To Buy or To Build - Comparing the Risks

Quality of Support

Providing quality support on any application is a labor intensive task.  An established software vendor can spread these costs among all their clients, and so can afford to provide expert system help at a much lower cost.

For custom developed applications, there is a risk that support options will be much more expensive in order to provide a comparable level of support. 

First, if the application was developed by a third party, but support has been handed over to a busy IT department that was not involved in the development process, there is a very good chance that support can be difficult.  The original developer will almost always have key insights into the software operation that will be difficult to duplicate with a busy IT staff.

Second, if the application was developed by an internal IT department, capable support from knowledgeable staff directly involved in the project may be available.  However, IT staff are often pulled in many directions.  Given the salaries of IT professionals, and the turnover of IT staff, it will be far more expensive for an IT department to provide continuous, quality support services on a single, custom application than with a standard maintenance agreement on commercial software. 

With commercial software, support staff are fully trained and familiar with the application.  They deal with clients every day, and their sole purpose is to support that package.  This leads to much quicker response times, and much quicker resolution of problems when they occur.

For more on Risks, please see:

• Financial Risks

• The "Hit By A Truck" Syndrome

• Quality of Support

• Documentation and Training Services

• Obsolescence

• Some Conclusions

For anyone considering building a "home grown" system, we strongly recommend you read this article in detail and review the references provided.