I also find that essentially 100% of the time - if there is no formal power structure, and informal one forms. Every time. And that informal one is essentially always relationship-based.

Really depends on whether its worth the effort to innovate on that thing?

Is your company's core product a billing system? Then it pays to innovate on billing systems and differentiate from competitors.

Do you just need a billing system so you can collect money and move on with innovating where it actually matters? then buy and don't make.

wasting time on doing novel things that don't differentiate your business only puts you behind your competitors.