Cost-Justifying Usability, 2nd Edition

markets, setting up overseas branches, transportation and communication costs,

costs of marketing in different countries, logistics and infrastructure costs, legal

expenses, support costs, and so on. These are both up-front and ongoing costs

that companies accept as part of the strategic decision to move into a market.

Even if a company is already well established overseas, the costs of launching any

kind of new product or initiative globally are high, and therefore the risk is high.

As a percentage of these costs, expenses for UCD activities are probably quite

small, but UCD can have a significant role in protecting these other investments.

The cost ...