When budgets are exceeded, it’s often assumed that a major decision caused it.
In practice, it tends to build up over time.
A decision that adds a bit more cost than expected. An upgrade that feels worth it at the time. A change that improves the end result but shifts the numbers slightly.
Each one makes sense on its own.
That’s what makes it difficult to manage.
They don’t sit in isolation. They accumulate, often quietly, and the impact isn’t always clear when the decision is made.
You only really see it once enough of them have stacked together.
That’s when projects start to feel like they’ve moved without warning. Not because of one bad decision, but because the overall effect wasn’t fully visible at the time.
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