Clarks, Kraft Heinz Take Top Honors in MACH Impact Awards at MACH THREE

As a digital analyst – and, at heart, a guy who just likes to write stories about cool people and tech – I try to bring an outside perspective to everything.

Sometimes, I’m just beyond the perimeter. Others, I’m inside it. More on that in a minute.

Let me start today with one of our favorite words: composable. I’ve long held that it is, indeed, a “thing.” I think most of you will agree with me. Trends come and go, but this one is as much about technology as it is about philosophy – and broader in its reach than the stiff walls of industry categories. 

Even now, debate continues around how we define the composability of a product or a company, with conflicting POVs emanating from various camps based on a number of factors. Why can't we all just get along? 

As the feud wages on, the MACH Alliance has been a leading voice in shaping the answer to this and other questions. Since 2020, it has endeavored to quantify the dimensions in a tangible way, establishing core tenets that reinforce key attributes and educate the market. 

How does the Alliance define composable? In a nutshell, it's a modular development approach that allows organizations to create custom applications by combining smaller, independent components. These components can then be customized, replaced, and plugged in independently to meet specific needs. In other words, you “compose” your stack.

The charter of the MACH Alliance has always been clear: make it easier for buyers to understand the benefits of composable so they can evaluate solutions confidently, and even procure technologies that meet rigid MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud SaaS, Headless) standards. 

These standards provide the guardrails for certifying a solution as truly composable, which is where some of the debate stems from. By this definition, all MACH solutions are composable, but not all composable solutions are MACH compliant.

Like composable, MACH is also a “thing." And that’s made clear by its continued rise in adoption (solid research validates this). 

At last year’s MACH TWO event, we saw how European markets and global brands were turning MACH’s pioneering principles into real projects and successful outcomes. Because of its early adoption across EU markets, some people assume this whole movement started in Europe. Not exactly.

Now, at this year’s MACH THREE event – which wrapped in New York City last Tuesday – we’re seeing the movement's zeitgeist take root in North America. This is a big deal for the MACH Alliance, another signpost reflecting its continued rise and influence. 

The organization, which advocates for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems, has attracted more than 100 members to its ranks. This includes a signature bench of Enablers like AWS and Google, and industry Supporters that feature PayPal and J.P. Morgan. Heavy hitters, to be sure. 

At CMS Critic, we’ve been following the organization’s successes and challenges since Day One, and always taken a keen interest in its trajectory. We’ve covered its accomplishments and accolades, but also the challenges and occasional controversy that the movement has stirred – particularly among competitors. 

Full transparency

I am a member of the Alliance’s Executive Advisory Board, where I listen and counsel with objective industry insight. I view things first through the CMS lens, but I've cultivated a deeper knowledge of the wider market and how composable and MACH are being leveraged to future-proof enterprise stacks.

For the second year, I was asked to judge the prestigious MACH Impact Awards, a staple of the annual conference’s agenda – and a reflection of the actual work being performed in the market. The MACH Impact Awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated tremendous value through digital transformation projects by successfully implementing a MACH approach. 

What qualifies me for this honor? Over the last two decades, I’ve built digital experiences with numerous tools and platforms – too many to count. There have been incredible highs and wildly successful launches, but I’ve also struggled, maybe even cried a few times (not ashamed to admit that). Along the way, I've also watched the seedlings of composability bubble up effervescently as stacks became more decoupled and dependent on APIs. 

In my second year judging the Impact Awards, I’ll say this: it’s getting easier and harder. Easier in the sense that more organizations clearly understand the fundamentals and are adopting the mindset in a more intentional way. Harder in that the use cases are more dense, complex, and difficult to choose as winners in a juried contest. 

I can’t get into the sausage-making behind the scenes. But I’ll simply say this: it was a joy to read, rank, and collaborate with fellow judges on our panel, all of whom are accomplished industry experts. We were all committed to assessing every entry with a fair, critical, unbiased eye – giving each use case a thorough evaluation. 

With that said, here are the results of that work.

