Expertise / Make-or-Buy Researcher
Make-or-Buy Researcher
„Should we buy Copilot or build something ourselves?"
Scans the tool market for every request. Compares vendors, prices, vendor stacks. Says clearly when building in-house makes sense — and when the off-the-shelf tool is the better deal.
90% of mid-market AI problems can be solved with existing tools in 2026. But: the market shifts monthly, and every recommendation has to fit your stack, your taboos and your compliance posture. We scan — with a preference for EU/DACH vendors where possible — and say when DIY is cheaper and better.
What clients ask us about this.
- „Is it worth building our own chatbot?"
- „Which tools do what we actually need?"
- „How dependent are we on a vendor once we commit?"
- „What does in-house over 12 months cost vs. a SaaS tool?"
What we keep for you.
Documented per mandate, viewable and correctable by you anytime.
- Market-scan snapshots per topic cluster (current + historic)
- Tool recommendations with trade-offs and price ranges
- Effort estimates for in-house variants
- EU/DACH vendor preference rationale per use case
- Vendor risk rating (size, funding, EU office)
Engineering firm · 110 employees · tender search
Market scan across 6 vendors, 3 of them EU options. Recommendation: buy tool X (EU cloud, 4-day setup, €280/mo), in-house rejected due to 6-month ramp-up. Pattern bridge from a comparable mandate: tool X saved 30% of research time there.
One request is enough.
Write us briefly what’s on your plate — we respond within one business day. This role is part of the Autopilot retainer, not booked separately.