Why Deploying Eagle Eye AIR Will Reduce Your Total Cost of Ownership vs. Building a Solution In-House

I've been on the front lines of sales for a while now, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned through countless conversations with customers, it’s this: when it comes to deploying a solution like Eagle Eye AIR, the real value lies not just in what it does, but in how it can dramatically reduce your total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to building an in-house solution. Let me share some insights based on my experiences.

1. The Hidden Costs of Development Time and Resources

One of the biggest misconceptions I often hear from customers is the belief that building a solution in-house is cheaper because it feels like you’re saving on licensing costs. But let’s break that down. When you decide to go down the in-house route, you’re looking at months—sometimes even years—of development time. I’ve seen companies invest heavily in their own resources: hiring additional developers, training existing staff, and paying for costly software tools and development environments.

But here’s the kicker: this isn’t just about the initial build. There’s an ongoing cost of refining and updating your solution as new technologies and threats emerge. Eagle Eye AIR, on the other hand, comes out of the box ready to go with the latest features and updates. By choosing Eagle Eye AIR, you’re leveraging our team of experts who live and breathe this stuff every day. It’s like having an elite force of loyalty and personalization experts working for you, without the recruitment headaches and overheads.

2. Maintenance and Security: The Overlooked Giants

Here’s a reality check based on numerous customer discussions: maintaining a homegrown solution is like trying to hit a moving target. It’s not just about keeping things running smoothly; it’s about adapting to a constantly changing landscape of security threats and technological advancements. Customers often tell me how they underestimated the sheer volume of work involved in keeping their solution up-to-date and secure. And it’s not just the work; it’s the specialized knowledge needed to understand and implement the latest security protocols.

Eagle Eye AIR takes this burden away. We invest 5% of our revenues back into security every year. This investment, diligently managed and made on a multi-tenant platform of global scale, delivers a return on security up to 5 times higher than the same investment made by an enterprise retailer running a single program on their own homegrown solution. That’s not just peace of mind; that’s a significant reduction in ongoing operational costs.

3. Opportunity Costs and Time to Market

Another conversation that comes up a lot is the concept of opportunity cost. Building a solution in-house doesn’t just tie up financial resources—it also ties up your time and energy. Every hour your team spends on development is an hour not spent on strategic initiatives that could be driving your business forward.

I’ve seen companies fall into the trap of extended development cycles, only to end up missing crucial market opportunities. By the time they’re ready to launch, the market has moved on, and they’ve lost their competitive edge. With Eagle Eye AIR, you’re getting a proven, ready-to-deploy solution that gets you to market faster. That speed translates into immediate benefits, whether it’s staying ahead of competitors or quickly responding to customer needs.

4. Indirect Costs: The Intangibles That Add Up

Let’s also talk about those indirect costs that are so easy to overlook. When you’re building in-house, you’re not just paying for development and maintenance. You’re also absorbing the costs of project management, internal meetings, testing, and troubleshooting. There’s also the morale and productivity impact on your team—nothing drains energy faster than endless debugging sessions or feature roadmaps that never seem to get shorter. I’ve seen teams get bogged down in the minutiae of development, losing sight of their core competencies and what truly drives value for their customers.

With Eagle Eye AIR, all these indirect costs are minimized. We provide a streamlined, fully supported platform that allows your team to focus on what they do best—serving your customers and growing your business. You’re not just saving money on development and maintenance; you’re also preserving your team’s energy and creativity for the tasks that matter most.

5. The Value of Expert Support and Continuous Innovation

Another point that resonates with many of my customers is the value of having access to expert support and continuous innovation. When you build a solution in-house, you’re relying on your team to handle every challenge that comes their way. If something breaks or if there’s a need for a new feature, your team is the one that has to figure it out. This often leads to burnout and frustration, especially when resources are stretched thin.

With Eagle Eye AIR, you’re not just buying a product; you’re entering into a partnership with a team that’s dedicated to your success. Our support team is there to assist you whenever you need help, and we’re constantly innovating and rolling out new features to ensure that you have the best tools at your disposal. This means you’re always ahead of the curve, without the stress and uncertainty of having to innovate and troubleshoot on your own.

6. Predictable Costs and Budgeting Confidence

Let’s face it: one of the most appealing aspects of deploying Eagle Eye AIR is the predictability of costs. With an in-house solution, costs can spiral out of control quickly. Unforeseen challenges, feature creep, and the need for additional resources can blow your budget wide open. I’ve had countless conversations with customers who started with a seemingly reasonable budget, only to find themselves in a financial quagmire months down the line.

Eagle Eye AIR offers a clear, predictable pricing structure. You know exactly what you’re paying for, and there are no nasty surprises. This not only makes budgeting easier but also allows you to plan your finances with confidence, knowing that your investment in Eagle Eye AIR will yield a strong return without the risk of unexpected costs.

7. Focus on Core Business Objectives

Ultimately, the most compelling reason to choose Eagle Eye AIR over building an in-house solution is that it allows you to focus on your core business objectives. Every business has a unique mission, and your time and resources are best spent pursuing that mission, not getting bogged down in building and maintaining complex solutions.

By deploying Eagle Eye AIR, you’re freeing up your team to focus on what they do best—whether that’s providing exceptional customer service, innovating new products, or expanding into new markets. The time and money saved by not building in-house can be reinvested into activities that drive growth and competitive advantage.

8. The last 10% takes 90% of the time

According to Melanie Mitchell, computer scientist and Professor of Complexity at the Santa Fe Institute argues that "the first 90 percent of a complex technology project takes 10 percent of the time and the last 10 percent takes 90 percent of the time".

Based on the fact that you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’ve got a great team of product owners, product managers, engineers and more, all of whom are capable of building you a bespoke solution for your loyalty, promotions and personalization needs. However, because building that sort of technology is all that we do, what we eat, sleep and breathe, we still think our solution will have the edge. That’s because we are experts in all the aspects that constitute that last 10 percent. Features like our Cloud-Based Adjudication service, our AIR Wallet and our dedication to speed and scale are what we’ve spent years mastering and what really differentiates our solution.

In Conclusion: The Smart Choice for Reducing TCO

In my experience, the decision to deploy Eagle Eye AIR versus building an in-house solution is clear. When you consider all the factors—development time, maintenance, security, opportunity cost, indirect costs, and the ability to focus on core business objectives—Eagle Eye AIR not only reduces your total cost of ownership but also positions you for long-term success.

I've had the pleasure of seeing many customers make this choice and thrive because of it. The peace of mind, the reduced costs, and the ability to stay agile and competitive in a fast-paced market are all powerful advantages that Eagle Eye AIR brings to the table. It’s not just about saving money; it’s about making a strategic investment in your business’s future. And from what I’ve seen, that’s a decision you won’t regret.