Composable architecture: What is it? And what could it mean for your business?

Towards the end of last year we put out a blog about technologies that your business should look at in 2023. But there was one tech solution that we missed out because it deserves a whole blog of its own. That solution is composable architecture. 

Composable architecture is likely to be the future of custom enterprise software development, and for good reason. It’s a proven way to develop a future-proofed, agile and cost effective solution. 

If you’ve not heard of it before, you’re not alone. Composable architecture is a relatively new way of developing software and builds on already existing solutions such as microservices and Packaged Business Capabilities (PBCs). 

Whether you’ve heard of it or not, we think it’d be useful to explore composable architecture further. So read on to find out more about what this new technology is, how it can benefit your business — and some of the downsides too. 

What is composable architecture?

Composable architecture refers to an approach to designing software systems in which the system is divided into a set of independent, interchangeable components that can be composed to form a complete system.

It lets you reuse code and components to create modular components. One way to think of it is like Lego. You build the pieces of the system so that they can be configured in many different ways. 

This allows the system to be more flexible and adaptable, as different components can be swapped in and out as needed without requiring major changes to the overall system. 

Composable architecture can also make it easier to maintain and update the system, as individual components can be changed or modified without affecting the rest of the system.

What are the benefits of composable architecture for your business?

There are several benefits of using composable architecture in a business:

Increased flexibility: By dividing the system into independent components, it becomes easier to modify or replace individual components without affecting the rest of the system. This can be particularly useful for businesses that need to quickly adapt to changing requirements or market conditions.

Better scalability: Composable architecture can make it easier to scale a system up or down as needed, as new components can be added or removed without requiring major changes to the system.

Improved maintainability: Because individual components can be modified or replaced without affecting the rest of the system, it can be easier to maintain and update a system that uses composable architecture.

Enhanced reuse: Components that are designed to be used in multiple different contexts can be easily reused in other systems, saving time and resources.

Greater agility: With composable architecture, it becomes easier to respond to new opportunities or challenges, as the system can be quickly reconfigured to meet changing needs.

Any one of these benefits alone would be reason enough to recommend software setup. Together they represent something really transformative. And if 2023 is a turbulent year, these are exactly the kinds of advantages you’ll want to look at.

But what about the other side of the coin?

What are the downsides of composable architecture?

There are a few potential downsides to using composable architecture:

Complexity

Designing a system with composable architecture can be more complex than designing a monolithic system, as it requires careful planning and coordination to ensure that the different components work well together.

Integration issues

If the components in a composable system are not well-designed or do not interface correctly, it can be difficult to integrate them into the system.

Compatibility concerns

When using third-party components, it is important to ensure that they are compatible with the rest of the system. If they are not, it can be difficult to get them to work correctly.

These potential downsides are certainly worth considering. And they can all be mitigated with a strong focus on the design phase of the development. This is exactly why we developed our Agile Architecture phase, which you can find out more about by watching this recording of our webinar in 2022. 

Is it worth investing in composable architecture?

With all this in mind, do we think it’s worth investing in composable architecture in 2023? Absolutely. But only if your business is in the right place and if it’s the right solution for you. 

The type of solution that composable architecture is appropriate for is actually quite wide ranging. From backend systems, to your CMS and cloud infrastructure (or multi-cloud infrastructure). So whether composable architecture is right for you is not so much about which solution you need. It’s more about how you want to work and how much flexibility and agility you want to have in your solution. 

For example, if you need a solution where the tools adapt to your workflow, rather than having to change your workflow to meet the demands of your tools, then composable architecture is for you. 
If you want to talk to a specialist IoT development company about what composable architecture could do for you, then get in touch today and we can talk about your specific needs — and a solution that’ll work best for you.