![When Dr. Frankenstein uttered these words before telling his story on his deathbed,
he had no idea we’d be heeding his advice centuries later. As for the story itself, you
probably recall it to be straightforward: The mad scientist and the monster he created.
Only, it’s not!
You see, Dr. Frankenstein believed he could build the perfect creation from scratch. And
he did. He spent two years toiling over every detail to meticulously build his creature.
He handpicked every feature, each perfect on its own. Perfect yellow skin, pearly white teeth,
lustrous black hair, you name it. He even cried, “Beautiful! Great God!” at one point, gushing over
the proportional limbs of his creation.
But, when he finished, he was himself disgusted by it, a monster that grew beyond his control. His
intent was at the right place and effort wasn’t lacking, but the final result was a failed patchwork of
perfect features.
You probably get the hint.
But, Titanic, You See, Wasn’t Any Better Either!
94 years, 3 months, and 9 days from the time Shelley published the fictional story of Frankenstein,
RMS Titanic set sail for the first time. You probably know what happened next, unless you’ve been
hiding under an iceberg.
Titanic, the largest ship ever built, was heralded as the pinnacle of state-of-the-art
engineering when it was commissioned. It had enviously luxurious features and
ahead-of-its-time safety measures. Watertight compartments and remotely activated
watertight doors in 1912 were pretty cutting-edge, don’t you think? Of course, they said
it was unsinkable!
Titanic’s builders and buyers were extremely confident and proud of Titanic’s technology
and opulence. So much so that many of them got on board, literally too. But they had
failed to account for the waters it was sailing in. Nothing too fancy like Titanic. Just the
usual real-world elements like freezing water and ice! In its much-touted maiden voyage, it crashed
into an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the ocean.
Déjà vu, anyone?
The story of Frankenstein’s monster is eerily similar to ‘greenfield’ programs that enterprise leaders
like you would have undertaken. Often, great parts don’t sum up to translate into a great application.
Now, consider the technology onslaught: the race among technologies to pile on your infrastructure,
one buzzword at a time. It is extremely daunting, often unthinkable, to build from scratch, today.
Titanic rings a different déjà vu. Enterprise leaders are bombarded with promises of expensive,
specialized point solutions every day, only to discover their fatal unsuitability too late with enormous
costs. Real dollars are lost, but opportunity costs are disproportionately high. Titanic is symbolic
of all the shiny specialized point solutions that are unable to navigate the real-world icebergs of
change. A costly buy.
Frankenstein and Titanic may be almost a century apart in time, but in the mind space of enterprise
leaders, they fight every day at every innovation opportunity: To B(uild) or to B(uy)?
It’s almost existential!
“I will not lead you on […] to your destruction and infallible misery.
Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example….”
Frankenstein Wasn’t a Success Story…](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/beyondfrankensteinbuildvsbuydigitalversion-250706075121-ec816cf8/85/Newgen-Beyond-Frankenstein_Build-vs-Buy_Digital_version-pdf-2-320.jpg)
Newgen Beyond Frankenstein_Build vs Buy_Digital_version.pdf
- 1. ESCAPING THE TRAP FRANKENSTEIN v/s TITANIC How to stop patchwork and start building for the future
- 2. When Dr. Frankenstein uttered these words before telling his story on his deathbed, he had no idea we’d be heeding his advice centuries later. As for the story itself, you probably recall it to be straightforward: The mad scientist and the monster he created. Only, it’s not! You see, Dr. Frankenstein believed he could build the perfect creation from scratch. And he did. He spent two years toiling over every detail to meticulously build his creature. He handpicked every feature, each perfect on its own. Perfect yellow skin, pearly white teeth, lustrous black hair, you name it. He even cried, “Beautiful! Great God!” at one point, gushing over the proportional limbs of his creation. But, when he finished, he was himself disgusted by it, a monster that grew beyond his control. His intent was at the right place and effort wasn’t lacking, but the final result was a failed patchwork of perfect features. You probably get the hint. But, Titanic, You See, Wasn’t Any Better Either! 