ERP Go-Live Delay Cost Calculator
Go-live dates slip for good reasons: incomplete data, weak testing, a key user leaving. But the steering committee needs a number. This calculator converts a proposed postponement into euros per week so the trade-off between risk and delay is explicit.
Your numbers
Partner consultants plus internal staff at loaded cost.
Maintenance, hosting and support you only avoid after cutover.
Many contracts start billing at signature, not at go-live.
Savings or margin gains from your business case.
Allowance for re-testing and key user fatigue after a slip.
Your results
Deferred benefits are opportunity cost, not cash out. Show them separately to the steering committee if finance does not accept them as cost.
Cost of delay vs months postponed
Sweeps Delay from 0 to 12, holding your other inputs fixed.
Optional go-live readiness check
We can review your cutover plan and data validation approach and point out the biggest slip risks. No obligation.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use it
Enter the month-by-month burn rate of the project team, the legacy costs you cannot stop until cutover and any new subscription already running. Add the monthly benefit from your business case. Then drag the slider to the delay under discussion, typically one, two or three months. Export the result to PDF for the steering committee pack.
- Include internal staff in the team cost
- Check when the new subscription actually starts billing
- Use a conservative benefit, not the sales case
- Test slips of 1, 3 and 6 months
The cost components
Total cost equals extended team cost with a risk premium, legacy run cost, new subscription paid but not used, and the benefits you push out. The first three are real cash. The fourth is opportunity cost and depends on the quality of the business case. The per-week figure is handy when debating a cutover weekend versus waiting for the next period close.
Using it in decisions
Compare the cost of delay with the cost of going live with known defects. If a two-month slip costs about the same as a one-month support surge after launch, other factors such as quarter-end timing, audit cycles or the summer shutdown should decide. In many European plants the August and December shutdowns narrow the cutover window, so a short slip can become a long one.
Common mistakes
Teams leave out the subscription already running and the legacy support renewal that falls due during the slip. Another is using the sales-promised benefit. Also remember that a delay rarely stops at the first estimate, so view the 6 month point on the chart as a stress test, not a worst case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should deferred benefits count as cost?
Show them as a separate line. Finance may treat them as opportunity cost, but they explain why waiting is not free. If your case has weak benefit estimates, lower the figure or set it to zero.
What risk premium is sensible?
Five to fifteen percent is a common planning allowance for retesting and loss of momentum. Set it higher if the delay involves key staff turnover.
How do I handle a phased go-live?
Run the calculator for the wave that slips and enter only that wave's team cost, legacy modules and benefits. Repeat for each wave.
Does it include penalty clauses?
No. Add penalties or contract change fees to the result manually if your agreement contains them.
If the delay comes from data or interface issues, Netray can help build automated checks on migrated data so retests are faster.
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