A tech stack is the set of customer- and business-facing technologies companies use to run their operations. Think of everything from coding languages that run websites to cloud-based storage for medical records.
Local businesses might use accounting tools like Quickbooks, eCommerce platforms like Shopify, or 7shifts for employee scheduling in their tech stack. Multi-location brands might use enterprise CRM tools like Salesforce and Hubspot or POS software like OpenTable and Square. Small business owners might use marketing tools like Google Ads and Mailchimp.
Having the right tech stack doesn't just power your brand today. The right tech stack offers you the flexibility to adapt quickly to changing market forces and business needs.
Your tech stack in the age of AI
Today, with the rise of AI-powered everything, brands need to modernize and retool their tech stacks. Why?
Since AI came on the scene in late 2023, 45% of customers now use and trust tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. In the era of AI search, a knowledge graph should be the foundation of your tech stack.
A knowledge graph is a special kind of database. It stores structured data and understands the relationships between all the data points inside it. With this understanding, brands with a robust knowledge graph can generate insights and visualizations of their data. This makes it possible to uncover competitive advantages. It also can reveal business blind spots and show new opportunities for giving your customers the personalized experiences they crave.
Knowledge graphs are crucial for AI search, offering structured, accurate, and interconnected data to enhance AI responses. As consumers increasingly rely on AI and LLMs to search and engage with brands, delivering structured, comprehensive brand data will only grow in importance.
Managing and scaling your tech stack
Brands also benefit from choosing composable tech stack solutions because they're easy to manage and scale. Meanwhile, seamless API integrations are table stakes. If your brand doesn't operate with this technological asset, it's time to invest.
API integrations are like transit and translation centers. They make it possible for all your business apps to communicate with one another efficiently, securely, and appropriately. Remember: some of this communication includes workflow and task automation. With the right tech stack, you create process efficiencies while keeping data clean, managing it across your digital presence, and scaling your business operations without increasing costs.
The demands of artificial intelligence, social media innovation, and emerging search technologies will only get stronger. As a leader in managing structured and unstructured data, we help brands operate with efficient tech stacks that are future-ready. Yext has years of experience in centralizing and structuring business information. Our platform is built to help brands of all sizes unify their data to drive efficiency, scalability, and growth.