ALTWHIZ Insight
Build vs buy: a better decision framework
A practical perspective for leaders working across business, technology and execution.
The wrong question
Build-versus-buy decisions are often reduced to software cost. The real issue is strategic fit: which capabilities should the organization control, which are commodities, and where does differentiation actually live?
Evaluate process fit
A tool that is inexpensive to license can become expensive when teams must distort core workflows around it. Conversely, custom software is wasteful when the required capability is already standardized.
Include integration and data
Integration complexity, data ownership, migration, API quality and reporting requirements often determine the true cost of a platform more than the subscription price.
Model change over time
Today's feature comparison is temporary. The better question is how the decision behaves as volume, regulation, products, users and integrations change.
The ALTWHIZ view
Use a decision model that considers strategic control, workflow fit, integration, data, operating cost, internal capability, time-to-value and reversibility.