online market, rising expectations, and new features, companies with an existing e-commerce platform face a difficult dilemma: Should they continue to expand their existing “brownfield e-commerce platform,” or replace it with a new “greenfield platform”? In this podcast, we discuss and examine the pros and cons of both options to help you make this crucial decision.
Expanding Existing E-Commerce Operations platform
The existing e-commerce platform, also known as a brownfield platform, is an application that has been built up over the years within a company. The decision to further expand it may run into difficulties related to technological capacity. These older technologies can impose limitations that lead to inefficiency and a loss of competitiveness. In addition, you need to have developers who are capable of working with these older technologies.
Once the decision has been made to continue using the existing platform, there are several ways to do so. But according to David De Sloovere, Competence Lead | E-Commerce at Alistar, “It always comes down to analyzing, developing, and testing small components—and then releasing them frequently in a way that minimizes risk.”.”In addition, it is also interesting to examine the relevance of the existing features and, if necessary, adjust them.".
Replacing the Existing E-Commerce Platform
It’s very tempting to start with a new e-commerce platform, also known as a greenfield platform. Although this idea is easy to sell in a sales pitch, it’s not without risks. It often involves high costs and a significant time investment, and, moreover, it offers no guarantee of success. In addition, all necessary features must be included, and you don’t know in advance how users will react to this new platform. “Finally, it is also important that there be a “code freeze” on the old application so that no duplicate costs are incurred.“. In short, there’s a lot to consider, and a new platform isn’t necessarily the right choice for everyone. A thorough preliminary analysis is therefore essential.
In short, the dilemma of whether to expand or replace an existing e-commerce platform is a crucial decision for businesses. However, there is no definitive answer, as the right choice depends on a company’s specific circumstances and objectives. It is essential to carefully weigh the pros and cons and, if necessary, seek professional advice before making the decision. All of this is necessary to determine the most suitable strategy for achieving success in the ever-changing e-commerce landscape.
