Choosing the best technology platform can be a challenge, especially considering the thousands of options you have to choose from. Selecting the right platform for your organization will require careful evaluation, but doing so can help you align your strategy, simplify integration, provide a better customer experience, and ultimately make the best long-term platform choice for your organization.

Make evaluations before you choose
Selecting a platform is like picking the right foundation for building a house. You need to consider how big the platform can grow (scalability), how easy it is to use (user-friendliness), what other tools it can work with (integrations), how safe it keeps your data and your customer’s information (security), and how much it costs. Your platform will not only become the backbone of your online operations, but it will also significantly influence your business’s trajectory overall, so it’s important to consider every angle before making your choice.

Identify your goals
As you evaluate options, keep these key areas in mind: 

• Business Objectives: Clearly define your short- and long-term goals. Which specific platform capabilities are essential to achieving that vision?
  
• Technical Fit: Review your existing tech stack and team skills. Will the platform integrate well with current systems? Is additional training required? Make sure the solution matches technical capabilities.
  
• Budget: What kind of budget are you working with? Remember to account for both initial setup costs and long-term maintenance. What kind of manpower and resources do you have at your disposal? Will you need to hire more people? Consider both technical and non-technical teams.
• Content Needs: Audit existing content and plan for creation and governance. How will assets be migrated, managed, and improved? Ensure the platform can support your content strategy.
• Digital Maturity: Evaluate your organization’s digital maturity. Does an enterprise platform make sense for your organization? Do you need a phased rollout approach (crawl, walk, run)?
• Scalability: As your business grows, can the platform keep pace? Both the MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless) approach and the monolithic approach have their pros and cons.

The right platform will align with your strategic vision, technical needs, and budget. Keeping these core areas in focus will inform a platform choice that positions your business for digital success and growth.

Keep things simple and ask for help
When it comes to platform selection, it’s important to prioritize essential features over nice-to-haves. Begin with exploring out-of-the-box (OOTB) solutions, which cater to standard business needs, before delving into customizations. Tailor your selection to specific use cases and user stores for best alignment.

Don’t underestimate the significance of implementation partners in this process. Implementation partners are invaluable, and bringing them in as early as possible can help you view your business and integration processes through a different lens. Implementation partners can provide system integration advice, assist with relevant vendor demos, and even help with procuring better licensing deals. Choosing the right partner goes beyond just expertise and certifications. The ideal partners are those who can adapt, communicate effectively, collaborate seamlessly, and are ultimately a cultural fit.

Remember, platform selection and implementation is an ongoing journey and unforeseen challenges might pop up. To navigate these challenges, keep your team informed and trained. Regularly evaluate your progress, adapt to new insights, and foster open communication. This keeps everyone aligned, which will drive your platform initiative toward success. 

Pay attention to customer experiences
Platform selection plays a big role in defining the customer experience (CX). Whether it’s end-users or internal teams, the right or wrong platform choice can greatly impact daily interactions. With ecommerce businesses, for example, a slow platform that lacks mobile optimization will frustrate shoppers, while one that doesn’t seamlessly integrate inventory management can disrupt operational efficiency for internal teams.

Platforms need to be more than just functional tools. They must help businesses in their ongoing efforts to elevate the customer experience, ensuring they constantly meet or exceed customer expectations. Achieving digital transformation isn’t just about the tools or the strategies – it’s a top-down organizational shift. Success hinges on alignment, starting with buy-in from the most senior executive level. When all key stakeholders are aligned on the same vision, it helps drive everyone towards the same shared goals. 

Lastly, never underestimate the importance of feedback. The insights from employees, those directly interacting with the platform, can be game-changers. By valuing their input, businesses can shift from maintenance mode to a more growth-oriented approach, emphasizing strategies and boosting sales.

Build from the ground up
Whether you’re well-versed in the digital world or just starting out, it’s important to consider a platform that not only meets your current needs but also has the potential to scale with your future goals. With the right approach to platform selection, you can lay a foundation to support both your present operations and your vision for the future.

This article is adapted from a recent podcast appearance on The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström.