Platform Selection Criteria

Gartner has just released its 2024 Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce Platforms—a must-have resource for evaluating the top solutions in the market. This report categorizes vendors into Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players, based on their ability to execute and their strategic vision. Why is it worth considering? The Magic Quadrant helps businesses identify innovative and reliable platforms, reducing risks and maximizing ROI in digital commerce strategies. Here are five platforms from the report that caught my attention: Salesforce: A leader known for its global reach and native integrations, perfect for large B2C and B2B enterprises. Robust capabilities, but its monolithic architecture can be a challenge. Shopify: Great for quick launches with easy setup and omnichannel support. However, its advanced features and pricing may limit scalability for large companies. commercetools: A modular and scalable option, ideal for mature, high-volume businesses. While highly innovative, its implementation can be complex. VTEX: A strong choice for businesses combining B2B and B2C. Its composable, modular architecture enables flexibility, though native customization is limited. BigCommerce: Perfect for mid-market companies needing flexibility. Its cloud-native architecture is modern and composable, but its global reach is still developing. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution in digital commerce. Digital leaders need to conduct a thorough analysis to select the platform that best aligns with their unique business needs.

How We Evaluate Technology at SOCPAC: A New Standard At SOCPAC, we’ve reached an inflection point in how we engage with technology companies. The days of buzzwords and slide decks are over. Moving forward, our evaluation process is guided by four criteria, each rooted in our operational needs and foundational architecture: 1. Production-Proven: Your technology must work in real-world environments, not just in a lab, demo, or wargame. If your product doesn’t already run at scale, on-network, and under pressure, it’s not ready for our missions. 2. User-Validated: We don’t just ask what your platform does. We ask: Do our operators want to use it? If an end user on our team says your tool gives them an edge, that carries more weight than any technical spec. 3. Architecture-Integrated: Every capability must connect to the platforms we’ve already deployed, a platform for strategic workflows and data fusion, a platform for tactical autonomy and sensor-to-shooter control, and a platform for AI tuning, feedback, and agent deployment. If your system can’t plug into this triad, it will create friction, not an advantage for us. 4. Culturally Aligned: We look for companies that embody intellectual honesty, speed of iteration, and a bias for solving problems over selling products. We want partners who thrive in ambiguity and innovate under constraint. This isn't about shutting the door. It's about raising the bar. We’re building a digital warfighting ecosystem, not a tech museum. If your team can plug into our architecture, align with our culture, and deliver capabilities that actually matter to the mission, we’re ready to work with you. Let’s move fast together.

How do you really know which platform is best for #b2becommerce? Even if someone hands you a shortlist of the “top” platforms, how do you actually evaluate them and determine which one fits your needs? The truth? You need an objective approach. The goal isn’t just picking a platform, it’s finding the one that: ✅ Delivers a great customer experience ✅ Plays best with business operations ✅ Minimizes long-term implementation and maintenance costs Here’s how to get there: 1️⃣ Discovery Strategic and tactical input from every key internal and external stakeholder- including customers. 2️⃣ Create user stories and requirements Who’s using the platform, and what do they need it to do (in granular detail)? 3️⃣ Score the platforms Prioritize based on documented requirements - not a vendor’s checklist. 4️⃣ Roll everything into a simple scoring structure. The process should be transparent, shareable, and decision-ready for leadership. B2B e-commerce isn’t just a tech decision, it’s an organizational commitment. Your scoring methodology needs to be clear, data-driven, and free from guesswork. We’ve been working on something that does just that. It removes the subjectivity from platform selection, helps identify the right platform based on your priorities, backed by objective data. No bias. No uncertainty. Just the right choice for your distribution or manufacturing business. What’s your company’s process for evaluating technology? #PlatformSelection #B2B #Ecommerce #DigitalTransformation #B2BPlatforms

𝗕𝘂𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀: 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 A flashy demo can dazzle. But the most impressive solution isn’t always the right one. Once your team has clearly defined the need, it’s time to evaluate tech with a sharp, grounded lens. This isn’t about who has the slickest interface or longest feature list, it’s about fit. Focus on four essentials: ✅ Meets core needs without workarounds. ✅ Intuitive UX that your team will use. ✅ Easy integration with existing systems and workflows. ✅ Scalable and supported, especially with SaaS options that flex with your growth. One executive I worked with chose a simpler, lower-cost platform over the “market leader” because it nailed the must-haves and was easier to adopt. Six months later? Full team buy-in, smooth deployment, and real ROI. That’s the power of right-fit thinking. And don’t overlook vendor relationships—support, responsiveness, and a product roadmap aligned with your direction matter just as much as the software itself. Tech shouldn’t be a trophy. It should solve problems and scale with you. Choose tools that fit your real world, not just your wishlist. Ready to build a tech stack that works for your people and processes? With Digital Transformation Strategist, let’s talk smart selection strategies.

