Choosing between an all-in-one solution or a combination of individual solutions to manage their e-commerce business can be difficult for companies. In this article, we’ll look at the pros and cons of CMS centric and Best of Breed to help you determine the best solution for your business.
Today, e-commerce is a fast-growing market, with billions of online transactions carried out worldwide every year. To succeed in this competitive environment, it’s essential to choose the best strategies and tools to effectively manage your online store.
The CMS (content management system) is a tool that has revolutionized website creation and management since the 1990s. With the emergence of e-commerce and the need for an all-in-one platform, the CMS gradually established itself as the only tool capable of managing the entire e-commerce activity. Over time, the CMS began to offer new e-commerce functionalities via plugins/modules, transforming a simple CMS into an all-purpose tool. Over the years, the CMS has become a tool dedicated to the overall management of an e-commerce business (sales, logistics, etc.). This has enabled companies to gain in simplicity and convenience, reducing the time and resources required to manage their online business.
However, a new approach has emerged in recent years: the best-of-breed approach. Also known as “best-in-class”, this approach involves using several specialized solutions for each aspect of your online store, rather than a single all-in-one tool. This allows for maximum customization and flexibility, as each solution is selected according to its specific needs.
In this article, we’ll analyze both approaches and explain why it’s important to abandon the CMS-centric approach and turn to ultra-specialized logistics solutions to improve your customers’ shopping experience and increase your conversion rate.
All-in-one CMS
Definition
The all-in-one CMS approach is an approach to e-commerce business management in which the CMS is diverted from its main function, namely online sales, and transformed into an all-purpose tool: logistics management, shipment management, customer relationship management, etc. The all-in-one CMS approach is also an approach to e-commerce business management in which the CMS is diverted from its main function, namely online sales, and transformed into an all-purpose tool: logistics management, shipment management, customer relationship management, etc.
Features
CMS stands for Content Management System. In concrete terms, a CMS enables the design, management and animation of a website or mobile application.
There are two types of CMS: SaaS and open source:
- A SaaS e-commerce CMS is a turnkey solution available on a monthly or annual subscription basis. The software then belongs to a software publisher, who takes care of the technical side (hosting, security, maintenance). This solution therefore requires no technical development skills, enabling you to get up and running quickly.
Examples of Saas CMS: Shopify, Wizishop, Oxatis.
- Open source e-commerce CMS are free solutions that you can install and customize according to your needs and expectations. The entire installation process must be managed by the e-business owner and his team, which requires a certain level of technical expertise. Examples of Open Source CMS: Magento, PrestaShop, Woocommerce.
The CMS centric approach, on the other hand, is a strategy for managing e-commerce operations that involves adding plugins and modules to the CMS, to gain access to a wider range of functionalities. For example: customer service management, payment processing, shipping, marketing, order management, etc. The various tools are then hosted under the same umbrella, transforming a simple CMS into a centric, all-in-one tool for the entire e-commerce business.
Benefits
Centric use of the CMS offers a number of advantages for managing an e-commerce business:
First of all, simplicity. Using a single tool to manage your entire business is simple and practical.
In addition to the simplicity and convenience offered by the all-in-one approach, platforms are usually simpler to use than specialized solutions. CMS are designed to be user-friendly, with intuitive user interfaces and features that are simple to understand and use. This enables users without technical skills to manage their online store efficiently, without the need for a professional developer or designer.
Finally, the centric CMS approach is often less expensive than customized solutions. Development and maintenance costs are considerably reduced, thanks to the use of pre-built themes and plugins. What’s more, software updates are regular, so administrators benefit from the latest features and security patches, without having to pay for expensive upgrades.
Disadvantages
Although the installation of modules on your CMS seems to facilitate business management, there are certain limitations.
First of all, the all-in-one use of a CMS considerably reduces the customization of e-commerce activities. Users are then limited by the predefined functionalities and plugins available. Indeed, CMS are designed to meet a wide range of needs, but they may not be adapted to specific requirements. As a result, there’s a risk of slowing down a company’s development.
What’s more, centric use of a CMS is slower and less efficient than the use of various specialized solutions. Modules/plugins weigh down the CMS, which is then not optimized. This can lead to longer loading times and bugs. This can have a negative impact on user experience and site credibility.
What’s more, the CMS’s centric approach is vulnerable to security flaws. Popular CMS are often targeted by hackers, as they are widely used and have known vulnerabilities. Security attacks can compromise customer information, lead to website downtime and lost revenue, as well as damaging a company’s reputation.
In addition, managing module and plugin updates can also pose challenges. Modules may be designed to work with specific versions of the CMS and may not be compatible with the latest versions. This can lead to delays in updating the CMS, which can compromise the security and stability of the website. Frequent updates can also be time-consuming, as webshop owners have to check whether each module needs to be updated and test compatibility before proceeding.
Finally, data and order processing can be time-consuming and insecure. Even if the e-tailer uses an Amazon module and a Colissimo module on its CMS, data and order processing may be more time-consuming and less secure than with a best-of-breed approach. Indeed, with the CMS centric approach, the modules for each functionality, such as order and inventory management, payment processing and shipping, are all integrated into the CMS and share a common database.
