Build, buy or automate? A practical framework

Every week someone asks us to build something that already exists. And every week someone tries to force an off-the-shelf tool onto a problem it wasn't made for.

Here's the framework we use.

Buy when…

• The problem is common to every business (payroll, email, accounting)
• It isn't how you compete
• A good tool exists and fits 80% of your needs

Automate when…

• You already have the tools, but people copy data between them
• The work is repetitive, rules-based or document-heavy

Build when…

• The process is how you win against competitors
• Off-the-shelf tools force painful workarounds
• You need to own the data, the roadmap and the experience

Most real solutions are a mix of all three. The skill is knowing which part is which.