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

Choosing Between Two Software Vendors

Choosing Between Two Software Vendors is an easy Build vs Buy vendor selection case interview that runs 20-30 min. A company is choosing a new CRM. A strong answer works through 5 phases: Define the selection criteria and weight them; Distinguish must-have requirements from nice-to-haves to avoid over-buying; Compare both on total cost of ownership including implementation and change, not just license; Assess implementation risk and the realistic timeline for each; Recommend based on weighted fit, not the loudest stakeholder.

Last updated 2026-09-05

The brief

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.

How to approach it

  1. Define the selection criteria and weight them — fit-to-need, TCO, implementation risk, scalability, support
  2. Distinguish must-have requirements from nice-to-haves to avoid over-buying
  3. Compare both on total cost of ownership including implementation and change, not just license
  4. Assess implementation risk and the realistic timeline for each
  5. Recommend based on weighted fit, not the loudest stakeholder

What a strong answer does

  • Builds weighted criteria tied to actual requirements before comparing
  • Separates must-haves from nice-to-haves to avoid paying for unused features
  • Includes implementation, training, and change cost in TCO
  • Assesses risk of under-buying (B can't scale) vs over-buying (A is overkill)
  • Recommends on evidence rather than internal politics

Red flags interviewers score down

  • Compares on license price alone, ignoring implementation and change cost
  • Picks the market leader by default without checking fit
  • No structured criteria — just lists features
  • Lets the loudest stakeholder decide

Cases are written in each firm's style, written and reviewed by working consultants; they are not the firms' own published cases.

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