Best of Breed
Definition
Best of Breed” (BoB) is an approach that refers to choosing specialized software to meet each of your company’s precise needs. These software products are ultra-specialized in their fields, with advanced and precise functionalities. The various software packages complement each other to form an ecosystem specific to each company.
In the digital age and the SaaS mode, “software as a service”, the accessibility of the “Best of Breed” approach continues to grow. Indeed, cloud-based software, available from a single browser rather than as a downloadable tool, enables users to benefit from great agility, and easily compose their software architecture.
To give you a concrete idea of what we mean by “Best Of Breed” architecture, here’s an example of a use case: “I’m an e-merchant who sells on my own e-commerce site and on a marketplace. To manage my business, I use specialized technologies: a CMS to create/manage my online store, logistics software (OMS, WMS, TMS) to manage my logistics, an ERP to manage my accounting, and a CRM for marketing. All these tools are interconnected, enabling me to build my own agile, high-performance software architecture.
Benefits
This approach, often offered in SaaS mode, has a number of significant advantages.
First of all, the “Best Of Breed” approach allows for more advanced customization. Indeed, the use of various tools specialized in their respective fields provides access to the customization options of each. Unlike a CMS-centric approach, which offers integrated but limited functionality, a “Best of Breed” architecture allows you to choose solutions that specifically meet your company’s needs, and which can be integrated in a customized way into your existing technological environment. This provides greater flexibility while maximizing investment efficiency. Indeed, the “Best of Breed” approachavoids hidden costs, since corrective and evolutionary maintenance as well as hosting are included in the monthly subscription.
In terms of performance, “Best of Breed” architecture can be faster and more reliable than using an all-in-one CMS. Indeed, “Best of Breed” solutions are designed to deliver optimum performance thanks to cutting-edge technologies that take advantage of the latest advances in web development.
What’s more, the “Best of Breed” approach is also more scalable than the CMS centric approach. It allows companies to add new functionality using SaaS tools, rather than being limited to the built-in features of CMS centric. This means that companies can continue to use their existing CMS platform while adding additional functions to enhance their website, without having to replace their entire platform.
The “Best of Breed” approach also enables regular updates to improve performance and security. Companies can therefore rest assured that their website remains at the cutting edge of technology and is protected against the latest security threats.
Taken together, these benefits mean better conversion for companies using the best-of-breed approach. The enhanced performance, personalization, flexibility and security offered by the best-of-breed approach translate into an improved user experience, which can boost conversion rates and generate more revenue for the company.
Finally, cost can be an advantage of the “Best of Breed” approach. Although best-of-breed solutions can be more expensive to purchase and implement than CMS modules/plugins, they can offer considerable added value over the long term.
Disadvantages
While the “Best of Breed” approach offers many advantages, it also has a number of drawbacks.
On the one hand, using a variety of tools can be a challenge for some companies. Indeed, some systems may appear to require more advanced technical expertise than an all-in-one approach. However, many of the tools have ergonomic and intuitive interfaces, making them easy to use and learn.
Implementation time can also be longer. The need to integrate several different systems can take longer than implementing a single, ready-to-use system. However, the plug-and-play integration of these SaaS technologies is very fast and efficient, considerably reducing integration time.
CMS vs “Best of Breed” comparison chart
| Criteria | CMS Centric | “Best of Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Use of a single CMS to manage all aspects of the e-commerce business. | Use of several specialized solutions to meet each company’s specific needs. |
| Features | CMS module/plugin integration | API connection between various SaaS tools. |
| Personalization | Limited customization due to constraints of pre-built modules | High, thanks to the use of several specialized solutions |
| Features | Limited functionality | Various advanced functionalities |
| Performance | Performance is limited, as it is affected by the use of the various modules | Optimized performance thanks to cutting-edge technologies, experts in their field |
| Integration | Simple but limited integrations | Simple, customized integrations |
| Update | Numerous and tedious: waste of time | Numerous, but not very time-consuming, as provided by the technology provider |
| Scalability | Limited due to the rigidity of the platform and pre-built modules | High, since specialized solutions can be changed or added to meet constantly evolving needs |
| Cost | Inexpensive, but with limited development prospects | Can be costly, but high added value and infinite development potential |
| Security | Vulnerable to attack | Easy to protect |
Conclusion
In conclusion, a CMS (Content Management System) is a software package that enables you to manage and publish content on a website in an intuitive way. The CMS centric approach consists of using a single Content Management System (CMS) to manage all facets of an e-commerce business. Although this approach is affordable and easy to use, it has limitations in terms of functionality, performance, security and customization.
On the other hand, the “Best Of Breed” approach offers greater customization and functionality, improved scalability, superior performance and enhanced security, enabling unlimited growth. Although initial costs may be higher, the benefits are undeniable for both small and large enterprises.
At Shippingbo, we are convinced that the “Best of Breed” approach is the best way to offer our customers the best possible results in terms of performance, personalization and functionality. We work and connect with all supply chain talents to offer our customers an optimal online experience.
What if you went digital for your logistics management?
