Skip to main content
A business case is not a promise. It is a structured explanation of what value may be created, what it costs, what assumptions drive the result and what must be true for the value to be realised.

​
Common value levers

  • labour capacity released;
  • avoided hiring;
  • reduced cycle time;
  • reduced error and rework;
  • lower cost to serve;
  • increased throughput;
  • improved conversion;
  • improved collections or cash flow;
  • reduced operational or compliance risk.

​
Build from evidence

For each value claim, record:
  1. current volume;
  2. current effort or loss;
  3. expected change;
  4. adoption assumption;
  5. financial conversion;
  6. implementation cost;
  7. ongoing cost;
  8. confidence level.

​
Use scenarios

Create:
  • conservative — lower adoption or benefit;
  • base — most defensible planning case;
  • upside — plausible but not guaranteed.
This is more credible than presenting one precise number as certain.

​
Avoid common overclaims

  • One hour saved does not automatically equal one hour of salary removed.
  • Capacity only creates value if it is redeployed, avoids hiring, improves throughput or supports another measurable outcome.
  • Revenue uplift requires a causal mechanism, not optimism.
  • Benefits can overlap; avoid double counting.

​
What good looks like

A CFO should be able to see the assumptions, challenge them and understand which ones matter most.

​
What to do next

Continue to ROI Fundamentals and use the business-case template for live opportunities.