Best of Breed or All in One Software?
Best of Breed
This term is the name of a software solution variant for companies. If a company is faced with the decision of which programs it should choose for which subarea, it can opt for the All in One or the Best of Breed variant. If one decides on the Best of Breed variant, an individually suitable software from different providers is found for each department. However, these different programs are linked to each other by certain intersections. This way, each department has the best possible software for its subarea.
Advantages:
The Best of Breed Solution offers multiple advantages:
- Individual needs of different departments are well implemented.
- A single system can be replaced at any time without affecting another.
- In most cases, the Best of Breed variant is somewhat less expensive. By using vendors with less market power, there is often more room for negotiation.
- The company is not dependent on one vendor.
- The user interface of the individual software is better designed and it is easier to respond to individual requirements.
Disadvantages:
As there are some advantages, there are also disadvantages:
- An integration of the individual programs must take place. This requires the implementation of interfaces, which can often prove to be difficult.
- By using a company that is not yet firmly established in the market, there is a risk that this company will disappear from the market and thus also the software.
- The effort of coordination, contract creation and processing, as well as legal issues and accounting is higher.
- The IT effort is also higher.
- The creation of interconnected reporting is more difficult and may only be possible via additional analytics systems.
All in One
If a Would like to have one software, from one vendor, which is customized (to a certain extent) for each department and subdivision, the All in One solution is the way to go. It is a simple solution to cover all areas at the same time.
Advanatges:
The All in One solution also offers some points that speak for themselves:
- The operating comfort is better due to the uniform use.
- There is a better overview as all data is available in one system.
- There is the option of single sign on, which means you only have to log in once to access all programs.
- Communication is easier because there is only one contact person for the system.
- The creation of reports is easy to implement.
- An easier overview of license fees, contract periods and general costs is possible.
Disadvantages:
However, there are also disadvantages that should be taken into account:
- There are usually higher licensing costs.
- There is less flexibility since there is not as great of a possibility to customize the software.
- The software often does not go into depth as it covers many areas at once.
- Since the software comes from one vendor, the company is dependent on that vendor.
Conclusion
In summary, both approaches have valid advantages and disadvantages. There is probably no perfect, universal answer as to which is better. In the end, the personal needs of each company will play a decisive role in deciding whether to go with “All in One” or “Single Sign On”.
Sources
Best of Breed: Definition, Vorteile & Funktionen | Freshservice (freshworks.com)
All-in-One-Software: Die besten Allrounder-Tools (wertgarantie.de)
Best-of-Breed vs. Best-of-Suite: Welche Lösung ist die Bessere? (pli-solutions.de)
HR-Software: All in One oder Best of Breed? – Papershift
Das ultimative HR Duell: Wer macht das Rennen? All-in-One vs. Best-of-Breed (linkedin.com)