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Cost overrun

As explained in Lead Developer Career Guide

An excess of actual project expenditure over the approved or planned budget.

A cost overrun occurs when project spending exceeds its budget. Finding the causes helps a team choose how to respond rather than treating the excess as a single problem. section 8.2.2

To address an overrun:

  • Identify contributing factors, such as scope changes, unexpected problems, inaccurate estimates, or resource constraints. section 8.2.2
  • Work with the team to reconsider approaches and priorities, reallocate resources, improve task allocation or workflows, or seek additional funding if feasible. section 8.2.2
  • Use smaller milestones and regular client feedback to spot budget challenges sooner and adjust as the project progresses. section 8.2.2

Compare the cost of approaches

A client wanted a custom-built solution and disliked Angular because of a previous bad experience. After discussing the concern and weighing options together, the team chose Angular over building a custom library. section 8.2.2

How Lead Developer Career Guide covers it

How deep it goes
Lists common causes and remedies, then links iterative milestones and feedback to earlier budget-challenge detection.
Examples
Compares a custom library with Angular after exploring a client's concerns and weighing options together.
What you can do after
Diagnose overruns and collaborate on priorities, staffing, workflows, alternative approaches, or feasible additional funding.
How it connects
Connects overruns to inaccurate estimates, scope changes, resource constraints, and agile project management.

Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Lead Developer Career Guide. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.