Technology · Build, buy or subscribe · Component
Sourcing decision record
The options considered, the whole cost of each over time, the choice made, and the conditions under which it should be revisited.
The deliverable
What it is
Sourcing decisions are revisited within a few years, and the people revisiting them seldom have the original reasoning. A record written at the time is what separates a reconsideration from a repetition of the same debate.
Its central section is the cost comparison, stated over the expected life of the choice and including integration, upkeep, security and exit. Acquisition price alone can favour subscription in the first year and reverse by the fifth, or the other way round, depending on scale.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
Options considered
The build, buy and subscribe variants actually examined, including those rejected early and why.
3 attributes: Route · Candidate provider · Rejected because
LearnWhole-life cost comparison
The cost of each option over its expected life, including integration, operation, security and eventual exit.
4 attributes: Initial cost · Annual running cost · Horizon · Confidence
LearnDecision and review trigger
The option chosen, who chose it, and the change in circumstances that should reopen the question.
4 attributes: Chosen option · Decided by · Decided · Revisit if
Learn
Write the review trigger as a condition, not a date. Conditions change on their own schedule.
The other components in build, buy or subscribe
Capability evolution map
The capabilities under consideration placed by how evolved and how differentiating each is, which frames what is worth building.
LearnLock-in and exit assessment
What leaving would require — data, integrations, retraining and time — assessed before the commitment is made.
Learn