Building vs. Buying a Salesforce Forms App: Which is Better?
When considering a Salesforce forms app, a critical decision is whether to build one in-house or purchase a ready-made solution. This decision hinges on factors such as cost, time to market, maintenance, and integration. Here’s a clear look at these factors to help you determine the best approach for your business needs.
Understanding Salesforce Forms Apps
Salesforce forms apps are tools that allow users to create, manage, and process forms directly within Salesforce. These apps aren’t just for data collection—they automate workflows, guide users through tasks, and ensure that data is accurately captured and integrated into Salesforce.
With Salesforce forms apps, businesses can improve operational efficiency, maintain data integrity, and provide a streamlined user experience. These forms are highly customizable, making them suitable for various use cases such as field service, inspections, guided procedures, and checklists.
When deciding between building or buying a Salesforce forms app, it’s essential to weigh the unique benefits and challenges of each option.
Cost Analysis: Building vs. Buying a Salesforce Forms App
Cost is often the primary consideration. Building a custom Salesforce forms app involves significant upfront development expenses. These costs can escalate depending on the app’s complexity, and you’ll also need to budget for ongoing maintenance, updates, and potential integration issues.
On the other hand, purchasing a ready-made solution might be more cost-effective over time. These solutions typically come with a one-time fee or a subscription model that includes regular updates and support, providing a predictable expense model and reducing the financial burden.
Time to Market: The Impact of Deployment Speed
Time to market is another critical factor. Developing a custom Salesforce forms app can be a long process, involving several phases from planning to deployment. This extended timeline can delay the app’s use in your business, potentially impacting your competitive edge.
Conversely, buying a ready-made app allows for quicker deployment. These apps are pre-tested and designed for immediate integration with Salesforce, enabling you to start using them almost instantly. This rapid deployment can be crucial for businesses needing to quickly adapt to market changes or seize new opportunities.
What’s the biggest benefit of Youreka’s no-code form building platform? Learn more in this video.
Visit youreka.io for more on the benefits of Youreka’s Salesforce native enterprise forms management platform.
Maintenance and Updates: Long-Term Considerations
Maintenance and updates are ongoing concerns when deciding between building or buying a Salesforce forms app. Custom-built apps require continuous maintenance to ensure they remain functional and secure, including updates to keep up with Salesforce’s platform changes and fix potential bugs.
When you purchase a ready-made solution, the app provider is responsible for maintenance and updates. This ensures the app remains up-to-date and secure without placing additional demands on your internal IT resources.
Integration and Compatibility: Ensuring Seamless Operations
Seamless integration with existing systems is essential. A custom-built Salesforce forms app might encounter integration challenges, requiring extra time and resources to ensure it works well within your Salesforce setup and with third-party applications.
Ready-made solutions are usually developed with integration in mind, minimizing compatibility issues. This ensures your forms app works smoothly within your existing ecosystem, enhancing overall efficiency and reducing the risk of operational disruptions.
Youreka is the #1 Salesforce Smart Forms App
Deciding between building or buying a Salesforce forms app involves considering costs, time to market, maintenance, and integration. For many businesses, purchasing a ready-made solution offers significant advantages in terms of cost efficiency, speed, and ease of integration.
If you’re considering buying a Salesforce forms app, Youreka has successfully integrated with many Salesforce users, helping them streamline their operations with our solutions. To learn more about how we’ve helped Salesforce users across industries, visit our Success Stories page.
Updated on September 3, 2024, by Marie Turko
Originally posted on July 28, 2022, by The Youreka Team
