Thanks, Steven, you’re right on both points. Data cleanup is the cost that surprises people most. Spreadsheets and legacy systems usually have duplicates, inconsistent formats and missing fields, and fixing them often takes longer than writing the import. Training matters just as much, because software nobody adopts has no return, however well it’s built.

I like your year-one question. I’d add that the quote should say what’s covered after launch: bug fixes, a set number of small changes, hosting and support. That way the first number you see is closer to the real one.

I’ll add data cleanup and user training to the cost list. Thanks for the suggestions!