English
NederlandsMake or buy
Publishing platform or agency: choose how much your team wants to own.
Self-service publishing gives your team direct control over content and changes. Outsourcing creates room when internal capacity or specialist expertise is limited. The right model depends on how often you publish, what the team can manage and where support adds value.
Two operating models, each with a different role.
Publish with a platform
Often fits teams that publish repeatedly, want to make changes themselves and prefer to build knowledge internally.
Direct control over content and planning
Work within available brand and publication settings
Repeatable process across editions
Internal capacity is still required
Produce with an agency
Often fits organisations with limited internal capacity, a need for specialist work or a preference to outsource most production.
External expertise and production capacity
Less day-to-day production for the internal team
A clear brief and review process remain necessary
Changes follow the chosen collaboration model
The choice is not between doing everything yourself and accepting help. It is about finding the right division of work for your team and publication.
Six criteria for the make-or-buy decision.
Internal capacity
Who has time and ownership to build, review and publish?
01
Publishing frequency
The more often you publish, the more useful a repeatable internal process may become.
02
Desired control
Does the team want to make changes directly or work through an external partner?
03
Brand governance
Which boundaries keep different publications recognisable and consistent?
04
Specialist needs
Do you require work or expertise that is not available internally?
05
Budget model
Compare software, internal time and external production separately.
06
Answer these questions before choosing a supplier.
- (01)
How often does the organisation publish?
- (02)
Who owns the content and makes the final decision?
- (03)
Which tasks can the team perform internally?
- (04)
Where is specialist design or production support needed?
- (05)
How quickly should small changes be made?
- (06)
Which knowledge should remain inside the organisation?
A hybrid approach can work too.
An internal team can manage the platform and bring in external expertise for specific publications. Define who owns content, design, production, review and publication.
Test what your team can manage directly.
The trial can help the team assess fit.
Try Greenzeen for 14 days- (01)
Choose one publication
Use real, focused content.
- (02)
Create a trial account
Start the 14-day trial.
- (03)
Build a representative section
Test structure, brand and available elements.
- (04)
Review internally
Assess control, capacity and the support still required.
Frequently asked questions about platform or agency
Make or buy
That depends on the desired design, available brand materials and internal skills. Greenzeen is intended for publishing without code, but it does not automatically replace every design or content task.
Yes. An organisation can manage the platform and use external expertise for strategy, content or design. Define roles and responsibilities in advance.
With a self-service platform, the team makes the changes supported by the product. The actual division of work depends on the internal process and any external collaboration.
When internal capacity is limited, the publication is highly specialised or the organisation deliberately wants one external party to manage production.
Use a focused section of a real publication to assess whether the platform fits the team's content, brand and working method.
Test how much your team can manage directly.
Create an account and try Greenzeen free for 14 days.
Start 14 days free