Composable CDPs vs. Integrated CDPs: Which Solution Should Your Company Choose?

Introduction

Managing customer data is essential to deliver personalized and efficient experiences. The market now offers two main types of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs): integrated CDPs and composable CDPs. This article explores the differences between them, along with their pros and cons.

Definitions

Integrated CDPs

Integrated CDPs are all-in-one solutions that bundle all the key features needed for customer data management into a single package. They are designed to work cohesively out of the box, which limits the need for additional integrations.

Composable CDPs

Composable CDPs, on the other hand, are made up of independent modules that companies can select and assemble based on their specific needs. This modular approach offers greater flexibility and makes it easier to integrate with existing data infrastructures.

Comparison of key features

Integration

Integrated CDPs: Come with predefined integrations that may require costly customization.

Composable CDPs: Enable seamless integration with the existing stack, in particular with data lakes and data warehouses.

Architecture

Integrated CDPs: A tightly coupled structure with predefined features.

Composable CDPs: A modular architecture with interchangeable components.

Flexibility

Integrated CDPs: Offer a good level of flexibility, but within the limits of the vendor’s predefined framework.

Composable CDPs: Highly flexible and easier to adapt to evolving business and data needs.

Implementation

Integrated CDPs: Generally faster to deploy.

Composable CDPs: Implementation can take longer but results in a tailored setup, allowing you to build CDP capabilities directly on top of your data lake or data warehouse. This approach typically requires greater involvement from the company’s technical teams.

Scalability

Integrated CDPs: Can scale, but often require reworking the predefined data model as needs evolve.

Composable CDPs: Highly scalable, designed to grow with the company’s data infrastructure and the volume and variety of customer data.

Best-fit use cases

Integrated CDPs

• Small and mid-sized businesses with standard customer data management needs.
• Organizations looking for a solution that is quick to deploy and straightforward to maintain and evolve.
• Companies with limited in-house technical resources or data engineering expertise.

Composable CDPs

• Large enterprises with complex data management and activation requirements.
• Organizations that need a high degree of flexibility and customization.
• Companies with strong internal technical teams and mature data infrastructure.

Spotlight on Scal-e and its CDP offering

Scal-e offers an advanced CDP solution that combines the strengths of both integrated and composable approaches. While Scal-e is not a composable CDP in the strictest sense, the platform is designed to behave like one: it is modular and adaptable, giving companies the option to use independent modules according to their needs.

Key features of the Scal-e CDP

• 360° Customer View: Scal-e centralizes and unifies customer data from multiple sources to provide a complete, detailed customer profile.
• Compliance Management: The platform includes tools to ensure compliance with personal data regulations such as GDPR.
• Flexibility and Scalability: Although the platform is integrated, Scal-e allows selective use of modules, giving organizations flexibility in how they deploy and grow their CDP capabilities.
• Support and Training: Scal-e provides tailored support for implementation and optimization of the CDP, including training and ongoing assistance.

Unique aspects of the Scal-e offering

• Reverse ETL: Scal-e lets you copy data into a more cost-efficient environment, making it easier to activate data without relying heavily on technical teams, thanks to low-code/no-code tools.
• Integration with Data Lakes: Scal-e can connect to your existing data lake or data warehouse and help you construct a composable-style CDP on top of it.

Conclusion

The choice between an integrated CDP and a composable CDP depends on each company’s specific needs. Integrated CDPs deliver an out-of-the-box solution with functional consistency, while composable CDPs provide superior flexibility and customization. With its modular approach, Scal-e offers a balanced solution that can meet a wide variety of business requirements.

By carefully weighing the advantages and limitations of each CDP model, organizations can select the option that will best optimize their customer data management and strengthen their marketing strategies.

Find out more on Scal-e.com

• First French CDP featured in the global Now Tech CDP report
• First French CDP dedicated to B2B companies
• Third B2B CDP named in the 2023 Forrester Wave report

Scal-e is a CDP that lets you connect multiple data sources (website, points of sale, CRM, etc.) into a single data mart. This gives brands access to their data, including unified customer profiles and real-time information, so they can better understand their customers and meet their needs at the right moment.