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Weighing Build Versus Buy with Supply Chain AppsToday, IT technology may be one of the biggest enablers of supply chain efficiency. Organizations, then, are aware that finding or creating the right capabilities is central to business success. When enterprises buy complicated IT infrastructure, whether it is hardware, software, systems or anything else associated with such infrastructure, they are faced with a major decision: whether to buy this thing from a vendor or build it themselves. It is important to make the correct decision, or else you might be setting up yourself for a disaster. Let’s consider the options by weighing the pros and cons of each approach.
Build it with your own team This approach involves an IT team with the right skillset and expertise. A project manager, one that has a proven ability to deliver in this domain, would be a critical element well. Pros
Cons
Buy it from an external vendor Finding the right external option starts with clearly setting the mission and the priorities of the project, and developing a clear understanding of the problem that needs to be solved by the project. A formal project charter, which has been thoroughly reviewed by all stakeholders in business and IT, allows organizations to get beyond saying they need a new warehouse management system (WMS), logistics management system (LMS), or enterprise resourdce planning (ERP) solution. Further, an internal pilot will also help clearly define the desired end state. Next, the organization would need to engage a number of vendors soluitons against the desired solution, then select and implement that solution. Pros
Cons
The answer seems clear: We’ve hit a stage of technology where, most often, buying a solution is the right answer. Of course, there may be a moment when you need something out of the ordinary, or you need to keep it top secret and proprietary so making it yourself would appeal. Go ahead and nmait it if that’s the approach that is going to change the game and catapult you to a leadership position. So what has been your experience? Have you every weighed out the make versus by decision? In the end, did you find you made the right decision? We’d love to hear your thoughts. |
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EBN Newswire
EBN Dialogue / LIVE CHAT
![]() EBN Dialogue enables you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Open to the entire EBN community of electronics supply chain experts, these conversations see ideas shared, comments made, and questions asked and answered in real time. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats. Stay tuned and join in!
Archived Dialogues
![]() Live Chat 01/15: CPOs Re-Shape Their Business Roles
Increasingly chief procurement officers (CPOs) are re-shaping their organizational role to focus on creating results far beyond cost controls. A new IBM survey explores how. ![]() Live Chat 11/12: Examining the Cyberthreat to Supply Chains
The number of cyberattacks is on the rise and hackers are targeting the supply chain. Drew Smith, founder and CEO of InfoArmor, will be on hand to discuss the reality of today's threat landscape and what to do about it. |
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