Build vs. Buy for Enterprise AI: When Custom Systems Win
SaaS AI features are fast to trial and expensive to scale. Custom systems cost more upfront and deliver ownership, integration depth, and governed workflows.
When SaaS AI is enough
Generic copilots and per-seat AI add-ons work for individual productivity — drafting emails, summarizing meetings. They rarely replace operational workflows tied to ERP, compliance, and custom business rules.
When to build
Build when the workflow is core to operations, requires deep integration, has strict governance needs, or when per-seat pricing would exceed build cost at scale. Ownership of code and data matters for IP-sensitive industries.
Hybrid approach
Many enterprises use approved model APIs with custom orchestration, integrations, and controls — best of both worlds without vendor lock-in on the workflow layer.
Apply this to your organization
Map your highest-volume workflow to a governed production roadmap.