Composability promises faster time-to-market, developer freedom, and marketing autonomy. However, before embracing composable architecture, it is essential to understand what the company is working with today. Most marketing teams rush into composable transformations without properly auditing their existing martech stack, leading to costly integration surprises and extended timelines.

The reality? The current technology landscape holds both hidden opportunities and lurking obstacles. A systematic audit reveals integration points to leverage, data silos that need addressing, and workflow dependencies that affect a migration strategy.

Begin by mapping every content source across the organization—document where product information lives, how campaign assets are stored, and which systems house customer data. Teams will likely discover content scattered across multiple CMSs, with different teams managing similar information in isolated systems.

Pay particular attention to content that appears in multiple places. If product descriptions exist in the CMS and PIM systems, a prime candidate for consolidation through composable architecture has been identified. These duplications often signal workflow inefficiencies that composable systems can eliminate.

Next, examine how systems currently communicate. Document every API connection, data sync, and manual export process the team relies on. Many organizations discover that departments are spending substantial development resources on maintaining custom integrations between systems that were not designed to work together.

Look for patterns in integration challenges. If teams are constantly waiting for developer resources to connect marketing tools with customer data, a clear pain point that composable architecture addresses has been identified. The most successful composable transformations prioritize solving these existing integration bottlenecks.

Understanding how teams work reveals crucial transformation requirements. Shadow content creators, campaign managers, and digital experience teams for a week. Document every system they touch, every approval process they navigate, and every developer request they submit.

This exercise often uncovers workflow dependencies that are not visible in system documentation. For example, one might discover that the social media team manually exports data from three different systems to create campaign reports or that content authors are unable to preview experiences because they lack access to customer data.

Examine current systems' performance limitations. Document page load times, content publishing delays, and system downtime patterns. Understanding these constraints helps digital leaders articulate the business value of composable transformation to stakeholders who care about measurable outcomes.

Be sure not to overlook scalability challenges. If the current CMS struggles during traffic spikes or the personalization engine is unable to handle real-time data processing, these limitations directly impact revenue and customer experience.

Trace how customer data moves through the organization. Understanding data lineage becomes critical when connecting multiple best-of-breed systems in a composable architecture. Know definitively where customer preferences are stored, how behavioral data flows between systems, and which teams own different data sets.

Document all data governance requirements, including compliance obligations and security protocols. Composable architecture offers enhanced security through distributed systems; however, teams must understand the current governance model to design appropriate controls.

Once the audit is complete, a realistic transformation roadmap can be built. Prioritize integrations that solve immediate pain points while supporting long-term composable goals. Consider starting with content management since unified content operations often deliver quick wins that build stakeholder confidence.

Plan for phased implementation versus a complete system replacement. The audit will have revealed which systems should remain in place initially and which require immediate attention. This approach reduces transformation risk while delivering incremental value.

Use the audit findings to build compelling business cases for composable transformation. When leaders can demonstrate specific workflow inefficiencies, quantify integration costs, and project time savings, stakeholders understand transformation value beyond theoretical benefits.

The audit becomes the foundation for realistic timeline estimates and budget planning. Decision-makers appreciate transformation roadmaps grounded in current-state reality rather than vendor promises.

The composable future requires understanding the composable starting point. A thorough tech stack audit transforms a marketing technology transformation from overwhelming change into strategic evolution, ensuring your composable journey delivers the business outcomes you need.

Learn more about an incremental shift to composability over a 30-minute conversation with our team.