When a custom system is worth more than an off-the-shelf tool

Custom software makes sense when it represents an important operation better than the workarounds needed to adapt a generic solution.

Calculate the workaround cost

Licensing is only one part. Retyping, fragile integrations, parallel spreadsheets and untracked decisions also make up the cost.

If the flow is a relevant part of the operational advantage, permanently adapting it to a vendor's logic can limit product and service.

Before building modules, implement one end-to-end journey with data, permissions, integration and recovery. That slice reveals the real risk.

Custom software makes sense when it represents an important operation better than the workarounds needed to adapt a generic solution.

Licensing is only one part. Retyping, fragile integrations, parallel spreadsheets and untracked decisions also make up the cost.

If the flow is a relevant part of the operational advantage, permanently adapting it to a vendor's logic can limit product and service.

Before building modules, implement one end-to-end journey with data, permissions, integration and recovery. That slice reveals the real risk.