Beyond tech sprawl: the four shifts defining the next‍-‍generation tech stack

For the last decade, Australian organisations have been on a technology shopping spree. The promise of digital transformation led to widespread investment, but the result has often been a ‘tech sprawl’ — a messy, tangled and under-utilised collection of software. Which isn’t just inefficient; it’s expensive.

We’ve reached a tipping point as the chaotic tech stacks of today are no longer fit for purpose. Over the next five years, a fundamental rewiring is set to take place, driven by four major shifts that will move us from complexity to clarity.

AI as the architectural foundation

Artificial intelligence has been treated as a feature — a clever extension bolted on to an existing product. The next-generation tech stack will flip this model on its head. What AI will become instead is a natively built central nervous system powering smarter workflows and decision-making across the entire organisation.

Instead of simply automating repetitive tasks, embedded AI will enable predictive insights, hyper-personalised customer experiences and proactive business strategies. This shift moves technology from a reactive tool to a strategic partner. For businesses, this means anticipating customer needs before they arise, optimising supply chains in real time, and equipping teams with the intelligence to make better decisions, faster. The question will no longer be “Does your software have AI?” but rather, “Is your entire tech ecosystem built on an intelligent core?”

Data fabric as the single source of truth

The biggest casualty of tech sprawl has been data integrity. When marketing, sales and service teams all use different, disconnected tools, you end up with multiple, conflicting versions of the truth — or simply no truth at all.

Here, the solution isn’t to force everyone onto a single platform. Instead, the future lies in the ‘data fabric’ — an intelligent, integrated data layer connecting information from disparate sources without requiring a costly migration. Data fabric breaks down silos, unifying all types of data across the business to create a single, reliable source of truth and a holistic view of customers and business operations.

This strategic approach makes it crucial to partner with tech vendors who share strong product roadmaps and prioritise seamless integration. Deep, native data sharing between partners is what enables a business to build a powerful, cohesive system without being locked into a single platform.

For leaders, this means clear, data-driven insights leading to stronger strategies and a deeper understanding of the entire customer journey.

No-code platforms to empower business units

The traditional reliance on specialised IT teams has become a significant bottleneck to innovation. Business units are often forced to wait in long queues for simple technical builds or workflow adjustments. The next wave of technology will address this by placing power directly in the hands of the teams who need it most, through no-code and low-code platforms.

This democratisation of IT will enable a marketing manager, for example, to build a custom workflow or a sales leader to design a new reporting dashboard, all without writing a single line of code. This dramatically increases organisational agility, allowing teams to innovate and adapt at speed. It also frees up specialist IT resources to focus on more complex challenges, such as security, governance and core infrastructure — rather than servicing an endless backlog of requests.

Modular architecture to replace monolithic suites

The era of the one-size-fits-all, monolithic software suite is also coming to an end. These legacy systems often promised everything but excelled at little to nothing, locking businesses into inflexible and expensive contracts. Jack of all trades, master of none.

The future is modular. A modern tech stack will be a flexible, fully integrated ecosystem composed of best-in-class software for each specific function. This best-of-breed approach allows a company to pick the absolute best CRM, the best data platform and the best communications tool for its unique needs. And because of the data fabric layer, these components will work together seamlessly. This grants businesses unprecedented flexibility, allowing them to swap out individual components as better technology emerges without having to overhaul their entire system. It’s about building a stack that is as dynamic and adaptable as the business itself.

The path forward requires a strategic pivot away from accumulating tools and towards building an intelligent, cohesive ecosystem. The four shifts — foundational AI, a unified data fabric, no-code empowerment, and modular architecture — are not independent trends. They are interconnected components of the next-generation tech stack. For Australian business leaders, the call to action is to begin auditing current technology environments now. Identify the redundancies, the silos and the shelfware holding them back. The goal is not just to prepare for the future but to actively build it, creating a technological foundation that fosters agility, intelligence and sustainable growth for the years to come. *Marcus Rossato is head of marketing for APJ at Klaviyo.

Top image credit: iStock.com/cokada