94 years, 3 months, and 9 days from the time Shelley published the fictional story of Frankenstein, RMS Titanic set sail for the first time. You probably know what happened next, unless you’ve been hiding under an iceberg. Titanic, the largest ship ever built, was heralded as the pinnacle of state-of-the-art engineering when it was commissioned. It had enviously luxurious features and ahead-of-its-time safety measures. Watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors in 1912 were pretty cutting-edge, don’t you think? Of course, they said it was unsinkable! Titanic’s builders and buyers were extremely confident and proud of Titanic’s technology and opulence. So much so that many of them got on board, literally too. But they had failed to account for the waters it was sailing in. Nothing too fancy like Titanic. Just the usual real-world elements like freezing water and ice! In its much-touted maiden voyage, it crashed into an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Déjà vu, anyone? The story of Frankenstein’s monster is eerily similar to ‘greenfield’ programs that enterprise leaders like you would have undertaken. Often, great parts don’t sum up to translate into a great application. Now, consider the technology onslaught: the race among technologies to pile on your infrastructure, one buzzword at a time. It is extremely daunting, often unthinkable, to build from scratch, today. Titanic rings a different déjà vu. Enterprise leaders are bombarded with promises of expensive, specialized point solutions every day, only to discover their fatal unsuitability too late with enormous costs. Real dollars are lost, but opportunity costs are disproportionately high. Titanic is symbolic of all the shiny specialized point solutions that are unable to navigate the real-world icebergs of change. A costly buy. Frankenstein and Titanic may be almost a century apart in time, but in the mind space of enterprise leaders, they fight every day at every innovation opportunity: To B(uild) or to B(uy)? It’s almost existential! “I will not lead you on […] to your destruction and infallible misery. Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example….” Frankenstein Wasn’t a Success Story…
- 3. “Build vs Buy” dilemma creates a false choice that forces enterprises into suboptimal paths. There’s a good set of reasons why both approaches individually fall short. Let’s examine why this dichotomy continues to be a challenge. The underline under urgency to resolve this tension has just become thick and bold. Because, a new pitch for battle has been laid in. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here (and how!). Some are even terming the current times as The Era of Intelligence1 or The Intelligent Age2 . AI is causing a rethink on enterprise technology and operations. As per a recent survey by McKinsey, more than three-quarters of the respondents say that their organizations use AI in at least one business function3 . These stats are changing by the day. We can talk about disruption caused by AI till the cows come home. However, for enterprise leaders, the opportunities as well as threats of AI are too compelling to look away. Call it the next level of Technology FOMO4 . AI will amplify the consequences of wrong technology decisions disproportionately. The readiness of enterprise technology infrastructure has never been so critical. Another immediate forcing factor is also the way Generative AI (GenAI) is disrupting the way software is built, composed, and deployed. And, when combined with low code (the de facto rapid application development technology so far), GenAI can lend unprecedented speed to application development and deployment. What’s the way forward for enterprise leaders like you? A Quick Recap on “Build v/s Buy” Quandary But, Why Should You Care Right Now? The Frankenstein When Building Creates Monsters Development timelines extend far beyond initial estimates. Total cost balloons when you account for ongoing maintenance. All technological upgrades are major undertakings. Specialized skills needed for builds are rare and unaffordable. Applications become cumbersome after constant updates. Technical debt accumulates as quick fixes and patchworks compound. The Titanic When Buying Creates Vulnerabilities Standard functionality rarely matches ambitions to differentiate. Customization options often fall short of actual needs. Any attempts to force changes leads to “Frakenstitanic” situation. Roadmaps may not align with your technological priorities. Integration with existing systems proves more difficult than expected. Scaling to enterprise requirements reveals hidden limitations.
