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.
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.
What to do next
Carry this into the next step, the full guide or the service behind it.
AI project brief builderAnswer questions about the work, the systems it touches and what success looks like, and get a one-page brief you can share with any partner.Open the tool 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 Custom SolutionsWhen to build, buy or integrate, and how to get internal tools and portals right.See the service
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