MACH matters more than ever

There were some astoundingly rich, detailed, ambitious, and downright intimidating entries in the third annual Impact Awards. Before I Iist the victors, there are a few key insights derived from 2024's cohort of applications.

First, it’s worth noting that this year’s Impact Awards experienced a 20% increase in entries. That’s a clear signal that interest and awareness is growing – but also that organizations, vendors, and SIs are understanding the fierce requirements needed to satisfy a successful MACH program. 

In terms of scope, the MACH Alliance handed out ten MACH Impact Awards, recognizing projects from focused industries, project teams, and individuals. There was some notable expansion into the categories of travel, tourism and hospitality, and consumer product goods manufacturing. The MACH Alliance also added a Best New Breaking Ground Project award for companies paving the way in a new sector.

There were two new “Grand Prix” awards featured in this year’s contest. This included Best Digital Experience and Best Overall Change, where the category award winners vied for a “best-of-the-best” honor as chosen by the judges.  

“We are seeing companies implement MACH projects across a growing range of industries and geographic markets like never before, which speaks to the importance of operating a flexible, modern, and composable technology infrastructure,” said Holly Hall, managing director, MACH Alliance. “Our 2024 global research discovered that 9 in 10 IT decision-makers say composable technology will be instrumental to the success of their organization in the next five years.”

“We are the champions” (cue the music)

No shocker if you read the headline, but Kraft Heinz and Clarks earned the pretigious Grand Prix honors. These were incredible projects, and certainly worthy of the accolades. 

Official winners of the 2024 MACH Impact Awards include:

• Best B2B Project: Hynds Group
• Best Retail Project: Clarks
• Best Health & Wellness Project: Vision Healthcare
• Best Travel, Tourism, & Hospitality Project: Wendy’s
• Best Manufacturing (consumer goods) Project: Kraft Heinz
• Breaking New Ground Project: Micheldever
• Team of the Year Award: Varner
• Contributor of the Year Award: Justin Thomas, head of digital experience, Kraft Heinz
• Grand Prix – Best Overall Change: Clarks
• Grand Prix – Best Digital Experience: Kraft Heinz

One special exception: during the event, recognition was given to Daniel’s Music Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit that provides accessible music programs to people living with a disability. As the organization proclaims on its website, it’s changing lives through the power of music – a unique and worthy cause with local and global implications. This spotlight is another example of the MACH Alliance’s mission to make positive changes in our world, particularly in the realm of diversity, equality, and inclusion. 

If you’re interested in perusing the full list of nominees and winners, visit the MACH Impact Awards page. 

Why it matters

I think I’ve hit the high points in the opening salvo, but there are two main reasons why these Impact Awards are a milestone.

First, it signifies the tangible growth of MACH and composable – and it’s not just hype or hyperbole. By featuring real use cases and successful outcomes, the Alliance is pinpointing just how successful its investments in community and education have been. With significantly more entries in this year’s contest, it’s clear that interest continues to rise.

Second, MACH is making strides in the U.S. market, where it has been slowly taking root. The addressable market is large and relatively untapped, and its efforts over the last year to build a beachhead and drive awareness has been successful. This was part of the calculus in selecting New York City as the host location for the MACH THREE event – a hub for tech, finance, and just about every other industry under Gotham’s sun. Also, having U.S.-based brands like Kraft Heinz achieve standout recognition is further evidence that opportunities are evolving Westward.

The contention around composable is a real phenomenon, and the division has been palpable. As monolithic platforms make inroads towards a more composable posture, headless CMSes and MACH-certified tools have also been evolving their own offerings to better compete in a grueling marketplace of options. 

I could probably write a book about the chaos that has ensued – both sides feeling a bit marginalized, both racing towards the middle in their own ways. But in the end, what really matters is the customer, and that’s what I love about these Awards. They elevate the voices of brands and builders, allowing their individual and collective success to tell their stories. And for the third year in a row, the MACH Alliance has made those stories a jewel in the crown of its premier event.  

Awards programs are a fun and spirited way to celebrate achievement and excellence among our peers. The Impact Awards have delivered that in spades and continue to exemplify the promise and potential of MACH. 

Congratulations to the winners. 

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