Build or buy?

Companies of all sizes struggle with establishing a cohesive way to organize and share information.

Many companies are tempted to build their own knowledge management solution because they don’t think the right product or tool exists in the market to solve their unique problems.

We’ve listed a few things to consider when wrestling with the age-old debate of building vs. buying new tools to help you make an informed decision and ultimately, solve your problems faster.

Your knowledge management system can take many shapes. Some companies rely on a simple wiki that can be edited by anyone within the company, while others rely on cloud-based platforms that provide functionality including searchability, versioning, structured hierarchies, and integrations with other software tools. Some companies—especially if you already have a strong development culture—might opt to build a more robust knowledge management tool in-house, with similar functionality to cloud-based tools.

What makes the most sense for your organization? Ask yourself these questions about building a tool vs. buying an existing solution.