One of the critical decisions taken when implementing software is the decision to build or buy.
I have written elsewhere, about the approach I take on this, influenced by a course given by Dan Remenyi. He argues, and I agree that one needs to understand the competitive value of the process being undertaken and the extent to which software can I add to or at the least not minimise that value. Where a system’s role is something that’s required irrespective of value and/or is a sectoral compliance function it is best to buy the software; this it would seem is doubly true of accounting software as not only does it need to satisfy the organisation, but they will need auditors also who have been known to refuse work on the basis of an unfamiliarity with the software in use. Remenyi also argues that if the decision to buy is correct then the optimum process for which the software was designed should be adopted.
One of the huge advantages of buying software is that you outsource maintenance. Maintenance is driven by two factors the first being the constant elimination of error and technical debt and the second being the creation of new functionality to meet market challenges be they commercial or compliance.
Another means of sharing the maintenance costs of software is to adopt open source software. While much of this is supported on a commercial basis, the…
