Best-of-breed refers to the strategy in the design of IT platforms of combining the best available solutions for specific tasks in one system, rather than relying on a single, integrated solution. It does not matter whether the individual solutions come from a single vendor or not.

Combining the best possible solutions

In the context of interfaces, APIs, microservices and headless concepts, this means that organisations select the best available technologies for each of these tasks and then create appropriate interfaces to enable seamless integration and data exchange between them.

Implement specific requirements

This allows companies to take advantage of different tools and technologies and tailor their systems to their specific requirements.

This can help improve system flexibility and scalability, as each element can be independently updated or replaced without affecting the entire system.

Benefits of best-of-breed for IT architectures:

• Flexibility and adaptability: Best-of-Breed allows companies to select and adapt the best available solutions for specific needs. It allows for customised integration of different components and offers flexibility in the selection of new technologies.
• Innovation advantage: By selecting the best solutions from different suppliers, a company can take advantage of the current state of the art and benefit from the latest innovations. This makes it possible to gain competitive advantages and react more quickly to changing market conditions.
• Expertise and specialisation: Best-of-breed strategies allow companies to select providers with specific expertise and specialisation. This can lead to higher quality and reliability of solutions as they are developed by experienced providers.

Disadvantages of best-of-breed for IT architectures:

• Integration complexity: Since best-of-breed involves the use of different solutions from different vendors, integration and interoperability between components can be complex. System-level integration can be challenging and require additional resources and expertise.
• Higher costs: The use of best-of-breed solutions can lead to higher overall costs. Selecting and integrating different solutions and managing multiple vendors can incur additional costs for licences, support and maintenance.
• Accountability gap: In best-of-breed strategies, it can be difficult to define clear accountability. As different vendors are involved, there can be a 'back and forth' of responsibilities when it comes to bug fixes or customer support.

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