Summary: A non-functional requirement specifies criteria for judging the operation of a system, such as accessibility, availability, and security. However, one often overlooked non-functional requirement is cost. Companies can fail if they don’t consider cost at every stage of their business or fail to measure it properly. By considering cost implications early and continuously, systems can be designed to balance features, time-to-market, and efficiency, while development and operations can focus on maintaining lean and efficient practices to maximize profitability.