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Build or Buy a CMT Software Platform? 4 Factors Comparison

November 25, 2022

1. Cost of Accessing the Software

Cost is a major consideration for every project. In terms of cost, is developing the software cheaper than buying it?

Buy:

If you choose to go with the SaaS (Software as a Service) route where you pay a subscription fee to access software that sits on a remote cloud server, you will be able to take advantage of reduced maintenance cost. The SaaS provider owns and maintains the hardware and software, and as they have a large subscription base, they can split the cost among several customers.

It is much less expensive to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee than to build the software from scratch.

Build:

It takes a lot of effort, time, and money to develop an application from scratch. There are many ongoing processes that require more money than a subscription fee - from planning to designing, developing to testing, maintaining to new upgrades, as well as paying for designers, developers, and testers.

Winner: Buying a CMT Software

2. Maintenance

Maintaining software is an ongoing process, and it costs a lot more when you develop the software yourself. Why?

Buy:

A SaaS provider handles all processes such as software maintenance, new releases, bug resolution, updates, customer support, software performance, and more.

They are well-equipped and knowledgeable about the best practices and current trends in software because they have experience managing the process for each customer, enabling them to offer the best software solution.

Build:

If you develop the software, you will be responsible for maintenance and keeping it current that includes installing the latest upgrades, bug resolution, user support, software analysis, and more.

It requires a lot more time, effort, and money as you will need to allocate dedicated resources to maintain your software.

Winner: Buying a CMT Software

3. Deployment Time

It takes time to deploy software. From build or buy, which takes less time?

Buy:

The SaaS firm helps its clients with a hassle-free delivery model. The application will be available for use almost immediately once you subscribe to the service. As the software is already available on the cloud, deployment is fast, and you will face less issues with installation and configuration. Customers can focus on their core business with an efficient SaaS construction material testing software instead of worrying about time and cost associated with maintaining an in-house software.

Build:

It takes time to design, develop, test, and deploy your software. Also, developing your software does not stop with coding. There are other factors like hardware costs, software licenses, and researching and shopping around for the best resources and tools. For smaller companies, it is not easy to assign dedicated resources to build and deploy software.

Winner: Buying a CMT Software

4. Performance

Finally, the performance of your software is an important factor when deciding whether to buy or develop your software.

Buy:

SaaS providers understand that their growth depends on customer satisfaction. They typically have a service level agreement and will focus on best practices for delivering excellent customer service. Additionally, they would have policies for security and disaster recovery management. Having best practices in place is critical to avoid disruptions to your business in case of emergencies.

Build:

You will need an in-house team of software developers and IT specialists to maintain and manage the performance of your software, which includes troubleshooting problems, training new employees, fixing bugs, and releasing updates. When comparing the SaaS platform, you must account for these additional operational costs.

Winner: Buying a CMT Software

Pros and Cons

There are pros and cons to both buying and building your own software. While there are more pros to buying software than building your own software, there are some cons too.

When you build your own software, you own the intellectual property rights to the software, and it is typically customized to your specifications, even if it requires a larger initial investment and will cost you more in ongoing maintenance. When you buy or subscribe to a SaaS solution, you are dependent on the SaaS provider – the subscription could change over time, the provider could make changes to the platform or in the worst-case scenario, the provider could go out of business. However, a good SaaS agreement would cover most of the responsibilities of both parties under such circumstances.

Buying or Building CMT Software?

To wrap up our discussion, buying the software that meets most of your requirements is more cost-effective than building your software.

Subscribing to CMT software is a wise decision, especially for smaller firms who are moving to the digital world as it saves you time and money that you can invest in growing your business instead of worrying about maintaining your software.

In short, subscribing to CMT software like eFieldData will empower your staff to be more productive and increase your profits. Try our CMT software now!

eFieldData, a cloud-based construction materials testing software for workflow automation not only gives you all the above benefits at an affordable price. Request a demo to learn more about eFieldData