When to Build Custom Software Instead of Buying SaaS

Before you compare products, write down what must happen for one real transaction to succeed. For a distributor portal, that might mean showing regional prices, getting approval before an order is placed and applying account-specific credit rules. Include who makes each decision, what they can see and what happens when approval is refused.

We would use that same example in every product demonstration. Ask the vendor to walk through an order that needs approval, then change the account or region and try again. A polished demonstration of placing a standard order leaves these harder questions unanswered.

Separate business requirements from habits inherited from your current spreadsheet. If staff copy an order number between two sheets, the requirement may be that both teams can identify the order; copying it by hand need not survive the change. That distinction gives you more room to use an existing product without losing the part of the workflow that matters.

Test the requirement most likely to rule an option out before committing to a larger implementation. A configured trial may show whether a purchased product can handle your permissions; a limited prototype may help you examine a custom workflow. A purchased core with one custom integration may be enough, while repeated workarounds around a business-critical permission model can justify bespoke development.

For the portal, a useful trial would follow one order from the correct regional price through approval and the account’s credit rules. Agree in advance which behaviour must work, who will check it and the date for the decision. Also define what would make you stop: if a required permission cannot be enforced, which alternative will you assess next? This keeps a promising demonstration from becoming a commitment before the important requirement has been tested.