Preparation and build costs
Include discovery, process analysis, architecture, module configuration, business rules and workflows, custom interface or portal work, integrations, data cleanup and migration, security review, testing, training, and change management.
Recurring costs
Model hosting for each environment, database and supporting services, monitoring, backups, object storage, email, AI models, user support, incident response, fixes, upgrades, regression testing, and integration maintenance.
Internal client effort
Include time from process owners, data experts, security and infrastructure teams, legal or accounting reviewers, and users participating in acceptance and training. Omitting this work does not remove its cost; it usually reappears as delay and rework.
Contingency and uncertainty
Contingency should reflect known unknowns such as data quality, undocumented interfaces, regulatory change, performance, provider availability, and historical scope. Do not hide contingency in rates; expose its basis and decision owner.
Scenarios are hypotheses, not benchmarks
A focused scenario may cover one process and few integrations. A multi-team platform adds roles, processes, and environments. A multi-system program adds sources, integrations, and operating requirements. The calculator should start from the buyer’s own values; no default amount is a market price or typical Open Mercato cost.
How to compare options
Use the same horizon, scope, service level, and risk basis. Separate one-time from annual costs, internal effort from supplier invoices, and avoided cost from verified savings. Include exit cost: data export, knowledge handover, and legacy decommissioning.
TCO drivers
- Discovery and analysis
- Module configuration and business rules
- Custom workflows, modules, UI and portals
- Integrations and data synchronization
- Data cleanup, migration, trial runs and reconciliation
- Security, privacy and compliance work
- Testing, training and organizational change
- Hosting, environments, observability, backups and recovery
- Maintenance, upgrades, support and internal staffing
- Internal product ownership and governance
- Supplier, legal and procurement review
- Accessibility and content operations
- Contingency and decommissioning
Hypothetical scenario 1
focused workflow
Enter your own scope, data, integrations, environments, roles and uncertainty.
Hypothetical scenario 2
multi-team platform
Enter your own scope, data, integrations, environments, roles and uncertainty.
Hypothetical scenario 3
complex multi-system program
Enter your own scope, data, integrations, environments, roles and uncertainty.
Method, assumptions and limitations
Reviewed 14 July 2026. Product facts were checked against both the public code at the cited repository revision and official documentation. Where documentation and code differ, this guide describes behavior supported by code. Interpretations and recommendations concern implementation work, not product guarantees.
This material is not a quote, audit, certification, or legal, tax, or accounting advice. Edition, enabled modules, configuration, custom code, infrastructure, data, third-party providers, and operating practices affect the outcome.
Primary source collections: code repository, documentation, public releases.
Submit a correction with the public source and the date checked.