Healthcare Leaders Face a Critical Decision: Build, Buy, or Hybrid?
MSOs, specialty groups, and health systems often debate:
“Should we buy an off-the-shelf automation platform or build a custom solution tailored to our workflows?”
The wrong decision leads to:
- Millions wasted on custom builds
- Off-the-shelf tools that don’t actually automate anything
- Overreliance on IT or engineering teams
- Low staff adoption
- Solutions that break when processes change
The right decision provides:
- Massive operational efficiency
- Standardized workflows across sites
- Lower denials and rework
- Real cost savings
- Smoother patient experiences
- Faster scaling
Below is a clear, executive-friendly breakdown of the pros, cons, and strategic considerations.
1. Off-the-Shelf Solutions: Strengths & Weaknesses
✔ Strengths
Fast implementation
Deploy in weeks—not years.
Lower cost
Vendors spread development costs across many customers.
Prebuilt workflows
Referrals, PAs, eligibility, and document handling come ready to use.
Payer intelligence included
Vendors continuously update rules so you don’t have to.
Vendor support and training
Off-the-shelf products include onboarding, customer success, and live support.
Scalability
Platforms are built to support large enterprise customers.
✖ Weaknesses
Limited customizability
Some tools cannot adapt to specialty-specific workflows.
One-size-fits-all logic
Generic rules may not reflect your exact processes.
Integration rigidity
Some tools struggle with multi-EHR environments.
Feature lock-in
You rely on the vendor’s roadmap for improvements.
2. Custom-Built Solutions: Strengths & Weaknesses
✔ Strengths
Tailored to your exact workflows
Every step can match your processes perfectly.
Complete control
Add any feature, logic, or data source you want.
Deep integration flexibility
IT or engineering can build bespoke EHR or payer integrations.
Competitive differentiation
Custom solutions can provide unique capabilities competitors can’t match.
✖ Weaknesses
Very high cost
Six- to seven-figure build costs are common.
Long timelines
12–36+ month development cycles.
Ongoing maintenance burden
You must fund continuous engineering to update payer rules, integrations, bugs, and features.
High risk of failure
50% of custom automation projects fail due to complexity or changing requirements.
Not ideal for scaling
Each new site or specialty requires modifications and engineering support.
3. The Hidden Problem With Custom Builds: Payer Rule Complexity
Payer rules change constantly:
- PA requirements
- CPT/ICD compatibility
- Coverage policies
- Documentation standards
- Portal workflows
Custom software cannot keep pace unless you build:
- A payer intelligence engine
- Portal monitoring
- Automated rule updates
- A denial-learning feedback loop
Most organizations underestimate this complexity — and custom builds become outdated fast.
4. The Challenge With Off-the-Shelf Tools: Workflow Variation
Healthcare organizations rarely operate with perfect consistency.
Different sites have different:
- EHR configurations
- Intake workflows
- PA processes
- Billing handoffs
- Staffing models
Off-the-shelf systems must be flexible enough to handle variation.
Many are not.
5. The Ideal Approach: Intelligent, Configurable Off-the-Shelf Automation
The best modern automation solutions combine both worlds:
Off-the-shelf foundation:
- Prebuilt workflows
- Payer intelligence
- EHR-agnostic integrations
- Rapid deployment
- Lower cost
Custom-level configurability:
- Specialty-specific logic
- Site-specific routing
- Custom documentation rules
- Adjustable workflows
- Flexible integrations
This hybrid model offers speed + customization — without the downsides of full custom builds.
This is where Honey Health excels.
6. Key Questions to Decide the Right Path for Your Organization
Leaders should ask:
1. How unique are our workflows?
If 80% is standard and 20% is specialized, off-the-shelf with configuration is ideal.
2. Do we have engineering resources?
If not, custom builds are high-risk.
3. How fast do we need results?
Off-the-shelf wins every time.
4. How often do our workflows or payers change?
If frequently → you need automated rule updates.
5. Are we scaling rapidly?
Custom builds struggle with multi-site expansions.
6. What is our tolerance for maintenance cost?
Custom = ongoing expense
Off-the-shelf = included in subscription
7. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Comparison
Off-the-Shelf Automation
- Low upfront cost
- Fast implementation
- Vendor maintains integrations
- Vendor updates payer rules
- Ongoing support included
Custom Builds
- High development cost
- Long timelines
- Full maintenance responsibility
- Engineering bottlenecks
- High failure risk
Over 3–5 years, off-the-shelf solutions consistently deliver far superior ROI.
8. Risk Profile: Which Approach Breaks More Often?
Off-the-shelf risks:
- Limited customization
- Vendor dependency
Custom risks:
- Delayed deployments
- Over-budget projects
- Maintenance failures
- Poor payer rule management
- Low adoption
- Technology obsolescence
Custom builds have dramatically higher operational and financial risk.
9. Long-Term Scalability: Who Wins?
Organizations that scale quickly—especially MSOs and hospital networks—need:
- Rapid onboarding
- Standardized workflows
- Multi-EHR support
- Payer intelligence
- Multi-site performance dashboards
Off-the-shelf automation platforms designed for enterprise scalability overwhelmingly outperform custom-built tools.
10. The Bottom Line: Most Healthcare Organizations Should Choose Configurable Off-the-Shelf Automation
A smart automation platform provides:
✔ Speed of deployment
✔ Specialty-specific flexibility
✔ Built-in payer intelligence
✔ Deep EHR integration
✔ Multi-site scalability
✔ Lower cost
✔ Higher reliability
✔ Continuous improvements
✔ Strong support
Custom builds only make sense in rare, highly specialized environments with massive engineering resources.
Why Honey Health Is the Best of Both Worlds
Honey Health delivers:
✔ Enterprise-grade off-the-shelf workflows
✔ Deep configurability across specialties
✔ Payer-intelligent decision engines
✔ EHR-agnostic integration
✔ Custom routing, rules, and workflows
✔ Rapid onboarding of new sites
✔ No engineering burden on your team
✔ Continuous updates, improvements, and support
Honey Health gives organizations the flexibility of custom software with the speed, reliability, and total cost benefits of off-the-shelf automation.
