Fully managed, advisory or transitional: choosing an e-commerce service model
Choose fully managed when you want a partner to run your e-commerce operation, advisory when you have a team that needs strategy and expertise alongside it, and transitional when you need to fill a short or long-term gap without hiring.
Working with an e-commerce partner does not have to mean handing over everything. Most engagements fall into one of three service models. The right one depends on the team you already have and how fast you need to move.
Fully managed
The partner runs the e-commerce operation end to end: strategy, store operations, marketing, analytics and pricing. Your team focuses on the business and reviews results.
Best for brands entering a new market, brands without an in-house e-commerce team, or brands that want a single accountable owner for online revenue.
Advisory
The partner works with your existing team to drive channel development. Your people stay hands-on; the partner brings strategy, playbooks, data and a second pair of eyes on every major decision.
Best for brands with a capable in-house team that wants to grow faster or professionalise how channels are run.
Transitional
The partner fills short or long-term gaps with end-to-end or ad-hoc campaign management. That could mean covering a vacancy, running a mega-sale season or standing up a new channel until your team takes over.
Best for brands in the middle of a change: a restructure, a new channel, a peak season.
A simple way to decide
- No in-house e-commerce team, or a new market: fully managed
- A team that is busy but capable: advisory
- A specific gap or season: transitional
Models can change over time. A common path is fully managed during a market launch, then advisory once an in-house team is in place.
Can we switch service models later?
Yes. Many brands start fully managed during a launch and move to advisory once their in-house team is established.