Build vs. Buy: The Case For Purchasing A Field Service Management Platform Versus Custom Build

As field service organizations research and compare commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software solutions, they often also consider building an in-house system with internal resources.

Perceived benefits of in-house builds typically evaluated include:

• Your company knows its business better than anyone else
• The application can be built to your specific needs
• You’ll have more control over the final product and roadmap
• The resources to perform the work are already on board
• An internal build is less costly than a COTS solution
• There is a one-time build cost, with no recurring fees

While there may be aspects of truth to some of these points, our experience has shown that the perceived benefits are significantly negated by the following realities:

• Company focus is not field service management
• Limited skills and expertise
• Cost of ongoing development and support
• Challenges in creating a roadmap for the future
• Infrastructure cost, maintenance, and support
• Opportunity costs

This paper details why it is almost always more expensive – from financial and resource standpoints – to build an in-house solution.