Build when it's a competitive differentiator. Buy when it's a commodity. Integrate when both are partly true.
Build
If the software directly drives revenue or differentiation, build it. You'll spend more upfront and own the roadmap.
Buy
Accounting, HR, generic CRM — buy. Don't reinvent commodity wheels.
Integrate
When 70% is commodity and 30% is unique, buy the platform and integrate custom modules. Most enterprise stacks live here.
Formal Citation & Strategic Dissemination
Cite as: Sumaiya Rahman (2025) • Sovereign Architecture Series
Sumaiya Rahman, "When to build, buy or integrate enterprise software," YESS Bangladesh Research & Technical Whitepaper Series, 2025.
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