Build vs. Buy vs. Assemble

So—you need a new solution. Do you build the software yourself, or buy something off the shelf? Traditionally, companies buy pre-built solutions to address a pain or expand beyond their in-house capabilities. On the other end, organizations build software when they need a product that precisely fits their business.

However, there’s a third option: assemble. This is the ideal option for businesses that want to set the pace of innovation.

See below for the key themes discussed in this white paper and click here to view the full report.

Buying a comprehensive suite means you’re also buying a highly opinionated solution. These opinions may fit some use cases, but now you’ve also bought into them for situations where they don’t fit. On the other hand, building from scratch for each project is not sustainable for an organization that wants to move quickly and build future-proof systems.

Opinionated software suites do not always offer the best solutions for every category. Assembling reusable tools as stacks is a middle ground that helps companies move faster. This move requires an organizational shift to cross-functional teams that connect SaaS and existing APIs - an approach often referred to as a digital factory.

The pieces required to assemble stacks already exist and are rapidly moving towards ubiquity. Both building and buying slow down your team. Assembling makes specialized parts available to improve both collaboration and time to market. When you orient your team around a digital experience stack which you can reuse across multiple projects, your teams can use it to create better software.