A manufacturer with 50 Finance users ($81,000/year) needed a 5-year budget. We audited licenses, cut 5 unused ($8,100/year), and modeled 30% growth to 75 users by 2026 ($121,500/year). We budgeted $20,000/year for AI hikes and piloted Power BI ($6,000/year), saving $15,000 versus full rollout. Monitoring avoided $5,000 in API overages.
Total savings: $28,100/year, with a 2026 budget of $150,000.
Picture me in a sleek retail boardroom, pitching Dynamics 365 Sales. The client, with 100 users ($78,000/year), didn’t forecast growth or add-ons. By 2024, 150 users and Sales Insights added $60,000/year, unbudgeted. I’d underestimated AI adoption, and their $25,000 overage stung. A 2022 forecast could’ve saved $40,000 by piloting and optimizing.
Lesson: don’t skip projections.
2026:
Tiered plans (Basic, Pro, Enterprise) add $20–$50/user/month.
2027:
AI becomes core, with 20–30% cost increases.
2028:
On-premises sunsets (e.g., Dynamics AX) force migrations ($100,000–$500,000).
2030:
Usage-based billing dominates, with $5–$10/1,000 APIs.
Healthcare: