# Channel Coherence

> The sixth ecommerce readiness foundation. Performance measured as one journey, channels managed as touchpoints not rivals, investment weighed on journey contribution not last click; four checks that catch channel fragmentation.

Source: https://barkingcat.ai/the-cats-whiskers/channel-coherence/

## The Cat’s Whiskers · Foundation 06 of 7

One customer experience, not competing internal businesses.

## Are the channels measured as one journey?

Channel Coherence is the sixth foundation. Consumers do not live in a single channel; physical and digital retail are touchpoints in one customer experience. This foundation checks whether the business is run that way, or as a set of internal businesses competing for the same customer and the same credit. The failure cluster is Channel Fragmentation.

## The four checks
- **Is performance measured as a unified journey?**
- **Are channels managed as touchpoints, not rivals?**
- **Is investment weighed on journey contribution, not last click?**
- **Are physical and digital run as complements?**

## The three readiness ratings

### Foundation Ready

Strong foundations. External investment in platforms, acquisition and channel expansion is likely to generate returns, and the focus shifts to optimisation and scale.

### At Risk

Meaningful gaps in one or more foundations. Continued investment generates diminishing returns until they are addressed, so a prioritised fix programme comes before scaling.

### Foundations First

Critical gaps across multiple foundations, with external spend destroying value. Stop, rebuild the base, then grow.

## Terms of Trade reads through this foundation
- [Omnichannel](https://barkingcat.ai/terms-of-trade/omnichannel/)
- [Order management system](https://barkingcat.ai/terms-of-trade/order-management-system/)
- [Single customer view](https://barkingcat.ai/terms-of-trade/single-customer-view/)

## Check it yourself, or have it checked

[The self-assessment](https://barkingcat.ai/the-cats-whiskers/assessment/) runs all thirty-six checks in thirty minutes and nothing you enter leaves your browser. [The Barking Cat Review](https://barkingcat.ai/review/) applies them to your business by walking it as a customer does, measuring what it finds against your numbers, and naming the constraint that is actually binding.

[RUN THE SELF-ASSESSMENT](https://barkingcat.ai/the-cats-whiskers/assessment/)

## Contact

steve@barkingcat.ai

Barking Cat Advisory Limited. Registered in England and Wales, company number 17338003.