The make or buy issue is of fundamental importance in all businesses, and is a key aspect of business and manufacturing strategy. In essence it is the choice of which activities a business is going to carry out in house, and which are going to be outsourced. A good make or buy decision process is the cornerstone of a sound business.

In the technology and innovation management context, the issue focuses on the choice of which technology to develop and work with in house, and similarly where and how to source technology from outside the business. Research in CTM continues to develop new ways to deal with these decisions which are central to technology intensive companies. Contributions to theory and practice have been made at both the strategic and tactical decision level, and in a variety of industry contexts including automotive, aerospace, electronics and software.

Two workbooks are available:

• Make-or-Buy: A practical guide to industrial sourcing decisions
• Developing a make or buy strategy for manufacturing business