Often we can control costs by putting in place tactical solutions. Short-term thinking can also be an effective tool in project cost estimation, in that it focuses us on the details. Getting from New York to Tokyo involves a fairly long flight, but we can't forget that we still have to figure out how we're going to get to the airport to begin with. Try to postpone capital purchases as long as possible. This may not only provide time to negotiate better costs, but an idea for a less expensive solution may present itself after the project has begun. Always control project scope. Come to agreement as quickly as possible with business unit customers and sponsors as to the overall project scope and put that in writing. Have an effective change management process for the inevitable "just one more thing" discussions, which will limit or postpone until after project delivery the single biggest reason for cost overruns. Try to control human resource spending. There are only two reasons to use external consultants--to fill a knowledge gap (we don't know how to do something) and to fill a resource gap (we have too few to complete the project on time). Negotiate the best possible rates and where possible, use fixed-price agreements rather than T&M (time and materials).