Develop Successful Strategies for Budget Planning, Proposal, and Negotiation

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IT budget negotiations usually result in fewer dollars than IT leaders think they need. Preparation for negotiations is essential: a well-informed IT leader with valid reasons for budget requests is more likely to get what they need.

Contingency planning is seen by executives as “fluff” and “buffers” above actual requirements, making it the first area to suffer cuts. Accurate projections will ensure that IT completes at least all planned work, should the contingency disappear.
IT leaders fall into a bad estimation trap, often thinking that accuracy is a waste when asking for enterprise cash.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Invest the time to understand what resources will be required to meet current service levels, the changes required to support organizational unit plans, and the changes to IT needs.
As budget levels are always constrained:
- Understand what the constraints are early; don’t wait to have a budget proposal trashed
- Find ways to reduce expenses on adjustable non-discretionary expenses to create capacity for new initiatives
- Negotiate priorities with the business units; not all demands can be met
- Back-up estimates with evidence of likely costs; be credible
- Provide detailed documentation
Anticipate adjustments to budget proposals:
- Take constraints seriously: they are not mere guidelines
- Avoid imposed cuts by providing detailed budget documentation
- Seek ways to get funding for essential initiatives that have not made the cut

Approved budgets determine IT’s capacity. Getting what IT needs in order to deliver required services should be the objective of the budget process.

Impact and Result

Understanding projected resource constraints and capacity requirements before budget pitching forces management to make hard decisions ahead of time. This can reduce the strain on IT and limit wasted efforts by increasing the accuracy of proposed (and approved) budgets.
Formal budget proposals may be tedious, but when based on accurate projections, IT is more equipped to support and argue their case for cash.

Develop Successful Strategies for Budget Planning, Proposal, and Negotiation Research & Tools

1. Understand budgetary basics, planning requirements, success metrics, and best practices.

Successfully plan budgets and obtain resources and support.

2. Establish capacity and resource requirements, create a realistic budget proposal, and a readiness checklist.

Determine realistic approximations for budget proposal and ensure adequeate support for requests.

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