The team forgot recurring software and support costs. How do we correct the business case?
Missing lifecycle costsInclude the operating costs required to sustain the delivered capability. A project with an affordable build can still create an unaffordable service if recurring obligations are omitted.
What to do now
- List subscriptions and support obligations
- Confirm ownership and renewal assumptions
- Estimate the relevant lifecycle cost range
- Revalidate the investment and operating budget
When to escalate
Escalate when
No owner can fund the continuing obligations.
Who decides
The budget owner and authorized finance representative
Example
A platform comparison adds recurring licenses, support, backup, and administration to the initial setup cost.
Mistake to avoid
Comparing solutions only by implementation price.
Prevent a repeat
Review remaining cost and commitments, not only money already spent; reconcile with the authorized finance source.
Related cases
- How should we allocate shared costs across projects?Inconsistent cost allocation
- Our committed costs are missing from reports. Why does that matter?Incomplete obligation reporting
- How do we manage a critical dependency reaching end of support?Technology lifecycle exposure
- We forgot nonfunctional requirements. What should we check now?Missing service-quality requirements