Services › IT Capital Planning & Business Cases
Know the real cost before you commit.
Technology decisions are budget decisions. Quotes show the purchase price, but the real cost comes later. I help you plan capital, cost options over their full life, and make a case your Council or board can trust.
Why it matters
Much of the budget is committed before a new idea arrives: renewals, end-of-life systems and mandated work. As spending shifts to subscriptions, today’s decision also becomes a lasting operating cost.
What I do
I bring all technology demand into one view: new requests, renewals, replacements and mandated work. Then I rank it on value, cost, risk and staff capacity, with capital and operating costs by year.
What you get
A prioritized capital plan along with operating impact, and a method you can keep using each budget cycle.
Why it matters
The licence is visible, but data work, integration, staff time, support, upgrades and the cost of leaving come later. AI adds usage-based pricing that grows as use grows.
What I do
I map the full life of the solution and build a five-year cost model with low, expected and high scenarios.
What you get
A clear total cost picture and a plain summary decision-makers can follow.
Why it matters
Decision-makers need to know what they’re approving, why now, and what happens if it doesn’t work. And time saved does not reduce the budget unless something else changes.
What I do
I build the case with your team: the problem, the options (wait, keep, upgrade, replace, share or buy), the full cost and the risks. I separate cash savings from costs avoided and staff time freed.
What you get
A decision-ready business case, phased with decision points, and a short summary for Council or the board.
Experience behind this work
Oversaw more than $100M in municipal IT capital planning over ten years.
Reviewed a provincial portfolio of IT projects worth about $1B for Treasury Board approval.
Built an IT consumption and cost model with Finance to find savings.
Led business cases and options analyses for municipal HR and payroll systems.
Have a quote or capital request on your desk? Let’s talk.
Send it my way. In 30 minutes, I’ll show you what to ask before you commit.