There are plenty of hard costs that require large, upfront investments and should be a part of the approved budget (CapEx). They are costs that can be planned for in advance, but the comfort of having spending certainty is dependent on the accuracy of the estimation of future requirements. Although the actual spend for approved projects is “predictable,” what was planned does not necessarily align with what is actually needed by the business over the life of that investment. In light of the rapid advancement of technology, IT infrastructure needs are becoming less and less predictable. 
Today, technology options and how they’re delivered is simply incredible. What once required dedicated real estate, skilled employees and loads of time (costs) can be fulfilled remotely via the cloud or by dedicated companies that specialize in a certain area and charge a subscription fee for its service.