In-house, consultant or agency?
There is no universally right answer. Here is how to think about it.
| In-house | Consultant | Agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Continuous, company-specific work | Specific problems and senior judgement | Large, multi-skill projects |
| Speed to start | Slow (hiring) | Fast | Medium |
| Cost shape | Fixed salary | Pay for what you use | Higher day rates, more overhead |
| Knowledge stays | Yes | Only if documented | Only if documented |
| Risk | Single point of failure | Availability | Hand-offs between juniors |
Many teams do best with a small in-house team plus a consultant for design reviews and hard problems. See fractional BI.