Buffers and Their Cost Impact
Every buffer added to a project — whether extra days in testing or weeks before go‑live — translates into additional costs: consultant hours, extended licences, or supplier fees. The challenge is not the buffer itself, but failing to measure its financial impact.
Phase buffers: e.g., "Y" extra days in user testing → 24 consulting hours → "€ X,XXX".
Global buffer before go‑live: e.g., "Y" weeks → tens of thousands in external services.
Smart risk management means treating buffers as controlled investments, not hidden overspend.
Minimising Buffer Costs
- Proportional buffers – Add cushions only in critical phases (analysis, testing, migration).
- Documented investment – Record the cost of each buffer to justify its preventive value.
- Dynamic adjustment – Reduce or reallocate buffers if earlier phases close without issues.
- Scenario modelling – Use Business Central budget scenarios to compare costs with and without buffers.
Modern Risk Management Practices
Formal risk register with financial impact.
Scenario simulation with Power BI to visualise budget variations.
Supplier contract management to absorb buffers without extra billing.
Transparent communication with finance leadership to present buffers as mitigation, not overspend.
To conclude:
Buffers are necessary, but they must be managed with financial vision. In ERP projects, every extra day has a cost. By minimising their impact through proportional planning, scenario simulation, and transparent reporting, buffers evolve from hidden expenses into strategic investments that safeguard project success.
