Free tool

Business Case & ROI Builder

Getting a yes is easier when you show the numbers decision-makers look for. Enter what it costs, what it's worth, and how sure you are, and get a one-page business case with total cost, ROI, payback, and NPV worked out for you.

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Tips for a business case that gets approved

Start with the problem. Say what it's costing or risking today before you describe the fix.
Count every cost. Include setup, subscriptions, training, and your own team's time. Missing costs are the first thing finance finds.
Be honest about confidence. Mark soft benefits Medium or Low so the risk-adjusted numbers stay believable.
Show "do nothing". Doing nothing has a cost too. Name it so the comparison is fair.
Write down assumptions. Anyone can then check or change a number instead of doubting the whole case.
Make the ask specific. What decision, how much money, and by when.

Your business case

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How the numbers are worked out

Year 0 is the day you start: upfront costs land here and aren't discounted. Years 1 onward each cover a full year. Recurring costs and benefits count from their start year to the end of the analysis period.
Staff time is hours × the loaded hourly rate (pay plus benefits and overhead). Setup hours count in Year 0; ongoing hours count every year from Year 1.
Time saved is hours saved per year × hourly rate. Risk reduction is the expected annual loss before minus after, where expected annual loss = chance it happens in a year × what it would cost if it did.
Risk-adjusted benefits count each benefit at a percentage set by your confidence (by default High 100%, Medium 75%, Low 50%). Costs are never discounted this way. Switch between risk-adjusted and as-entered above the brief.
Total cost and total benefit add up every year in the period. Net benefit is total benefit minus total cost.
ROI = (total benefit − total cost) ÷ total cost. It isn't shown when there are no costs.
Payback is how long until the running total (cumulative net) turns positive and stays positive. It assumes money comes in evenly through each year, so it's estimated to the month. If that doesn't happen within the period, it says so.
NPV (net present value) adds up each year's net after discounting it back to today at your discount rate: net ÷ (1 + rate)^year. A positive NPV means the benefits are worth more than the costs even after allowing for the time value of money. Ask finance which rate they use; 8% is only a starting point.

This is a planning estimate built only from the figures you enter. It doesn't model taxes, inflation, depreciation, or financing, and it isn't financial advice. Check the final numbers with your finance team.