Build vs Buy Software: Find The Best Option for Your Business Now

The ongoing debates between the buy vs build software backers are far from something new. From the very beginning of digital transformation processes, it became clear that a personalized approach is a key factor in the user satisfaction process. This is no longer a desirable feature, but an absolute must-have if you wish to keep up with your competitors.

Nevertheless, software vendors are not lagging behind and today there are a huge number of software solutions that can be useful for various companies. And while many companies make their choice in favor of purchasing software from vendors, it remains obvious that such a solution is not able to solve many of the unique problems that companies face.

Given such a large number of different factors, it becomes obvious that it is impossible to give a clear answer to the build vs buy software question. In this article, we tried to compare both options and explain under what circumstances it is recommended to use each of them, with insights from a reputable software development company. Although this material is still not a direct guide to action, we believe that it can be useful for those who are faced with this dilemma.

1. When Do Entrepreneurs Face This Dilemma?

The situations when businesses need software solutions vary depending on the industry and the specifics of the company. In most cases, such companies first evaluate ready-made solutions, since their implementation can be done much faster. When it turns out that none of the ready-made products can truly solve the business problem, the question arises of whether to develop your custom solution.

So, as an example, we can consider an IT enterprise that seeks to optimize its business processes by introducing a high-quality CRM system. There are many ready-made options on the market, but none of them seems to be an effective solution. That’s when you need to develop a custom CRM, which will be tailored to the needs of a particular company and will bring value.

And although the decision to create a custom product “just for me” seems to be the most logical and correct, it is not suitable for each business. Before making such a decision, it will be wise to consider several points.

2. Build vs Buy Software: Technical Criteria to Consider

In deciding whether to build or buy software, you’ll have to evaluate all relevant factors. You need to assess factors like your project requirements, the upfront cost, long-term maintenance, etc. And more than just the internal factors, you should also consider how external users can work with it. Here are some criteria to consider:

2.1 Price

It is absolutely clear that entrepreneurs and business representatives are trying to reduce their costs. Often, the decision to implement some kind of software is explained by the desire to reduce future costs.

Within the build vs buy software dilemma, there are two main arguments most often encountered. First – the purchased solution will start to bring value almost immediately. Second – creating a homemade product can be an overwhelming burden for the company’s budget. Both arguments are valid. However, it is hard to say which one is the best for a particular case. A purchased solution doesn’t need large costs and is implemented quickly. However, more often than not, it still requires either a large single payment or a monthly payment. You will be charged constantly and the benefits that off-the-shelf software brings aren’t always sufficient.

Thus, although developing homemade software will cost more, eventually, it will pay for itself since it will bring business value. At the same time, it is worth making a reservation and saying that you need to sensibly assess your capabilities. It’s a terrible mistake to go into debt for the development process if you understand that your business has no opportunity to afford such expenses.

2.2. Maintenance & Control

Maintaining the work of any software is a separate stage that requires certain resources. Selecting between the build vs buy software, it is worth saying that the software vendor is most often engaged in maintaining the operation of its product. Thus, any bug fixes, database updates, etc. aren’t part of your duties, so you don’t need to spend resources on these tasks.

However, this coin has a downside. Since the purchased solution is being supported by the vendor, you, as a client, will have no control over the operation of this software. Thus, any shutdowns, unwanted bugs, or updates will be made regardless of your desire. Therefore, you can face a frequent situation when constant problems with the product or one unsuccessful update forces business representatives to refuse to continue using this software.

2.3. Coherence

Of course, modern businesses, especially related to the IT industry, have a set of complex tools and processes that harmoniously interact with each other. These can be time & task trackers, CRM, CMS, risk management tools, a bunch of different connectors and communication tools, and so on. That’s why the introduction of a new tool often causes coherency problems. Thus, a new solution may conflict with existing tools and require a complete overhaul of present workflows.

This problem can be avoided only by resorting to building a custom solution. By developing software from scratch, you can take this factor into account and build a product that ideally fits into the existing frame and will be coherent with the tools already in use. This is one of the most important points to consider in the build-or-buy software debate.

2.4. Customization and scalability

As you know, off-the-shelf solutions are called so because they do not imply any major adjustments. Yes, there are situations when software vendors make big changes and add new functionality based on the wishes of a large number of customers. However, no one will do it just for your sake. In case you urgently need additional features, you just have to stop using this product and choose something new.

On the contrary, the product developed by you has the capacity to scale and expand from the outset since you can point this opportunity at the design stage. Thus, your product is easily amenable to any changes and scales perfectly in connection with changing business requirements.

These four factors are crucial in the struggle between build vs buy software. Of course, some additional and unique factors are specific to certain companies. However, more often than not, businesses make decisions based on these four considerations.

3. The Pros & Cons Of Buy And Build Software For Businesses

To consolidate the information received, we suggest that you consider the following two tables of buy vs build software-pros and cons, which can become a reliable assistant in this dilemma.

3.1. Custom solutions

3.2. Ready-made solutions

4. Summing Up

As you can see, build vs buy software analysis implies that each option has its pros and cons that can be useful for certain companies in specific situations. Of course, a custom solution is always a more useful option, but it comes with some additional costs and risks.

We said at the beginning that we would not give a clear build vs buy software assessment. Nevertheless, to draw some line, let’s look at several possible consequences of a wrong build vs buy software decision.

• First of all, your problem will remain unsolved. Simply put, the wrong choice won’t bring you value and you just waste your resources.

• Also, making a choice in favor of custom development, while the existing solution on the market has all the needed features, you doom yourself to unnecessary waste of money and time.

• At the same time, choosing a ready-made solution, while you have a clear understanding of how to build your own software program, you lose the unique opportunity to receive real value, solve your problem, and bypass competitors.

We advise you to carefully approach the question of whether to make or buy software and study your case to make the only right decision for your business.