- 4. Of course, it’s time to move on from Frankenstein’s and Titanic’s of the world. There has to be a better way. And there is. What if you could combine the customization of building with the speed of buying? What if you could start with a platform foundation and then configure it to your exact needs? This is the platform approach that Newgen enables. At one time in the story, Dr. Frankenstein spends inordinate time pondering where he should employ his astonishing power of being ‘capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter’. But he also accepts he had no materials adequate for so arduous an undertaking. As a leader, you have the ability to infuse your own version of life into applications, but you can also have access to a solid foundation that resembles a Titanic! You must seek a platform that is equipped with all the technological and functional capabilities that your applications need, especially around AI. Surreal things happen with great foundations. Think Platform AI A g e n t s f o r G r o w t h NewgenONE AI Agents A I A g e n t s f o r P r o d u ctivity Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Business Process Management (BPM) Customer Communication Management (CCM) Integrated Data Science Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) Generative AI AI Trust Layer AI Components Agentic Shield Trusted AI Responsible AI Workflow Generation User Interface Generation Data Object Generation Report Generation Natural Language Query Content Summarization Auto-classification Call Data Analysis Recommendations Intelligent Prospecting Sales Conversion Analytics BRMS, Service Flow, Workflow Orchestration Design Time Run Time NewgenONE: AI-first Digital Transformation Platform Innovation, Speed, and ROI A full-stack application platform like NewgenONE can be just what you need to navigate these urgent times. With NewgenONE, you can automate your customer journeys through a pre-integrated, unified, set of automation technologies spanning across process, content, communication, and intelligence.
- 5. NewgenONE works! Whether it is superfast lending, automated insurance claims, citizen-centric government services, or member experience in health insurance, large enterprises have been using solutions built on the platform for decades for customer experience, operational efficiency and compliance. NewgenONE solves the long-pending problem of disjointed operations by connecting the front, middle, and back-office for seamless information flow across the organization. But, NewgenONE does much more! • Automate and integrate end-to-end customer journeys, including customer and partner networks • Use AI for automated real-time decisions, content classification and summarization, and hyper-personalization • Use GenAI and low code to turbo charge application composition and development • Get you up and running with pre-built ready-to-use deep-domain applications, rapidly configurable to your needs • And, most importantly, scale fast for a variety of needs across the length and breadth of the organization NewgenONE is built for the intelligence era, with native AI capabilities embedded throughout the platform: AI-Powered Process Automation: Inject intelligent decision-making directly into workflows Content Intelligence: Automatically classify, extract, and understand unstructured information GenAI Application Development: Slash development time with AI-assisted configuration Hyper-personalization: Drive precise product strategy for precisely tailored experiences across all customer touchpoints Unlike Frankenstein-like AI solutions patched atop legacy systems or Titanic-sized point solutions too rigid to adapt, NewgenONE’s unified architecture makes AI a natural extension of your enterprise applications. Front office Customer Touch Points Multi-channel Branch | Calls | Emails Data Processing and Communication Tools Data and Document Management Tools Exchange Sales and Marketing Onboarding Portals First Notice of loss Agent mobile apps Surveyor Mobile Apps Direct walk-ins Approval Underwriting Claim Processing Service Fulfilment Client Reporting Compliance Policy Distribution Document Archival Receipt generations Finance Processing Policy Administrations Human Resources Workflows Business Rules Documents Communication Collaboration Integrations Governance Individuals Groups Financial Institutions Non-financial Institutions Partners Agents Middle office Back office
- 6. Wide Transformation: Leveraging Intelligence Across the Enterprise Enterprises also have thousands of processes spread across the breadth of the organization. It’s nearly impossible for leaders to institutionalize cutting edge technologies across these processes. With NewgenONE, you can finally create an operational fabric that consistently uses automation and intelligence across the turf. From contracts and invoices to policy updates and service tickets, NewgenONE can interpret content, assess relevance, and initiate actions. It can address regulatory requirements through configurable workflows that adapt to changing mandates. HR, finance, and internal support functions can leverage the same platform capabilities used for signature processes, creating consistency and efficiency. Innovation gets democratized, and it scales through automation across the enterprise. NewgenONE Application Spectrum Scale Fast for ROI NewgenONE enables leaders like you to go deep as well as wide for a variety of needs, broad- basing its usage and yield ROI much faster. Move “deep”. Rewire critical, high-value processes like lending or claims with adaptive orchestration and embedded intelligence SIGNATURE JOURNEYS Scale “wide”. Automate numerous back-office or support functions like finance, HR, or compliance through autonomous agents LONG TAIL JOURNEYS NEWGENONE APPLICATION SPECTRUM Case in Point: India’s banking regulator needed a centralized, intelligent, and agile platform for efficient regulatory oversight. They partnered with Newgen to build a regulatory management system that leverages GenAI and AI for decision support. NewgenONE, AI-first low-code platform, delivered GenAI-powered workflow automation, document intelligence, and communication orchestration with real- time decision support. The bank can speed up regulatory processing, reduce manual intervention, improve data accuracy, and enhance oversight across 60+ processes. In the same vein, a leading professional American football league wanted to automate its benefit administration process, allowing players to register injury and disability details for benefits. They selected NewgenONE to build a portal with end-to-end journeys. NewgenONE brought in GenAI-powered workflow automation and intelligent content management with enterprise-wide scalability. Case in Point: A leading airport authority faced delays due to fragmented workflows, lack of integrated content, and limited visibility across 200+ processes. They chose NewgenONE to build a digital-first infrastructure. Customers used NewgenONE to automate processes and manage documents efficiently. The organization gained improvements in operational insight, compliance, coordination, and responsiveness across functions and departments. Signature Journeys: Intelligent Automation of Core Journeys Every enterprise has critical customer- facing or value-generating processes that directly impact revenue, satisfaction, and competitive differentiation. These “signature journeys” demand deep transformation: loan origination, trade finance, insurance claims, citizen complaints, customer service and so on.
