Build, buy or integrate: decision checklist

The process

Is this process a source of competitive advantage, or a standard function such as payroll, accounting or email?
Can you describe the process clearly enough that someone outside the team could follow it?
How much does your process differ from the way most companies in your industry handle it?
Would you be willing to change the process to fit a product's standard workflow?
How often does the process change, and who decides when it does?
How many people, teams and outside parties take part in it?

The market

Have you reviewed at least three off-the-shelf products that claim to cover this process?
Do those products handle the steps that matter most to you, or only the generic ones?
Do your existing systems, such as the ERP, CRM or Microsoft 365, already include a feature or add-on that covers most of the need?
Can the products connect to your current systems through supported APIs?
How stable are the vendors, and what happens to your data if a product is discontinued or acquired?

Cost over time

What is the total cost of ownership of each option over three to five years, including licenses, hosting, integration and support?
How do subscription costs change as users, records or transactions grow?
What will maintenance, security updates and hosting cost for a custom build after launch?
How much internal time will each option take to implement, train and administer?
What does the current workaround cost each month in staff time, errors or delays?

Ownership and risk

Do you need to own the code, data model or intellectual property, for example because the software is part of what you sell?
Can you export all your data in a usable format if you leave a vendor?
What happens to operations if the software is unavailable for a day, and who is responsible for fixing it?
Do the vendor terms on data location, security and AI use meet your obligations?
Who will own the product roadmap, and are you comfortable if a vendor's roadmap moves in a different direction?

Capability

Do you have people who can own, maintain and improve custom software after it launches?
If a partner builds it, will you receive the code, documentation and access needed to change providers later?
Does your team have the time and skills to configure and administer a bought product properly?
Can your team define requirements and test releases, whichever option you choose?
Would integrating your existing systems solve most of the problem with less new software to manage?

If the answers are close, a discovery call with Kastling is a practical way to test them against your requirements. We can talk through whether building, buying or connecting what you already have makes more sense for this process.