Build vs Buy · Vendor Selection · Easy · 20-30 min

Choosing Between Two Software Vendors

Last updated 2026-07-29

What is this case about?

A company is choosing a new CRM. Vendor A is the market leader — feature-rich, expensive, heavier to implement. Vendor B is cheaper, simpler, faster to deploy, but less proven at scale. Sales wants A, finance wants B, IT worries about implementation risk. You're asked to structure the decision and recommend.

Where strong candidates start

  • Define the selection criteria and weight them — fit-to-need, TCO, implementation risk, scalability, support
  • Distinguish must-have requirements from nice-to-haves to avoid over-buying

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