Top 5 Takeaways from Spryker EXCITE 2024: Turning Volatility into Value

Spryker EXCITE 2024 was an event to remember, packed with insights, innovations, and practical strategies to turn market volatility into business value. This central theme, “Turning Volatility into Value,” was evident in every session, emphasizing that embracing change can unlock opportunities for growth and efficiency. 

All of the recordings of the EXCITE sessions are available here or continue reading to discover the top five takeaways from this year’s event that will help your business operate for today while preparing for tomorrow:

1. Unlocking Value in a Volatile World

Spryker CEO Boris Lokschin set the stage by discussing how market volatility—driven by factors such as economic instability, technological disruption, and global crises—can actually become a source of opportunity. He highlighted the importance of being agile and adaptive to extract value from unpredictable market dynamics. 

Volatility drives innovation and, if you can react to it faster than your competition, it can generate an outsized return of value for your business. This was referred to as ‘Moving the Line’; i.e. shortening reaction time and accelerating response to changing market conditions. Lokschin emphasized that by leveraging innovation, focusing on efficiency, and accelerating Time to First Sale, companies can not only survive but thrive in volatile conditions.

His recommendation? Businesses should shift from simply reacting to market changes to proactively building strategies that transform volatility into measurable advantages, such as cost reduction and faster ROI.

Watch the recording here.

2. E-Commerce Value Chain 3.0

One of the standout sessions of the morning was a fireside chat led by Spryker Co-Founder and CEO, Alex Graf, alongside Alessio Keller, AWS Marketplace Senior Business Development Manager, Tim Hagemann, Partner, Deloitte Digital, and Oliver Kraft, Partner and Managing Director, Valantic. The discussion centered around the future of e-commerce and the evolution of the value chain, which Graf aptly referred to as “E-Commerce Value Chain 3.0.”

This new value chain emphasizes a shift in where and how value is derived, pushing businesses to think beyond traditional cost and pricing advantages. The panel tackled tough questions like whether businesses will need to innovate or face extinction, and how the value chain might evolve in a world where cooperation could become a greater competitive advantage than direct competition. 

Watch the recording here.

3. The Transformative Power of AI: More Than Just a Trend

Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerged as a central theme throughout EXCITE 2024, with multiple sessions exploring how AI is reshaping commerce. A highlight from these discussions was a keynote by Anthony Soohoo, who shared his perspective on “The Future of AI in Commerce.” Soohoo offered a practical framework for achieving AI success, noting that AI acts like a magnifying glass—it will amplify what’s already working in your business but won’t magically solve underlying inefficiencies. His advice? Establish a solid operational foundation first, then leverage AI to accelerate growth and efficiency.

The “Rise of Machine Customers” panel, featuring Philip Vospeter, Partner – Customer Experience, MHP, Teresa Cain, Director of Product and UX Design, TreviPay, and Dr. Mark Wever, Global Chief Digital Officer, Stauff, focused on how AI and automation are enabling machine customers—autonomous systems that make purchasing decisions—to transform the e-commerce landscape. These machine customers are forcing businesses to rethink how they manage customer journeys and optimize revenue opportunities.

And on the developer front, Spryker’s VP of Engineering, Alexander Galych, introduced Spryker’s new generative AI (genAI) tools aimed at increasing developer productivity. These tools, including the Spryker DevQA Assistant, Cypress E2E Assistant, and K6 Performance Assistant, are designed to streamline development processes, automate quality assurance, and improve performance testing. By integrating genAI into the developer experience, Spryker is empowering its technical teams to build faster and more efficiently, significantly reducing time-to-market​. 

4. Marketplaces: A Flexible Business Model for Every Industry

Marketplaces were another hot topic, with sessions showcasing their relevance across different sectors, from automotive to retail. Spryker unveiled its Stripe ACP App for Marketplace, showcasing how it optimizes the operator and seller experience. In a demo, they highlighted how Spryker and Stripe are streamlining complex multi-party transactions and fostering smoother marketplace operations.

SDVerse, a notable highlight, presented their matchmaking marketplace strategy, which focuses on aligning software vendors with automotive manufacturers. Their approach enables automotive brands to better meet ecosystem and customer needs, showcasing how marketplaces can serve as critical tools in aligning diverse stakeholders. This innovation is enabling SDVerse to ride the disruption wave currently impacting the automotive industry, accelerating value creation for their business and their ecosystem. 

Sean Drummy, VP Product, Spryker, and Kai Osterhus, Head of Digital Business, Grimme, delved into the latest trends and dynamics driving marketplace models, addressing common challenges such as competition, regulatory compliance, and scalability. They explored how technological advancements and shifting consumer behaviors are reshaping the marketplace landscape, offering insights into how businesses can overcome obstacles to succeed in this increasingly competitive space.

AWS’s Mauro De Micheli and Industry Advisory Nils Radsak took a deeper dive into the automotive sector, revealing how online marketplaces are helping automotive brands build direct customer relationships and capitalize on aftermarket sales opportunities. 

The consensus across these sessions was that marketplaces offer unparalleled flexibility and scalability, enabling businesses to tailor their models to specific industry and customer needs.

5. Customer-Centric Innovation: Turning Insights into Action

The event also spotlighted real-world examples of how Spryker customers are using innovation to stay ahead in volatile markets. Michael Schlitzkus, Global Senior Program Lead E-Commerce & Remote Services, Siemens Healthineers, shared how they are driving digital transformation by placing the customer at the center of their value creation strategy. This approach has led to enhanced customer engagement, loyalty, and increased revenue.

Fabian Koelliker, Head of Group Marketing, Swiss Krono, presented a blueprint for future-proofing their business, showcasing how AI is helping them improve operational efficiency and gain a competitive edge. Their story emphasized the importance of investing in the right technology, focusing on data, and maintaining a customer-centric mindset to navigate change effectively.

Younes Kabbaj, Head of E-Commerce, Weleda, was joined on stage by the diva-e team, Volker Boehlke and Boris Bohn, to deep dive into how Weleda is rebuilding their business to be even more future-ready. The trio offered insights into the key steps taken to drive greater transparency and improve decision-making, and how Weleda is working toward their goal to create a scalable, efficient, and customer-centric digital ecosystem to support future growth. 

Other notable customer stories came from Nelson Brandao, Technical Product Manager, Schneider Electric, who shared how they are using automation to optimize workflows, and Tuğçe Tunç, E-Commerce Manager, KoçZer, who showcased how the business is navigating constant change at major scale (how does 10% of a country’s GDP sound?) to deliver more value to customers. 

These examples highlighted the tangible ways in which Spryker customers are turning volatility into value​. 

Conclusion: Turning Volatility Today into Opportunity Tomorrow

Spryker EXCITE 2024 delivered on its promise to help businesses navigate volatile markets and unlock value. From AI’s role in revolutionizing customer interactions to the ever-evolving marketplace models, the event provided attendees with  wealth of actionable strategies to prepare for future challenges.

With innovation, collaboration, and efficiency at the forefront, EXCITE 2024 reminded us that volatility doesn’t have to be a threat—it can be a powerful driver of growth when approached strategically. As we look ahead, the lessons from this event will no doubt serve as a roadmap for businesses eager to turn uncertainty into opportunity.

Closing the day with networking, and music, the excitement for what’s to come was palpable. Because in a world of constant change, being prepared and agile is the ultimate competitive advantage. 

If you’d like to go deeper into any of these takeaways, check out all of the EXCITE 2024 session recordings here.