Automation cost guidance suggests what before building automations from scratch?

• A. Always build your automations from scratch; external solutions are never preferred.
• B. Security concerns mean never using external solutions.
• C. You should consider purchasing a well-regarded third-party SaaS before building automations from scratch.
• D. External solutions are cheaper but less capable.

Answer: (C)

Before building automations from scratch, evaluate existing external solutions. A well-regarded third-party SaaS can meet the needs with much less upfront effort and risk, delivering faster time-to-value, built-in security and compliance features, ongoing updates, and proven scalability. This often lowers total cost of ownership because you avoid the maintenance, testing, and upgrade burden of custom development. If the SaaS fits the requirements and budget, it’s usually the smarter first move. Only proceed to custom automation if no suitable external solution exists or if long-term costs clearly outweigh the benefits. The other approaches—always building from scratch, avoiding external solutions for security reasons, or assuming external options are universally cheaper—don’t align with the practical goal of delivering automation efficiently and cost-effectively.