Schema Strategy for Integrating New Travel-Based Site and Mobile App into RTCDP

[DhanA2]

Hi Team,

We currently have an eCommerce site integrated with RTCDP using Web SDK in a single schema, which covers one website, a mobile app, and multiple microsites. We are planning to integrate a new travel-based site and mobile app into the CDP.

Intent: We aim to utilize the existing audience for this new site.

What is the best schema strategy for this integration?

• Option 1: Add the travel-related fields to the existing schema.
• Option 2: Create a new schema specifically for the travel-based site and mobile app.

Please suggest the most appropriate approach and highlight the pros and cons of each option.

CCing Top Contributors for quick response thanks for your support experts:
@ccg1706  @ReenaJohn @_Manoj_Kumar_ @nnakirikanti @brekrut 

Thanks

[brekrut]

@DhanA2  

How different are the micro-sites from the main eCommerce site?

[DhanA2]

Hey @brekrut ,

Microsites are kind of landing page that drives the traffic to the ecommerce site.

Thanks

[brekrut]

It really comes down to how your activating and or using this data for segmentation.  You may want to consider creating 1 schema for both web and mobile, but have two different dataSets.

You could also have a mobile base schema and a web based schema along with corresponding datsets.  It really comes down how different or similar the data is between both producers.  Another item to consider is if event types between a mobile interaction and web interaction has a different time to live.  The time to live would have an impact on the TTL which you place upon the dataSet(s).

[_Manoj_Kumar_]

Hello @DhanA2  I would suggest you create a new schema and dataset to store this data, This will give you the flexibility to easily manage data for different sources and make changes to the setup without impacting anything else.

[ReenaJohn]

Hi @DhanA2 

My suggestion would be to go the Option 2 route.

For this my views are as below -

1. Clear segregation of data between the existing and the new data.

2. Ease of data mapping and ingestion in both Batch and API route

3. Ease of debugging and data analysis

Warm Regards,

Reena John

[ccg1706]

Hi @DhanA2,

I share with you the pros and cons for each option that you propose: 

Option 1:Add Travel-related fields to the Existing Schema

Pros:

Unified Data View: All customer data from different platforms is centralized in one schema, enabling a unified customer profile for better segmentation & personalization.

Ease of Audience Reuse: The shared schema allows easy reuse of existing audiences and insights for the new travel site, avoiding the necessity to create new audiences from scratch.

Simplified Maintenance: With a single schema, updates and changes are applied only once , reducing maintenance efforts compared to managing multiple schemas.

Cons:

Schema complexity: Adding more field may complicate the schema, leading to performance issues and difficulties in managing a growing data model

Data Overlap Risk: Mixing different domains within one schema might cause confusion or misalignment in in data usage fields that are not clearly separated.

Longer time of integration: Modifying the existing schema to accommodate new data could require more time and effort.

Option 2: Create a New Schema for the Travel-Based Site and Mobile App
Pros:

Domain-Specific Design: A separate schema allows a tailored data model specifically to the travel industry, enabling more accurate data collection and segmentation for travel-related use cases.
Reduced Complexity: With separate schemas, each remains less complex, making them easier to manage, understand, and troubleshoot.
Faster Iteration: Updates and changes specific to the travel domain can be implemented more quickly without needing to consider their impact on other business areas, allowing for a greater agility in answering business needs

Cons:

Audience Segmentation Challenges: Reusing existing audiences becomes more difficult, as data would be split between two schemas, possibly requiring complex cross-schema queries.
Increased Maintenance Overhead: Maintenance of multiple schemas increases the effort required for updates, governance, and ensuring consistency across schemas.
Data Silos: A separate schema may lead to isolated data silos, hindering a holistic view of the customer across different touchpoints.

Taking into account that if the travel business has specific requirements or you anticipate a huge growth choose option 2 because you will have a tailored data model (having a separate schema allows a specific data structure), simplified management and flexibility and speed in terms of changes and updates without impacting other areas of the business.

¡Hope this is helpful!

Regards,

Celia

@jpetermarias 

[kautuk_sahni]

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