A retailer went with a specific "architecture" because one of their Web developers was familiar and experienced with that platform and tool set. Both the retailer and the developer thought that this choice would allow them to go online rapidly and be cost-effective through a reduction of development time.
Both the retailer and the developer neglected to consider the ongoing effort to manage and extend the platform. No tools could be found to interface with the retailer's product data system. In addition, no tools could be found to work with the Web commerce engine to make it easy to refresh the product data. As a result, the retailer had the following choices:

1. Continue using a manual process to update product data on the site.
2. Develop a custom tool that further locks them into their chosen architecture.
3. Start all over again.

Would you like to present these choices to a client?
I would guess no, but what is the answer? The answer is simple: prevent this dilemma from occurring through solid up-front architecture.