When custom automation tends to make sense
An off-the-shelf tool can be exactly right when the market already solves the problem well. Custom automation becomes more useful when the work depends on your own combination of processes, systems, rules or exceptions.
It is usually worth looking at when:
If the problem is small or an existing tool already solves it well, there may be no reason to build something custom.
the process crosses several systems, channels or sources of information;
an existing tool solves part of the problem but leaves manual work around it;
the business has its own rules or exceptions;
volume, frequency, errors or delays make the problem significant;
useful work is not being done today because it is not economical to do manually;
privacy, deployment or control affects the solution;
the process is expected to evolve and needs an adaptable base.