Boomi has released the findings of a new global study that highlights the critical importance of composability in enterprise software to address the challenges posed by legacy systems. Sponsored by IFS and Boomi, the study was conducted by IDC and surveyed more than 1,000 C-level executives across 12 countries in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.
According to the study, outdated, monolithic systems and a lack of C-level technical knowledge are preventing organizations from being agile and adapting to disruption. The report highlights that implementing a composable strategy is essential to overcoming these challenges. This includes leveraging application programming interfaces (APIs) and the role of composability to unlock business data and drive transformation.
Recent global events such as Brexit and the rising cost of living have highlighted the urgency of moving to composable applications. These developments have highlighted the deficiencies of outdated technology, presenting many businesses with significant challenges over the past three years. The survey found that 56% of respondents reported issues with working capital and inventory imbalances, 53% faced fluctuations in demand, and 48% struggled with unpredictable supply chains. Additionally, 60% cited legacy applications as a major barrier, 48% cited lack of integration, and 43% noted that inflexible or monolithic applications are impeding risk mitigation efforts.
The survey found that outdated technology platforms are negatively impacting business, with 24% of respondents saying they have limited visibility into operational processes and 18% saying they have poor internal collaboration. These issues make it difficult for companies to effectively use data for long-term planning, compromising business agility and the ability to respond to future disruptions.
A worrying finding from the survey is that 41% of organizations lack a composable strategy, putting them at risk of stagnation and increasing technical debt. While over 70% of C-level respondents with business and functional responsibility understand the value of composable architectures, only 19% of executive-level professionals recognize the benefits. This discrepancy highlights the need for education and a clearer business case to demonstrate the short-, mid-, and long-term value of composability.
Commenting on the survey findings, Ed Macosky, chief product and technology officer at Boomi, said, “This study sends a clear message to executives: composability is key to staying competitive, becoming more agile and improving productivity across the business. To realize value quickly, a strong data foundation and mature cloud strategy are prerequisites for adopting other advanced technologies.”
We’re pleased to report that 89% of respondents recognize API-driven innovation as a key element of composability. More than half (51%) pointed to seamless integration between process workflows, and 37% highlighted the importance of a single-platform solution. Our findings suggest that APIs are essential for creating adaptable, flexible business systems, supporting the notion that the future of business applications is composable.
The survey also revealed technology preferences, with 82% of respondents highlighting the importance of APIs, followed by artificial intelligence (45%) and machine learning (40%). Key areas where organizations believe they would benefit from application configurability include supply chain (51%), procurement (47%) and customer service and support (40%).
While the importance of composability is recognized, the survey highlights that realizing the full benefits of composable architectures requires broader organizational alignment and clear technical direction. Many organizations are actively using APIs to compose workflows across multiple products, with 22% of respondents saying they have adopted this approach. This strategy aims to integrate diverse systems and applications to drive efficiency, innovation, and eliminate waste.
Makosky concludes: “Inertia in moving to the cloud and developing a clear composability strategy may be preventing companies from realizing the full value of AI and machine learning technologies. The challenge for organizations today is to realize the value broadly, but they must overcome significant barriers, including a lack of understanding of the value of composability at the C-suite level and insufficient progress on their cloud journeys. It’s not surprising, then, that CIOs and CTOs are the main drivers of composability.”