Thanks for sharing your feedback and question Stephane. The decision make-vs-buy has a strategic and tactical aspect. The former relates to understanding how the product is currently used and if it should be replaced like for like. You might be better off unbundling some of its features into a new product or creating one or more product variants. Please take a look at the following article, in which I share my advice for successfully re-writing a digital product: https://www.romanpichler.com/blog/tips-for-rewriting-a-digital-product/

I like this breakdown approach which defines clearly the boundaries and interdependencies between the strategic and tactical sides of product management and planning.

However, I have a current situation in a project for which I would be grateful to get your opinion. This project consists of the replacement of a legacy tool developed from scratch and maintained for many years internally within the company. To replace the tool two alternatives are mainly possible: choose and configure an out-of-the-box tool from the market or redevelop a new tool internally. From your perspective, the fact to choose between both approaches, is it part of the product strategy or part of the tactical approach? Personally, I’m more of the opinion that it is a tactical decision based on some strategic aspects. An example is if the strategy of the company is to keep total flexibility … So to resume the product strategy will not in this case state that we choose alternative 1 or alternative 2 but will state some requirements which will lead to a tactical decision that alternative x is better than alternative y. Hope I’m clear enough and would be grateful to get your advice on this.

Regards,
Stephane

Thanks you for yoru feedback Michael!

You’re welcome Jamie!