I consider this to be a very obvious point.
However, in practice, many people seem to assume that these factors are a trade-off — that they are inherently in conflict with one another.
I will begin by discussing concrete examples from a micro-level, on-the-ground perspective.
How to strHigh-risk tasks are typically addressed at an early stage.
The reasoning is straightforward: if a rollback were to become necessary, the time required could be kept to a minimum.
Additionally, in the initial phases, extra time buffers are intentionally allocated to higher-risk action items.
As the project progresses, the remaining tasks generally tend to involve lower levels of risk, which can help reduce overall time pressure and stress.
This approach often contributes to a higher likelihood of success over the course of the project.ucture a WBS and timeline
Risk management is not about pushing risks to the later stages, but rather about addressing them early by design.
Reduction of non-compliant or unjustified expenses
t is not uncommon to encounter organizations where a culture persists in which unnecessary business trips are justified under the pretext of network maintenance.
This represents a direct inefficiency in terms of cost, and at the same time poses a risk to organizational integrity and morale.
Case Example 1: Unnecessary On-Site Work for Firewall Deployment
- In the past, each new customer required an on-site visit for firewall deployment.
However, these customers were, in effect, comparable to tenants occupying the same building.
Improvement approach:
A single pair of firewalls was placed on-site, and the design was revised so that additional SVI instances (virtual interfaces, effectively functioning as virtual firewalls) could be provisioned remotely as needed.
As a result, business travel costs were effectively reduced to zero.
Case Example 2: Business Travel Solely for Packet Capture
- In one organization, staff members were traveling on-site solely to perform packet capture.
Improvement approach:
A combination of remote desktop access and remote SPAN was implemented, allowing mirrored traffic (referred to in IPA terminology as a “mirror port”) to be forwarded to a remote location for packet capture.
This approach reduced travel-related costs and labor time, and also helped alleviate the psychological burden on the personnel involved.
Rationalization of Equipment Procurement
- We asked the vendor whether it would be possible to keep a small amount of inventory on hand, even if sourced from surplus originally allocated to larger customers.
- The rationale is straightforward.
- Large, one-time purchases tend to concentrate construction and design work into a short period, which may require temporary increases in staffing.
- By contrast, smaller and more continuous purchases make it more likely that projects can be handled within the existing workforce.
- This approach is intended to maintain a balanced relationship between cash flow, labor costs, and operational risk.
Risk needs to be approached deliberately and with care.
I tend to view risk in the following way.
The more predictable the potential impact of damage is, the thicker the ice can be considered.
The less predictable the impact is, the thinner that ice becomes.
In other words, when crossing thin ice, one deliberately steps on the parts that are considered the thickest.
Rather than ignoring risk, the focus is placed on areas that can be reasonably anticipated, while avoiding entry into unknown territory.
Some concluding observations
Risk reduction and cost reduction can be achieved together.
In many cases, deferring risk tends to lead to higher costs over the long term.
Focusing solely on cost reduction may, in turn, create larger risks.
For this reason, I tend to choose a design approach in which the thickest parts of the “thin ice” are addressed first, deliberately resolving the risks that should be dealt with early on.
As a result, costs are often reduced, and the overall operational burden becomes lighter.
