Free Tool

Build, buy, or partner?

Seven inputs covering your use case, data sensitivity, team capability, and timeline. A weighted algorithm returns a clear recommendation with rationale and risk flags.

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The AI Build, Buy, or Partner Tool

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Your Decision Inputs

Use Case Specificity3

How unique or proprietary is this AI use case to your business?

Generic / commodityHighly proprietary
Data Sensitivity3

How sensitive is the data this AI system will process?

Fully public dataHighly confidential
Internal AI Capability3

How strong is your internal AI and technical delivery team?

No internal capabilityStrong AI team
Available Budget3

What is your implementation and first-year operating budget?

Very limitedSubstantial
Timeline Urgency3

How quickly do you need to be live and delivering value?

12+ months acceptableNeed results in 90 days
Competitive Differentiation3

Is this AI capability a genuine competitive differentiator for your business?

Commodity functionCritical differentiator
Maintenance Appetite3

How willing is your organisation to own and maintain this solution long-term?

Prefer hands-offHappy to own it fully

Your Recommendation

PARTNER

Vendor Partnership / Systems Integrator

Bring in an experienced implementation partner who can move quickly while you retain strategic ownership and control of the outcome.

BUILD50%
BUY50%
PARTNER50%

Key factors driving this recommendation

  • Moderate use case specificity: standard approaches will cover most requirements
  • External expertise reduces delivery risk when internal capability is limited
  • Partnership allows faster deployment than full custom build

Scores are weighted across 7 dimensions. Adjust inputs to stress-test your decision before committing to a path.

Opens a 3-page report with your inputs, calculated below. Print or save it as a PDF from there.

Build

When it applies

Your use case is genuinely proprietary, the data is too sensitive to share with a vendor, your internal team has AI engineering capability, and this is a long-term competitive differentiator that justifies the investment.

Typical profile
  • Timeline: 6–18 months to production
  • Budget: High upfront, lower marginal cost at scale
  • Risk: Execution risk. Needs strong delivery governance
  • Upside: Maximum customisation, full IP ownership, no vendor lock-in

Buy

When it applies

The use case is relatively standard, you need results quickly, your internal team doesn't have AI engineering capacity, and the function is not a primary competitive differentiator. The market already has good solutions.

Typical profile
  • Timeline: 4–12 weeks to go-live
  • Budget: Predictable SaaS/platform licensing costs
  • Risk: Vendor lock-in, data governance, customisation ceiling
  • Upside: Proven, fast, low internal overhead

Partner

When it applies

The use case is specific enough to need customisation but your internal team doesn't have sufficient AI expertise, budget is constrained, or you need to move faster than a full build allows. A systems integrator or specialist vendor brings the expertise while you retain ownership.

Typical profile
  • Timeline: 8–20 weeks depending on scope
  • Budget: Project-based; moderate upfront, ongoing support cost
  • Risk: Partner dependency, knowledge transfer critical
  • Upside: Faster than build, more custom than buy, builds internal capability over time