See what a €25k clarity report looks like.
Click Image to download:
Stop gambling on software budgets.
Get audit-proof clarity on cost, timeline and risk — within 4 weeks.
For CIOs and CTOs responsible for reliable delivery of software initiatives above €1M.
We do the heavy lifting: you get a fast, substantiated estimate without draining your internal resources.
The uncomfortable truth most IT leaders face: Most software projects don’t fail because of technology.
They fail because decisions are made on assumptions.
Estimates based on gut feel, expert opinion or vendor promises instead of evidence
Scope changes without quantified cost or schedule impact
Budget overruns discovered halfway or too late to correct
And a CIO or CTO who has to explain disappointing results to the board or CFO
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone!
And yes, this happens in agile software development just as often, or even more often, than in the traditional world of software development?
Why? The combination of 'embracing change over following a plan', which gives organizations a blank cheque to not think about requirements and acceptance criteria until too late in the process, and the use of story point metrics to try to understand progress....which is impossible.
What this really costs your organization?
Across large and mid-sized organizations, we consistently see:
30–60+% budget and schedule overruns caused by early estimation errors (based on human judgement methods)
Projects approved with insufficient downside visibility and risk bands
Capital tied up in initiatives that erode ROI or never deliver the business case.
For CFOs, this is direct financial exposure.
For CIOs and CTOs, it’s personal credibility risk.
High-performing IT organizations decide differently
What if you could identify cost, schedule and risk before execution starts?
The best IT organizations don’t manage software investments on single-point estimates.
They manage on realistic scenarios, quantified risk drivers and objective progress metrics.
They make go / no-go or re-scope decisions with facts — not optimism or pressure.
The solution: Software Investment Reality Check™
Independent, data-driven second opinion — delivered in 4 weeks The Software Investment Reality Check™ provides board-ready validation on:
Objective Functional scope and size measurement (ISO-certified).
Effort, cost and schedule forecasts estimated by an ICEAA SCEC certified professional.
Key risk drivers and sensitivity analysis.
Realistic delivery scenarios (low / likely / high), based on ISBSG and AgileBenchmark data and parametric models (e.g., COCOMO II, TruePlanning or SEER-SEM).
Compatible with agile, hybrid and traditional delivery.
All based on certified methods and ISBSG benchmark data from 13,000+ projects. No opinions. No politics. Just defensible, traceable numbers.
What you get
Measurement and data collection are largely automated, so your teams spend little time on it. The scope is one project, vendor or contract, and can be scaled to a wider portfolio.
The Software Investment Reality Check includes:
Objective, ISO-certified functional sizing of your project
Precise effort, cost and timeline forecasts by an ICEAA-certified expert
Three realistic scenarios (low / likely / high)
A clear, board-ready 2-page executive summary
Also included:
Detailed project tracking and monitoring plan
Up to 4 quarterly re-forecasts as the project progresses
Early warning system to catch scope creep and risks before they escalate
The result: a defensible, independent second opinion within weeks, before the money is committed.
Who does the work
The Reality Check is done by Harold van Heeringen: more than 25 years in IT advisory and over 20 years in software metrics, estimation and benchmarking. He contributed to NPR 5333:2025 from the start, together with 50+ experts from 35 Dutch organisations. Credentials:
One of the world’s first certified Software Cost Estimators (International Cost Estimation and Analysis Association (ICEAA) - SCEC).
Former President of ISBSG (International Software Benchmarking Standards Group), still director in the board.
Current president at Nesma (Dutch Software Metrics Association).
Decades of hands-on fact-based management consultancy experience at Sogeti and Metri.
Prolific author and international speaker on performance measurement, estimation, benchmarking, and value-driven contracting.
Fully independent: we don't build software, so we have no stake in anyone's numbers.
Our commitment
We are 100% committed to your success. Your decision must be safe.
If the Software Investment Reality Check™ does not deliver new, decision-relevant insights into cost, schedule or risk that your team didn’t already have:
We will recalibrate the analysis at no extra cost — or will reimburse you. That’s our commitment to your success.. and your peace of mind.
Fixed price from €25,000 for one project, vendor or contract. Only need a vendor quote checked? Ask for the smaller Vendor Quote Check.
When to call us
You are preparing a business case above €1M · You received a vendor quote you can't verify · You are about to tender a software project · Your project is overrunning and needs a reforecast.
Book a free 30-minute estimate review. Send your plan or vendor quote in advance and you'll get a first, independent view on whether it is in the right order of magnitude.
→ Book a free 30-minute estimate review with Harold
Download Sample Report
Contact
Get in touch with us:
Tel: +31 6 523 273 30
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Chamber of Commerce (KvK) nr: 98694650