Powell Software-logo
DOWNLOAD | WHITEPAPER

The digital workplace leader's brutally honest guide to build vs. buy in 2026

 

The old question was "build or buy?" The right question in 2026 is smarter than that.

Featuring insights from digital workplace expert Jason Sirockman of Iomer Internet Solutions Inc., this whitepaper cuts through the noise to give IT leaders, digital workplace strategists, and enterprise decision-makers a clear-eyed framework for where to build, what to buy, and how to architect a digital workplace that won't collapse under its own weight in two years.

FR - LP - webinar - IA & Digital Workplace devenez le partenaire business incontournable des métiers et autres départements
 
 
 
25-minute read | Fill in the form to download the whitepaper
Build vs. Buy Cover

The "we already have SharePoint" trap — And how to escape it

The enterprise technology landscape has shifted dramatically. AI is reshaping how employees interact with information. Microsoft 365 is evolving faster than most custom solutions can keep up with. And the hidden costs of "just building it on SharePoint" are quietly accumulating in organizations everywhere.

This guide — featuring hard-won insights from Jason Sirockman of Iomer Internet Solutions Inc. — tackles the real decision you're facing: not whether to build or buy, but how to layer the right enabling technology on top of your existing investments without starting from scratch.

Inside, you'll find an honest look at:

  • The "toggle tax" — why more tools stopped meaning more productive, and what it's really costing your workforce

  • The true total cost of ownership — the hidden maintenance, rework, and opportunity costs your build-vs-buy spreadsheet quietly ignores

  • The institutional knowledge trap — how your best SharePoint builder can become an organizational liability the day they walk out the door

  • The 2–3 year cliff — the moment custom SharePoint intranets stop keeping up with mergers, rebrands, and evolving compliance requirements

  • AI readiness and why it starts with governance — why your intranet is either AI infrastructure or AI liability, and how to tell the difference

  • The 2026 strategic framework — what the smartest organizations are doing right now to build digital workplaces that scale

 

DOWNLOAD THE WHITEPAPER

Who is this guide for?

Powell Intranet Communications Department Mock-Up Multi-Device

This whitepaper is written for digital workplace leaders, IT directors, CIOs, and internal communications or HR technology decision-makers who are weighing the costs of maintaining custom-built solutions against investing in purpose-built platforms — particularly those operating in Microsoft 365 environments or regulated industries where governance isn't optional.

If you've ever heard (or said) "we already have SharePoint, why would we pay for anything else?" — this guide is for you.

Meet your new mobile intranet

Reimagine your intranet platform and really engage employees with Powell Intranet

Powell Intranet, Your Company Intranet Reimagined

Ready-to-use

Our cloud-based intranet solution is ready to use right out of the box, providing organizations with a range of tools and features to get started.

Powell Intranet with BG (2)

Customizable, scalable & open

Powell Intranet software is highly customizable and scalable, allowing organizations to tailor it to fit their specific needs and requirements.

What your DW could be webinar Generic

Microsoft 365 services

Our intranet solution is built on Microsoft 365, giving organizations access to all the tools and features they need to stay connected, collaborate, and work efficiently.

Why Intranets Fail Webinar Generic 2

Security & Compliance

Powell Intranet meets the highest enterprise-grade standards for data protection, with built-in security and compliance features to keep your organization’s information safe.

Powell Intranet with BG (4)
Powell Intranet with BG (2)
What your DW could be webinar Generic
Why Intranets Fail Webinar Generic 2
Powell Intranet with BG (4)
 

Here's why you need this guide:

Because the spreadsheet is lying to you.

Every build-versus-buy conversation starts the same way: a clean comparison of license costs versus development costs. And on paper, building always looks cheaper. What that spreadsheet won't show you is the cost of every Microsoft update that breaks your custom workflow, the day your key SharePoint expert leaves and takes two years of institutional knowledge with them, the governance gaps that will delay or derail your AI rollout, and the Year 2–3 moment when your intranet can't keep up with a rebranding, a merger, or a new compliance requirement.

The organizations winning in 2026 aren't choosing between building and buying. They're making smarter decisions about which layer of their digital workplace deserves which approach — and they're treating their intranet not as a communication portal, but as the data foundation for every AI initiative they'll launch tomorrow.

This guide will show you exactly how they're doing it.

Download the whitepaper
Ebook CTA