There’s been a quiet revolution happening in the tech stacks of smart organisations. Once, the dream was a single, integrated platform that did everything. Now? The future is composable.
Best-of-breed, modular, interoperable architecture is replacing the all-in-one “mega suite.” And for good reason. More brands are finding that monolithic platforms are expensive, rigid, and often include more features than they actually need, while still missing some they really do.
As this trend picks up pace, companies like the Sydney Opera House are showing exactly how to do it well.
What Is Composability, Exactly?
At its core, composable architecture is about designing your tech stack like LEGO, not like poured concrete.
It’s built on four key principles:
- Modularity – Breaking complex systems into smaller, reusable building blocks
- Reusability – Reducing redundancy and dev time by reusing proven components
- Interoperability – Ensuring components work seamlessly together
- Decoupling – Minimising dependency between parts, so you can upgrade one without breaking the whole thing
The Benefits of Going Composable
The upsides of composable architecture aren’t just theoretical – they’re practical, financial, and strategic. Here’s why more organisations are making the move:
- Flexibility & Customisation: You can mix and match tools to suit your business and its requirements – essential as market demands ebb and flow.
- Scalability: Composable stacks scale without overhauls. Need a new capability? Plug it in without breaking everything else.
- Freedom: No more vendor lock-in. With composable, you can renegotiate, replace, or upgrade specific tools when it suits you. Control over your growth.
- Cost Efficiency: You pay for what you use – not a suite where half the tools gather dust. Development can also be staggered and aligned with budget cycles.
Case Study: Sydney Opera House Makes the Switch
One of the most iconic institutions in Australia, the Sydney Opera House, adopted a composable mindset several years ago. And it’s a textbook case of composability done right.
Previously relying on a full Adobe marketing suite (powerful but pricey), the Opera House team faced mounting costs for licences, implementation and integration. Despite the platform’s strength, it wasn’t delivering value that justified the spend.So they made a move. They swapped the monolith for a composable stack built around:
- Acquia for website development
- Prospect2/Active Campaign for email marketing
- Collaboro for digital asset management
They didn’t throw Adobe out entirely – they kept Creative Cloud and Document Cloud – but they replaced the core martech stack with smaller, specialised platforms that better aligned with their goals.
The result?
Sydney Opera House reported substantial cost savings, and a more agile, focused system that does exactly what they need, without the expensive extras.
Thinking of Making the Switch?
Composable architecture isn’t just a tech trend. It’s an enabler of business growth. If you’re feeling trapped by high costs, slow rollouts, inflexible systems or underused tools, it might be time to rethink your stack. Whether you’re looking to cut costs, accelerate innovation, or just regain some control – we’d be happy to help explore what composability could look like for your business
