Definition of Replatforming | Syte

Replatforming is the process a brand takes to migrate from one online platform to another. Although costly and time-consuming, it can be necessary for growing businesses that want to scale and be more current. Doing so can improve the performance, functionality, and capabilities of a brand’s online presence and maximize the technology being used. The process can take anywhere from a few months to a year.

Challenges and Opportunities in Replatforming

Because replatforming requires resources, planning is essential. Before migration, brands should evaluate the performance of their current platform and identify areas for improvement. This will help you know what to look for when you evaluate, purchase, and implement a new solution.

Replatforming brings about many challenges, which include starting from scratch with a new platform. Your previous investment will be thrown away and it takes time to learn and fully adopt new systems and processes. Moreover, migration is risky because of the amount of data that is transferred. Brands risk losing customer data and needing to recreate customizations.

However, there are instances where the best decision is to replatform.

Successful replatforming requires careful planning and evaluation of existing systems.

Reasons for Replatforming

Brands can opt to undergo replatforming for several reasons. Some of these include:

• Your business is suffering from eCommerce tech stack bloat – It makes sense to migrate to a new and better platform that can help you simplify your processes and achieve your goals faster and easier.
• The platform you are currently using requires constant upgrades and maintenance – In this case, it may be more cost-effective to transition to another platform with less time consuming enhancements.
• There are particular features that are new and necessary – You need to address changing consumer expectations and deliver smoother customer journeys than the current platform is able to supply. For example, shoppers today expect intuitive product discovery and personalized online shopping experiences.
• Your present platform is lagging behind other competitors – When it comes to developing and releasing essential updates and features, you need to stay current. Replatforming enables you to futureproof not only your data and architecture but also the overall business.
• You have a desire to integrate with partner brands and affiliates or across departments that use different systems.
• The current capacity of your platform hinders you – If you can’t scale, handle more demand, and match the power of your competitors, replatforming is a must.
• The platform that you’re using produces many technical issues – If your platform is getting in the way of a top-tier customer experience, it will impact conversions.
• The current platform is becoming obsolete.