ASCī Consulting · Decision guide
ASCī Consulting · Prepared
Build, buy or connect: a practical decision
The fastest way to improve a workflow may be a setting in a tool you already own. Custom software is valuable when the task or experience needs something those tools cannot reliably provide.
Inventory before choosing
List the current systems, owners, data, contracts and manual steps. Ask which capabilities are already available and whether the team can export its information. A connection is useful only if the relevant access is authorized and maintainable.
Compare the full cost
Estimate setup, subscription and usage charges, integration maintenance, security review, staff training and the cost of recovery. Include human review and rework, not only the time needed to create a first draft.
Test a representative slice
Try a few typical cases and difficult exceptions with the people who own the work. Check the output, failure messages, audit history and ability to reverse or correct a mistake. Verify quotas and any overage behavior before enabling unattended use.
Choose an owner and exit path
Document who maintains the solution, where the source of truth lives, how data can be retrieved and what happens if a vendor or integration stops working. Revisit the decision when the volume or requirements change.