To Build or To Buy?

Tech professionals often face the dilemma of whether to build or buy an incident management solution, with considerations such as unique requirements, security concerns, and cost playing significant roles in the decision-making process. Building a custom solution may seem appealing due to perceived control over requirements and security, but it involves hidden costs such as ongoing maintenance, opportunity costs, and the risk of losing crucial knowledge if key developers leave. While custom solutions might be suitable for niche scenarios or non-mission-critical use cases, they come with challenges like maintaining integrations and handling security updates. In contrast, commercial solutions usually offer a lower total cost of ownership, scalability, and comprehensive security measures, making them a more reliable choice for most organizations. The decision to build or buy should weigh these factors heavily, especially the opportunity cost, to arrive at a clear and informed conclusion.