Let’s face it – if you’re reading this, you’re probably torn between building your own product configurator and buying one off the shelf. I get it. With tens of thousands of dollars and months of development time potentially at stake, it’s a decision that can shape your company’s future.
The Siren Song of Building Your Own
Picture this: Your team sitting around a whiteboard, designing the perfect configurator. Every button exactly where you want it. Every feature tailored to your exact needs.
Pretty tempting, isn’t it?
When you build your own configurator, you’re the master of your domain. Want that quirky feature that perfectly matches your unique manufacturing process? Done. Need a specific workflow that mirrors your sales team’s approach? You got it. It’s your baby, and you can raise it exactly how you want.
But here’s where things get interesting (and by interesting, I mean potentially painful).
Remember that time you decided to build your own house instead of buying one? No? Well, there’s probably a good reason for that. Building a configurator is a bit like that – except instead of dealing with contractors and building permits, you’re looking at developers, QA teams, and integration specialists. And just like that dream house project, things tend to get… expensive.
The Real Cost of DIY
Let me paint you a picture I’ve seen too many times:
Month 1: “We’ll have this up and running in no time!”
Month 6: “Well, we didn’t expect these integration issues…”
Month 12: “Wait, what do you mean the UI framework we chose is deprecated?”
Before you know it, you’re six figures deep into development costs, your timeline has doubled, and your competitors are already out there closing deals with their ready-made configurators.
But that’s not even the fun part. The real excitement begins when you need to:
- Update a feature because your product line changed
- Fix that bug that only appears during a full moon
- Integrate with the new CRM your sales team just had to have
Each of these becomes its own mini-project, complete with developer time, testing, and yes – more budget.
The Case for Buying
Now, let’s talk about the other path – buying a ready-made product configurator software. Is it perfect? No. Is it ready to go pretty much immediately? Yes.
Most successful businesses today run on software platforms – whether it’s Salesforce for CRM, SAP for ERP, or HubSpot for marketing. There’s a good reason for this: focusing your resources on your core business usually makes more sense than reinventing tools that already exist.
Modern configurators come with:
- Built-in integrations with your favorite tools (hello, HubSpot!)
- Regular updates that you don’t have to code yourself
- A support team that actually answers when you call/chat
- New features that magically appear without your dev team pulling all-nighters
Sure, you’ll pay a small subscription fee. But compared to the cost of building and maintaining your own system, it’s a fraction of your total investment. Consider that a custom solution requires not just initial development costs, but ongoing expenses for developers, infrastructure, and updates – costs that typically run into six figures annually.
Making the Call
Here’s the bottom line: Building your own configurator makes sense only if you have truly unique requirements that no existing solution can handle. For most businesses, investing in the development and ongoing maintenance of a custom configurator means diverting significant resources away from your core business – resources that could be better spent on product innovation, market expansion, or customer service.
Build your own if:
- Your product is so unique that standard configurators look at it and go “Nope”
- You have deep, deep pockets and even deeper patience
- You really, really love managing development projects
Buy a ready-made solution if:
- You’d rather focus on selling than debugging
- You appreciate having experts on call when things go sideways
- You want to start configuring products today, not next year
Where HeadQ Fits In
At HeadQ, we’ve combined years of industry experience with technology to create a Visual CPQ platform that delivers the best of both worlds – ultimate flexibility without the complexity of custom development.
Our platform is built to handle configuration challenges while remaining quick to implement and easy to maintain. We provide the functionality you need for complex products, backed by a dedicated support team that ensures your success at every step along the way.
From industrial machinery to custom manufacturing equipment, our solution adapts to your specific requirements. We handle the technical complexities – including integrations, updates, and maintenance – so you can focus on what truly matters: growing your business and serving your customers.