Buying established software is usually faster and cheaper. But when no product fits an important process, adding more subscriptions can create more complexity than it solves.
Signs buying is the better choice
- The process is standard across your industry
- A mature product covers most requirements
- You prefer the vendor to own updates and support
Signs building may be better
- The process is central to how you compete
- You rely on spreadsheets or workarounds to fill gaps
- You need to connect several systems in a specific way
- Per-user licensing becomes costly at your scale
Consider the middle ground
Low-code platforms such as Power Apps, or a small custom layer on top of existing systems, can close gaps without a large development project.
Plan for ownership
Custom solutions require documentation, maintenance, and clear ownership. Factor that into the decision from the start.
