Buy vs Build Decision Framework

Interactive worksheet

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Answer these 5 questions. Your recommendation updates instantly.

1

Is your current workflow stable and documented?

No

It's inconsistent, lives in people's heads, or changes often

Somewhat

There's a process but exceptions and edge cases are common

Yes

It's documented, consistent, and we know where it breaks

2

Is there a clear owner who will be accountable?

No

Ownership is unclear or shared across too many people

Informal

Someone handles it but it's not their official responsibility

Yes

One person/role owns success, failures, and exceptions

3

Is this workflow a commodity or a differentiator?

Commodity

Standard process that most businesses do the same way

Some customization

Mostly standard but with important quirks

Core differentiator

How we do this is part of our competitive advantage

4

Do you have internal capacity to build and maintain?

No

We'd rely entirely on vendors or partners

Some

We can do light integrations and maintenance

Yes

We can build, monitor, and iterate on systems

5

How quickly do you need results?

ASAP

Weeks, not months

1-3 months

Can move deliberately but need progress

3+ months

Can invest time to do it right

Recommendation

Hybrid

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What this helps you decide

Decide whether to buy a tool, build a system, combine both, or pause.
Clarify what is truly “core” vs. what is generic capability.
Surface ownership and failure modes before signing contracts.

When to use it

You’re evaluating chatbot/automation vendors and prices don’t reflect real ownership cost.
You have internal data/process constraints that off‑the‑shelf tools won’t respect.
You want to avoid rebuilding a workflow twice.

The framework

Core questions

Is this core to your differentiation, or is it a commodity capability?
Will this require ongoing judgment, or is it mostly repeatable rules + exceptions?
What breaks if the model changes (pricing, behavior, limits, features)?
Who owns failure—operationally and reputationally?
What’s the real cost after year one (licenses, maintenance, monitoring, training)?

Recommendation paths

Buy: when the capability is standard, integration needs are light, and failure is low‑impact.
Build: when it’s core, workflows are unique, and you need control over data + logic.
Hybrid: buy a reliable component, build your routing/governance around it.
Don’t do either yet: when the workflow isn’t stable enough to automate safely.

Common mistakes

Buying a tool to “solve process” (tools amplify whatever process exists).
Building too early without clear requirements and ownership.
Ignoring what happens when accuracy drops or a vendor changes terms.

What this does NOT answer

Exactly which vendor to choose (use the Vendor Evaluation framework for that).
Whether AI should make accountable decisions for you (it shouldn’t).

Optional next step

If you want a grounded recommendation path for your specific workflow, the AI Automation Audit scopes what’s worth building, buying, or postponing.

Request an AI Automation Audit →