
<p>So you’ve decided you want to put data and analytics into your product, service, or experience. Good decision! While you might still be trying to solve the “buy vs build analytics” debate, what’s clear is that this kind of functionality isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore; users of all kinds demand insights features, and customer-facing analytics are revolutionizing businesses in every industry.</p>


<p>But here’s a hard truth: If you decide to build your own custom analytics software instead of buying a pre-built solution to embed into your application, you’re up against a wildly difficult task, and chances are you might end with a hard-to-maintain, unpolished product…or <a class="action-btn " href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/developers-despair-half-your-time-is-wasted-on-bad-code/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">divesting precious developer resources</a> away from what they were actually hired to do: innovate and ship new products and features. </p>


<h2>The pros and cons of building a custom analytics software</h2>

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<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-744463" src="https://cdn.sisense.com/wp-content/uploads/Build-vs-Buy.png" alt="" width="600" height="344" /></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Learn more about the <a class="action-btn " href="https://www.sisense.com/whitepapers/pros-cons-of-building-vs-buying-embedded-analytics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pros and cons of the buy vs build analytics dilemma</a></span></p>


<p>In most cases, buying an embedded analytics solution will be your quickest path. And clearly, we’re going to endorse that! But time-to-market is not the only argument that makes the build vs buy debate obsolete. Purchasing is also the smarter choice for delivering functionality that aligns precisely with your needs and offers your user a superior product than what you could construct from scratch.</p>


<p>Want to learn more about embedded analytics sophistication levels and important criteria for success? <a class="action-btn " href="https://www.sisense.com/get/constellation-research-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read the Constellation Research Report</a> about how custom analytics software can be tailored to your business needs. </p>


<h2>Build or buy, customer-facing analytics should be seamless</h2>


<p>If you’re weighing the ‘buy vs build analytics’ question or even considering the “build” option, one of your main concerns is likely ensuring a match with your existing product’s look and feel. No one wants an add-on that looks like an add-on. However, with modern analytics platforms designed for embedding, this concern should be minimized.</p>


<p>This is way less of a big deal than you think it is. Modern analytics platforms—the good ones, anyway— are built for embedding. The right solution for your application or experience should offer you nearly unlimited customization. When evaluating buying options, make sure they can match your product’s color scheme, fonts, and other UI features perfectly, and don’t stop looking until you find one that does.</p>


<p>But today, this is simply table stakes. If you really want to wow your users, opt for a customizable analytic software platform that allows you to integrate your own visuals and functionalities with your analytics. Just dropping in some data points is fine to start, but you want to<a class="action-btn " href="https://www.sisense.com/platform/embedded-analytics/?state=%2Fglossary%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> embed an analytics platform</a> that will allow your product to grow and evolve over time.</p>


<p>Industry-leading analytics platforms allow product teams to build custom analytics into their core offerings: Progress meters tagged to KPIs the customers care about, animations and visuals that tell a story, and recommendations based on past user behavior.</p>


<p>Learn more about the intricacies of <a class="action-btn " href="https://www.sisense.com/build-vs-buy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">building an analytics platform</a> in our detailed guide. </p>


<h2>If you’re building an analytics platform, prepare for a high-maintenance lift</h2>


<p>Speaking of growing and evolving, your product and your team are constantly changing. There’s a significant decision that product teams face today—should they build their analytics from scratch or buy an existing solution? This is the heart of the “Build it or Buy it” conundrum. When considering custom analytics software, teams often plan for the new features they want to add. However, they may overlook the ever-evolving nature of their product and teams. The unpredictability of business events, such as an unexpected spike in users or unforeseen challenges during product rollouts, can disrupt this process.</p>


<p>Building an analytics platform from scratch may seem like a good idea, but it&#8217;s crucial to remember that the real world of business is rarely smooth sailing. For instance, what happens if your core business runs into a scaling issue? Building those shiny new analytics could be the first dev activity thrown by the wayside.</p>


<p>Moreover, will your freshly built analytics be able to handle all the new data if you get a million new users? And what about the potential risks associated with building new capabilities that no one on your team is an expert in? These factors make building analytics from scratch a risky and time-consuming endeavor.</p>


<p>If you want to work smarter, not harder, this is what that looks like. </p>


<h2>Buy vs build analytics: how can you divest from innovation?</h2>


<p>When you started thinking about adding data and analytics to your product, what did you envision? Go ahead, call to mind your MVP for a minute. Now innovate on that. What’s your V2? A year from then? And five years from that? Sure, again, software is unpredictable, but needing an innovative solution five years from now is a good problem to have!</p>


<p>When you build from scratch, that’s all on you.</p>


<p>On the other hand, buying analytics from a provider offers a long-term partnership and constant innovation. When you buy your analytics and infuse them into your product, service, or experience, you’re not just buying a V1 today and leaving it the way it is. Your analytics provider has a team of experts working day in and day out to constantly innovate its offering so you can evolve yours.</p>


<p>This approach allows your dev team to focus on the core products while the analytics provider handles the analytics. Every quarter, your analytics provider will roll out new functionality for you to experiment with and further evolve your offering. It’s a win-win. </p>


<h2>Custom analytics software: lean on the experts</h2>


<p>Yes, buying is the way to go. You can seamlessly match the look and feel of your product or service, deliver better features faster and with less upkeep, and (if you choose the right provider) you’ll reap the rewards of its continual innovation for years to come.</p>


<p>The drive to build from scratch, to own every line of code in your product, is an admirable one. However, it’s not always the most efficient path. Just as you didn’t build your house with your own two hands; you don’t need to build every bit of your products yourself. Do yourself (and your whole team) a favor and buy your analytics instead of building. Your product remains yours, but it becomes even stronger with expertly crafted analytics assembled by experts and infused into your product by your team. So, when it comes to building an analytics platform or deciding to buy, consider your long-term strategy, resources, and the ultimate goal of delivering a superior user experience.</p>


<p>In conclusion, while customer-facing analytics are essential, the question of &#8220;Build it or Buy it&#8221; is outdated. The smarter choice for evolving and growing businesses is to buy. This approach ensures better features, less maintenance, and the ability to leverage the benefits of constant innovation.</p>


<p>If you want to learn more about embedded analytics solutions and how they can benefit your business, explore Sisense&#8217;s offerings, and check out our informative <a class="action-btn " href="https://www.sisense.com/blog/infographic-should-you-build-or-buy-embedded-analytics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">infographic: Should You Build or Buy Embedded Analytics?</a> for a visual representation of this decision-making process. </p>


Buy vs build analytics: settling the debate once and for all

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