“Every time the MES didn’t meet our needs, someone would say: ‘Why don’t we just build our own?’
But is that really the better path?”
The Temptation to Build
If you’ve ever worked with a legacy MES, or struggled to adapt an off-the-shelf solution, you’ve probably heard it:
“We can just build it. We know our own process best anyway.”
This idea came up often in my environment — especially when the existing MES didn’t fully align with our logic, or when feature change requests moved too slowly.
But deciding whether to build or buy isn’t just a technical question.
It’s a strategic and operational one.
What I Considered Before Saying “Let’s Build”
✅ 1. System Ownership vs Support Burden
- Building in-house means you control everything: logic, UI, workflow.
- But it also means you own the bugs, the UAT, the updates, and the firefighting.
It’s empowering — but also demanding.
Do you have the internal team to maintain, troubleshoot, and enhance it long-term?
✅ 2. Speed of Deployment
- A commercial MES comes with a structure you can configure quickly.
- A custom-built MES takes time — especially if process documentation is missing or unclear.
We were under pressure to support production scaling.
Building would mean months (or more) before go-live.
✅ 3. Depth of Manufacturing Knowledge
Your internal developers might be skilled, but:
- Do they understand traceability logic?
- Do they know SMT vs FATP needs?
- Can they keep up with evolving audit, customer, and factory requirements?
You don’t just need coders — you need manufacturing translators.
What Helped Me Think Clearly
Instead of choosing one or the other, I considered this layered approach:
| Layer | Buy or Build? |
|---|---|
| Core MES (Production Control, Traceability) | Buy — leverage existing structure and industry experience |
| Shopfloor Enhancements (e.g. dashboards, scanning aids) | Build — tailor lightweight tools around operator workflow |
| Integrations (WMS, ERP, QC) | Hybrid — connect commercial MES via internal scripts or adapters |
This gave us flexibility without reinventing the wheel.
Toolkit Mention
👉 You can download a copy of my MES Buy vs Build Decision Guide (VST-003) here.
🔗 Related Posts
Final Thought
Start by asking what you need most: speed, flexibility, ownership, or support?
Then make the decision that supports your factory’s growth — not just your current gap.
“Don’t build just because buying feels frustrating.
And don’t buy just because building seems hard.”