TSA exit: Seven mistakes that make IT carve-outs expensive

A TSA becomes expensive when it is negotiated without an exit plan. Most extensions have the same causes: licences, data, contracts and missing tools that were not addressed in time.

1. The TSA is cut by systems instead of services

A service such as "invoicing" depends on the ERP, the print chain, email dispatch and the archive. Anyone who only lists systems misses the chain and cannot end the service cleanly.

2. Licences are only checked at cutover

ERP, database and Microsoft licences are often not transferable, or only with the vendor's consent. This question belongs before signing, not in the week before Day 1.

3. Every service has an end date, but no exit plan

A date in the TSA is not a plan. Each service needs a target state, acceptance criteria, an owner and a path to get there.

4. Data access is underestimated

Historical data from ERP, CRM and archive is needed for tax, warranty and reporting. Without contractually secured access, a dependency arises that extends the TSA.

5. The tender starts too late

New service providers need weeks for proposal, selection and onboarding. Anyone who only goes to tender after closing loses exactly the months the TSA costs.

6. Small tools are forgotten

Quote calculators, approval workflows, reports: many small applications run at the seller and appear on no list. With AI-assisted development they can now be replaced in weeks instead of extending the TSA because of them.

7. Nobody has a shared picture of the situation

Twenty Excel lists across three parties are not a steering instrument. A shared Separation Cockpit with dependencies, deadlines and status saves alignment meetings and makes risks visible early.