Build or Buy? 6 factors to consider when deciding on a data warehouse for your med school

February 17, 2026

Medical schools generate massive amounts of data, but without the right infrastructure, valuable insights remain trapped in disconnected systems. As your institution grapples with curriculum mapping, learner performance tracking, and accreditation reporting, you need a centralized data warehouse to bring it all together.

But should you build your own or buy a purpose-built solution?

It’s a high-stakes decision. A DIY approach may seem cost-effective at first, but hidden expenses, long development timelines, and maintenance demands often derail in-house projects. Meanwhile, off-the-shelf solutions offer speed and reliability but must align with your program’s unique needs.

To help you decide, we’ve outlined six critical factors to consider plus a cost calculator to compare your options.

1. How Long Can You Afford to Wait?

Building a data warehouse from scratch isn’t a short-term project. Even with a dedicated team, the process of design, development, testing, and deployment can take 12-24 months. And that’s assuming everything stays on track.

If your medical school needs real-time insights for accreditation, student success tracking, or program evaluation, can you afford to wait?

Buying a Solution:

✔ Ready-to-use tools mean faster implementation—they can be up and running in a fraction of the time it would take to develop your own tool.
✔ Comes with pre-configured integrations for commonly used MedEd platforms, eliminating development roadblocks.

Building a Solution:

⚠ Requires significant IT and data science resources to design and develop.
⚠ Implementation often takes years, delaying access to actionable insights.

2. The Hidden Costs That Can Break Your Budget

At first glance, building a data warehouse seems cheaper. After all, why not leverage internal resources instead of paying for a vendor solution?

But hidden costs add up quickly. Development alone may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and that’s before considering ongoing maintenance, updates, and IT support.

Use our cost calculator below to compare total ownership costs between building vs. buying.

Buying a Solution:

✔ Predictable pricing (typically a subscription or license fee).
✔ Lower long-term costs since security, updates, and integrations are managed for you.

Building a Solution:

⚠ High upfront costs for software development, data infrastructure, and IT staffing.
⚠ Unpredictable long-term expenses—ongoing maintenance and upgrades require continuous funding.

3. The True Cost of Keeping a DIY System Running

Even the most well-designed in-house solution requires ongoing maintenance.

Data pipelines break. APIs change. New accreditation requirements demand updated reporting. If your internal team is managing development AND support, their time is spent fixing technical issues instead of improving program outcomes.

Buying a Solution:

✔ Comes with built-in support and regular updates and product enhancements.
✔ Your IT team can focus on higher-value projects instead of troubleshooting.

Building a Solution:

⚠ Requires a full-time team for ongoing maintenance, troubleshooting, and system updates.
⚠ Scaling becomes difficult as data volume and complexity increase.

4. Can You Ensure Compliance & Security?

Medical schools handle sensitive learner data and that means security and compliance can’t be an afterthought.

If you build a custom solution, you are responsible for implementing:
✔ Data encryption & secure storage
✔ FERPA & HIPAA compliance
✔ System access control & audit logs

Buying a Solution:

✔ Most vendors provide enterprise-grade security and built-in compliance measures.
✔ Ongoing security updates protect against evolving threats.

Building a Solution:

⚠ Requires significant investment in security infrastructure and compliance expertise.
⚠ Must keep up with changing regulatory requirements.

5. Will Your Data Warehouse Keep Up with Your Needs?

Medical education programs are evolving. Competency-based education (CBE), longitudinal learner tracking, and new accreditation requirements require flexible, future-proof data solutions.

If you build a system for today’s needs, will it still work five years from now?

Buying a Solution:

✔ Designed for MedEd-specific workflows, with continuous feature updates.
✔ Scales effortlessly as your institution grows.

Building a Solution:

⚠ Requires constant reinvestment to keep up with new program requirements.
⚠ Future enhancements depend on available IT resources and budget.

6. Does Your Team Have the Bandwidth?

Building a data warehouse isn’t just about hiring a few developers. You need:

Database architects
Data engineers
Security experts
Ongoing IT support

If your institution lacks the internal expertise, an in-house build can quickly become a bottleneck. Additionally, if a team member leaves, critical gaps and risks can be uncovered, leaving the team unable to adequately support the system.

Buying a Solution:

✔ No need to hire additional IT staff—the vendor handles implementation and support.
✔ Access to expert-built tools designed specifically for MedEd.

Building a Solution:

⚠ IT teams are already stretched thin—this adds significant workload.
⚠ Ongoing training and knowledge transfer required as staff changes.

Build vs. Buy: What’s the Right Choice for Your Medical School?

Every institution has unique needs, but for most medical schools, buying a purpose-built data warehouse is the faster, safer, and more cost-effective choice.Still weighing your options? Use our interactive cost calculator below to see how the true cost of building stacks up against a ready-made solution.