Build, Buy, or Blend? Navigating the Right Path for Your People Analytics Strategy

When it comes to enhancing your organization’s People Analytics capabilities, the “build vs. buy” debate has long been a pivotal discussion point. Traditionally, this decision boils down to resource allocation, cost-effectiveness, and strategic fit. However, in recent conversations with industry leaders, we have observed that this choice is far from straightforward. Often, there’s more to the story than just logic—values, politics, and timing can all play significant roles in determining the path forward.

The Case for Buying

Opting for an off-the-shelf solution like eqtble offers significant advantages, particularly for organizations looking to accelerate their data capabilities. By bypassing the lengthy and resource-intensive development process, businesses can immediately access a fully functional platform that drives insights from day one.

Time and Resource Efficiency: Building an in-house data analytics platform can take months, if not years, of development time. With buying, the data team can skip this lengthy process and allocate their resources toward more strategic initiatives that require their expertise. This approach allows for quick wins and maximizes the value the data team can deliver in a shorter time frame.

Cost Effectiveness: The financial burden of building an internal platform is not just limited to the initial infrastructure setup—it extends to ongoing maintenance, updates, and scaling efforts. Buying enables a predictable annual fee and removes these unpredictable costs, allowing for more efficient budget planning.

Expertise and Support: Partnering with eqtble also means tapping into a wealth of expertise, especially in integrations and data modeling. With dedicated customer success analysts on hand, we ensure a smoother implementation process, minimizing the risks often associated with in-house development.

The Case for Building

Despite the benefits of buying, some organizations still prefer to build their own solutions. Whether driven by a robust budget or a desire for complete control, building an internal platform can be appealing. This approach allows for a tailored solution that aligns precisely with internal processes and goals. However, the costs—both financial and operational—can be substantial.

For some, the decision to build is driven by the need to utilize an existing tech stack more fully or because the organization believes that the specificity of their needs warrants a custom solution. However, even in these cases, the benefits of building must be weighed against the time and effort required to achieve the desired outcomes.

The Emergence of the Blend Approach

Recognizing the complexity of the build vs. buy decision, we’ve been exploring a third path—the blend. This approach involves combining the best of both worlds by integrating bespoke internal solutions with ready-made platforms where they make the most sense.

For example, some organizations have already invested heavily in Business Intelligence (BI) tools and are reluctant to pivot away from these platforms. In these scenarios, we at eqtble recommend a blend: keep your BI tool for the front end, but leverage eqtble’s pre-built, highly flexible data model for your people data. This way, the organization can maintain consistency while addressing specific data challenges more effectively.

Conversely, some companies have robust back-end data systems but struggle with front-end adoption and self-service capabilities. Here, eqtble can connect seamlessly to existing data lakes, delivering a clean, intuitive front end that empowers users to extract insights without relying heavily on technical teams.

Making the Right Decision

Ultimately, the decision to build, buy, or blend comes down to what’s best for your organization’s unique needs. While budget and resources are key considerations, so too are the broader goals of the business and the desire to foster a data-driven culture. By carefully weighing the pros and cons of each approach—and being open to the innovative concept of blending—organizations can chart a path that maximizes value and drives long-term success.

At eqtble, we’re here to support you, whether you’re looking to build, buy, or blend. Whatever your journey, we’ll help you find the right balance to ensure your People Analytics strategy delivers the insights you need to thrive.