- 7. What makes this strategy powerful is the multiplier effect of combining both approaches on a single platform: • Shared governance and security frameworks • Consistent data models, AI models, and integration patterns • Cross-process learning that accelerates improvement • Skills reusability across initiatives • Reduced technical debt through platform standardization NewgenONE breaks the trap of “Build” vs “Buy” NewgenONE breaks the dichotomy of building and buying applications by enabling enterprise leaders to scale automation and intelligence across the enterprise. When You Need... When you build, you: When you buy, you: When you use NewgenONE, you: Alignment with your unique processes Design from scratch, but at enormous cost Compromise to fit vendor’s vision Configure the platform that adapts to your workflows Speed to market Wait months or years for development Implement quickly but sacrifice fit Deploy in weeks with tailored configuration Integration across systems Create custom connectors for each system Work within vendor’s limited integration options Leverage pre-built connectors and custom integration Future flexibility Maintain increasingly complex custom code Depend on vendor’s roadmap Adapt the platform as business needs evolve Governance and compliance Build controls from scratch Accept vendor’s approach Configure enterprise- grade controls to your requirements A Forrester Total Economic Impact study commissioned by Newgen found organizations implementing this approach achieved 370% ROI and a six-month payback period. The Multiplier Effect References 1 The Intelligence Era, Sam Altman, OpenAI 2 The Intelligent Age: A time for cooperation, World Economic forum 3 The State of AI, McKinsey & Company 4 The Role of FOMO in Digital Transformation, Harvard Data Science Review
- 8. Beyond Frankenstein and Titanic To be fair, Dr. Frankenstein or Titanic buyers didn’t err in their ambition or diligence. You share similar ambitions and pressures today. The problem was the approach in context. Today’s enterprises face the same risk when patch-working custom code or when boarding seemingly unsinkable but rigid solutions. The intelligence era demands a fundamentally different approach. NewgenONE offers this different path. Its application spectrum (from transformative Signature Journeys to the long tail of daily operations) provides the platform foundation enterprises need without sacrificing control or customization. By embracing this platform approach, you gain the freedom to focus on differentiation and innovation. Moving to this platform approach doesn’t require a massive, disruptive transformation. You can start with specific business challenges where the combination of speed, customization, and intelligence will deliver the greatest impact. It’s time to move on from Frankensteins and Titanics of the world to a rapid innovation engine that actually works in real-world scenarios. We just happen to call it NewgenONE! May, 2025 AMERICAS: +1 (202) 800 7783 UK: +44 (0) 2036 514805 AUSTRALIA: +61 290537174 INDIA: +91 11 40773769 [email protected] www.newgensoft.com APAC: +65 3157 6189 MEA: +27-11-461-6497 Newgen is a leading provider of an AI-first unified digital transformation platform with native process automation, content services, and communication management capabilities. Globally, successful enterprises rely on Newgen’s industry-recognized, low-code application platform to develop and deploy complex, content-driven, and customer- engaging business applications on the cloud. From onboarding and service requests to lending and underwriting, and various other use cases across industries, Newgen unlocks simple with speed and agility.