Factors Influencing the Make, Buy, or Open Source Decision as A Three-Way Road
Salonsaari, Matias (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112630463
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112630463
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explores the decision in software development: whether to make, buy, or utilize open source software. It examines the strategic implications of each choice, focusing on cost, customization, and project needs. The research looks into existing academic literature to analyze the factors influencing this decision. It investigates how decision makers weigh factors like cost,
time constraints, customization requirements, security concerns, organizational goals, and internal expertise to make informed sourcing decisions.
This thesis goes beyond theoretical considerations and looks into the practical implications of the make, buy or open source software from the perspective of a software developer. It explores how this decision can influence the internal resources. By analyzing these practical aspects, the thesis aims to provide valuable insights for making an informed decision in different project environments.
The findings show an interaction between the factors driving make, buy, or open source software choices. Cost considerations, customization needs, in-house expertise, project complexity, and maintenance demands all contribute to the decision-making process. The research also identifies gaps in existing literature, particularly regarding the role of or open source software and the increasing prominence of outsourcing.
Open source software, often community-driven and freely available, presents unique opportunities and challenges compared to traditional make or buy decision making. Its role in the decision-making process is often under-analyzed in existing literature. In modern software development open source software, with its collaborative development model and freely available source code, offers unique advantages in terms of cost, flexibility, and community support. The research also underscores the increasing prominence of outsourcing as a viable option in software development, particularly for larger projects and organizations. Outsourcing further complicates the decision making process particularly for larger organizations and project scopes offering an alternative to both building in-house and relying on open source software, potentially providing cost savings and access to specialized expertise.
This thesis aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the make, buy, or open-source decision by providing a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing it. It offers valuable insights for software development stakeholders by exploring the dynamics between cost, customization needs, in-house expertise, project complexity, and maintenance demands. The thesis also identifies gaps in existing literature, particularly concerning the role of open source software and the increasing prominence of outsourcing, suggesting directions for future research to
address these gaps and enhance our understanding of this aspect of software projects.
time constraints, customization requirements, security concerns, organizational goals, and internal expertise to make informed sourcing decisions.
This thesis goes beyond theoretical considerations and looks into the practical implications of the make, buy or open source software from the perspective of a software developer. It explores how this decision can influence the internal resources. By analyzing these practical aspects, the thesis aims to provide valuable insights for making an informed decision in different project environments.
The findings show an interaction between the factors driving make, buy, or open source software choices. Cost considerations, customization needs, in-house expertise, project complexity, and maintenance demands all contribute to the decision-making process. The research also identifies gaps in existing literature, particularly regarding the role of or open source software and the increasing prominence of outsourcing.
Open source software, often community-driven and freely available, presents unique opportunities and challenges compared to traditional make or buy decision making. Its role in the decision-making process is often under-analyzed in existing literature. In modern software development open source software, with its collaborative development model and freely available source code, offers unique advantages in terms of cost, flexibility, and community support. The research also underscores the increasing prominence of outsourcing as a viable option in software development, particularly for larger projects and organizations. Outsourcing further complicates the decision making process particularly for larger organizations and project scopes offering an alternative to both building in-house and relying on open source software, potentially providing cost savings and access to specialized expertise.
This thesis aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the make, buy, or open-source decision by providing a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing it. It offers valuable insights for software development stakeholders by exploring the dynamics between cost, customization needs, in-house expertise, project complexity, and maintenance demands. The thesis also identifies gaps in existing literature, particularly concerning the role of open source software and the increasing prominence of outsourcing, suggesting directions for future research to
address these gaps and enhance our understanding of this aspect of software projects.