Adobe Commerce implementations are typically led by a technically strong internal IT team working closely with a systems integration partner. The discovery phase often uncovers deep-seated business processes that the client wants to bake into the core platform, leading to extensive customisation requirements. Technical architects spend significant time designing bespoke modules and modifying existing ones to fit specific workflows.

Much time and budget are consumed in data migration from legacy systems, especially for complex product catalogues, customer data, and historical orders. This often involves multiple iterations of ETL processes and reconciliation with finance and inventory teams. Quality assurance is protracted, focusing heavily on custom feature sets and integration points, which rarely work perfectly on the first pass.

Hosting and DevOps setup for Adobe Commerce projects usually becomes an internal IT burden. Deciding on cloud providers like AWS or Azure, configuring servers, setting up auto-scaling, and establishing CI/CD pipelines require specialist skills that many businesses acquire or train for specifically for this platform. This creates a significant, often underestimated, upfront resource drain.

What breaks consistently are the deep integrations with ERP, WMS, and PIM systems. These are rarely vanilla deployments. The testing cycles with these backend systems are complex and require active engagement from department heads, often leading to delays as other business priorities compete for their attention. The actual 'go-live' is often phased by geography or product line to mitigate risk, extending the overall project timeline.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud implementations are almost always led by a specialised agency partner, with the client's internal team providing requirements and participating in user acceptance testing. The initial phase focuses on translating business requirements into configuration changes and identifying which out-of-the-box features can be leveraged. Customisation, where needed, often targets specific storefront experiences via 'frontend cartridges' rather than core platform logic.

Integration work on Salesforce Commerce Cloud typically relies on pre-built 'cartridges' or the platform's Open Commerce API. While this sounds straightforward, complex business logic still requires careful mapping and data transformation. The agency often manages the full integration lifecycle, with the client's main involvement being data governance and validation. This partnership model can lead to a 'black box' effect where internal teams do not fully understand the integration mechanics.

A significant portion of the budget goes into expert consulting on best practices for content management, promotions, and customer segmentation. The agency guides the business on how to adapt their processes to the platform's capabilities to minimise custom development. This can often feel restrictive to marketing teams accustomed to highly flexible legacy systems.

The common challenge is managing the ongoing deployment pipeline, especially for businesses with frequent content updates and smaller feature releases. Without a well-defined agency engagement model, even minor changes can become costly and time-consuming. What breaks are the assumptions about how quickly internal teams can deploy simple changes without agency involvement, leading to frustration and delays in market responsiveness.