In a time of rapid digital disruption and consolidation, banks must modernize core systems to meet evolving customer expectations. With fintechs driving innovation, the right core banking platform is crucial for operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and competitive edge. Our latest analysis on Ideanics CXO Advisors explores nine leading core banking platforms—Fiserv DNA, TCS BaNCS, Finacle, Galileo Cyberbank, and more—evaluating them across criteria such as business functionality, architecture, deployment options, and regulatory compliance. From cloud-native platforms like Thought Machine Vault and Mambu, ideal for digital-first banks, to traditional powerhouses like Fiserv DNA for retail and commercial banking, this comprehensive comparison helps financial institutions align platform choice with strategic goals.   Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gHAcq5eB to gain insights into each platform’s capabilities, ideal bank fit, and real-world implementations, supporting informed decision-making for banks navigating today’s complex landscape. #BankingTechnology #CoreBanking #DigitalTransformation #Fintech #CustomerExperience #IdeanicsCXOAdvisors #FinancialInnovation

I’ve worked hands-on with all the shiny website builders. Picking the "right place to start" is the thing I am asked most consistently. I can confidently say this will put this to rest for you 🤣 Here’s my take on 5 designer-friendly platforms ranked by: - Cost - Scalability - Ease of updates - Community - Complexity ... and matched to who they actually work best for. The full video is 20 mins (link below) but here's the quick recap: 1️⃣ Framer: 46/50 → Fast to launch, great templates, easy to update → Limited CMS for complex builds Best for: Startups & small teams wanting modern, interactive sites without deep dev skills. 2️⃣ Webflow: 46/50 → Most scalable, powerful CMS, huge template library → Steep learning curve, higher cost Best for: Long-term builds with semi-complex needs & in-house managers. 3️⃣ Wix Studio: 42/50 → Balanced editor, good out-of-box features → Occasional glitches, mid-tier CMS Best for: Existing Wix users wanting a modern upgrade without starting over. 4️⃣ Figma Sites: 39/50 → Design-first, integrates with Figma workflow → Still new, feels static, limited scalability Best for: Designers testing concepts or building light marketing sites. 5️⃣ Lovable / Bolt / V0: 37/50 → AI-driven, no-code, quick prototypes → Weak templates, unpredictable edits, not scalable Best for: Proof-of-concepts & one-off experiments. Stating the obvious: Different tools suit different teams / businesses / marketing goals. Depending on what's the most important, use this as a guide to get started. Enjoy ;) _______ If you're new here, I'm Andy 🤙🏼 MMG Design is my studio that’s helped 80+ startups clarify their offer and design a website they are proud to share.

When choosing a GRC platform avoid focusing on features. Instead, focus on clearly mapping out the business problems you need solved. 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗧 I speak with a lot of security and GRC teams searching for GRC platforms. And one of the most common side-tracks I see is teams assessing several platforms based on a list of ambiguous "features". Here's why that sets you up to fail: 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠 𝟭. 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀: The list of features you ask about are ambiguous. Asking: "Do you have AI? or "Do you support multiple frameworks?" leaves the door wide open for interpretation. The answer will always be "yes". As a result, you may get all the features you asked for that solve exactly 0 business problems for you. 𝟮. 𝟴𝟬/𝟮𝟬 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲: You will probably not use 80% of the features on your list. But 20% of the features will become mission critical. As a result, you are probably wasting time demoing fun features that really don't solve a core business problem for your team. 𝟯. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱: I speak with a lot of GRC professionals who feel like they need a GRC platform, but don't know exactly how they will use it. So they start demoing a ton of vendors looking for inspiration - or with the false assumption that the vendor will have a plan on their behalf. But the truth is - if you don't have an idea of what you need and why you need it - you are going to get sold a shiny platform, but stick to your good ole excel spreadsheet in the long run. 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 The best teams I've ever worked with do three things right: 𝟭. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: The best teams define a limited set of clear problems they need to solve that represent significant improvement over their current state. They also have clear "examples" and "use cases" mapped out that drive their demos. They avoid letting sales teams "feature dump". For example, one of the processes we instituted at risk3sixty is helping clients define written problem statements as we head into the demo process. Ton of value here. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: They spend a lot of time thinking about the implementation process, how they plan to train their team, and how they plan to manage the transition from the current state to the future state. They know that processes are as important as the platform. One of our deliverables when we work with clients to implement fullCircle is a step-by-step implementation roadmap with specific objectives and milestones along the way. 𝟯. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻: The best teams clearly define the ongoing support plan with the GRC vendor. For example, risk3sixty clients that adopt fullCircle typically connect a slack or teams channel so we can communicate in real time (rather than submitting a ticket or sending an email.) This ensure that if you need help you can keep momentum going.

AI is transforming the SOC — but not all “AI SOC Platforms” are created equal. The question every security operations leader should ask: how do you know if one actually works? After speaking with more than 250 enterprises over the past 9 months, here are the four criteria that matter most: 1️⃣ Coverage – What proportion of alerts are actually investigated by the AI SOC Platform? 2️⃣ Accuracy – What percentage of alerts are correctly dispositioned? In other words, what’s the true positive, false positive and false negative rate? 3️⃣ Quality – How comprehensive are the investigations? Is the AI SOC asking the same deep, probing questions as your best analyst? 4️⃣ Transparency – Does the AI SOC clearly explain its determinations so security analysts can validate decisions and meet external audit requirements? How is your team evaluating AI SOC Platforms?