ITIL4-CDS Create, Deliver and Support Practice Question
Which THREE factors should be considered when choosing between a 'buy' or 'build' strategy for a new service component in an ITIL 4 context?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often focus exclusively on financial metrics like short-term price tags, ignoring strategic factors like core competencies, technical debt, and time-to-market requirements.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Alignment with core organizational competencies.
Choosing between 'buy' and 'build' requires a balanced analysis of organizational strategy, cost, and risk. Organizations must consider their core competencies, the speed of delivery, and the long-term support implications. By aligning the decision with the organizational value stream, the provider ensures that the chosen approach delivers the best value, aligns with long-term goals, and avoids unnecessary technical debt or vendor lock-in.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Alignment with core organizational competencies.
Why this is correct
If a component is essential to the organization's unique competitive advantage, building it in-house allows for better control and customization. Conversely, commodity services that do not provide a competitive edge are often better suited for a 'buy' strategy to leverage external expertise and reduce internal operational overhead.
- ✓
The total cost of ownership, including maintenance and future upgrades.
Why this is correct
A 'buy' strategy might have lower initial costs but higher licensing fees, while a 'build' strategy has high development costs and long-term maintenance burdens. Understanding the total cost of ownership is vital for fiscal responsibility and ensures that the financial implications are understood over the entire service lifecycle.
- ✗
The number of employees currently available in the IT department.
Why it's wrong here
Current headcount alone is a poor indicator for the 'buy vs. build' decision. Strategic decisions should be based on capabilities, long-term talent strategy, and the ability to maintain the service, rather than just the current number of available staff, which can fluctuate over time and with training.
- ✓
The time-to-market requirements for the service.
Why this is correct
Time-to-market is a critical driver. Buying a pre-existing solution often allows for faster implementation compared to the lengthy cycles required to design, develop, test, and deploy a custom solution. If speed is the highest priority, purchasing a solution is frequently the preferred path for immediate value delivery.
- ✗
The specific programming language preferred by the development team.
Why it's wrong here
The programming language is a technical detail that should be secondary to strategic business goals. While it might impact the 'build' process, it is not a primary driver for the 'buy vs. build' decision, which focuses on business value, strategy, cost, and operational sustainability over the long term.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert/AXELOS exam blueprint
This ITIL4-CDS practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert/AXELOS certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the ITIL4-CDS exam.