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Build, buy or integrate decision tool

Eight questions about one process. Get a recommendation to build, buy or integrate, the reasons behind it and what to check next.

About the process

How common is this process across companies?

How much of the process does software cover today?

How specific is your way of working?

How many systems must the process connect?

What engineering capacity do you have in house?

Are there data or compliance constraints?

How often does the process change?

When do you need it working?

0/8answered

How the scoring works

  • Each answer adds points to one or more of the three options, and a few take points away, such as no in-house engineers for a custom build.
  • Fit is each option's points as a share of the most it could score across all eight questions. The highest total is the recommendation.
  • A tie goes to integrate, then buy, because connecting what you already own is usually the smallest change.
  • The reasons are the answers that added the most points to the recommendation. A winning margin of 1 point or less is marked as a close call.
  • Split answers are common. The guide explains hybrid answers such as buying the core system and building the edges.
  • The recommendation is a planning estimate from your answers, not an evaluation of any product or vendor.
Read the full guide

Go deeper

Guide · 14 min read

Build, buy or integrate: deciding on custom business softwareBuy standard software when the process is common and you can adapt to the product, integrate when your existing systems already hold the data and only the connections are missing, and build custom software only where the process sets you apart or no product fits its core steps. Most growing companies land on a hybrid: buy the core system of record, then integrate or build the edges around it. Compare the options on 3 to 5 year total cost of ownership, not on the first invoice.Read

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