Most organizations track project costs in a relatively straightforward way: what was budgeted, what was spent, and whether the initiative came in on time. That accounting is necessary but incomplete. It captures the direct costs of a project while missing the broader costs that a delayed, over-budget, or failed initiative generates throughout the business. When those broader costs are added to the calculation, the financial case for outside delivery support almost always looks different than it did when evaluated against direct costs alone.
