Free Tool
An interactive version of the Workaround-Cost Test — see what manual workarounds are actually costing you per year, compared against what a custom build would cost.
Hours lost / week
10.0
Annual workaround cost
$15,600
3-year accumulated workaround cost
$46,800
Estimated custom-build cost
$8,000 – $20,000
Workaround cost has likely outgrown a custom build
This is the exact gap the Workaround-Cost Test is built to catch — the accumulated cost of bending a standard tool now looks honestly higher than building around it.
Illustrative estimate only — assumes a $30/hr blended staff cost for time spent on workarounds. Not a quote. Get an exact number from a free discovery call.
This calculator is a live, interactive version of Arcetis's own decision framework for build-vs-buy CRM decisions — not a generic pricing widget. The logic above follows the same four steps below.
Not the documented version — how leads actually arrive, how deals actually move, where handoffs actually happen today.
What a standard platform would need to bend to fit the actual process, and the ongoing cost of each one.
A custom system is only justified when accumulated workaround cost is honestly higher.
Most businesses need one or two specific gaps filled, not a fully custom system replacing a standard platform outright.
This tool is deliberately illustrative — a free discovery call maps your actual process and gives you a scoped, written quote instead of a range.