A credible business case separates observed work, estimated improvements, implementation costs, and benefits you cannot reliably put a number on.
1. Describe the recurring problem
Start with specific work rather than a broad goal such as “improve compliance.” Your problem might be maintaining several acknowledgment spreadsheets, locating the approved copy, or gathering policy history before an internal review.
Name the people affected, the frequency of the work, and the practical consequence. A concise description helps a decision-maker understand why a change is being considered and helps you avoid buying features that do not address the problem.
2. Measure a representative period
Ask the people who administer policies to record time spent on recurring tasks over a period that reflects normal activity. Separate routine work from an unusual one-off clean-up. Include time spent by policy owners, reviewers, and managers where it can be reasonably observed.
Group the work into finding and reconciling documents, coordinating review, maintaining assignments, following up on responses, and gathering records. Record assumptions beside each estimate so another person can challenge or update them.
- Use observed hours where possible rather than a vendor’s average.
- Record task frequency as well as time per occurrence.
- Avoid counting the same activity under two categories.
- Note seasonal work or infrequent reviews separately.
3. Model a cautious improvement
Do not assume software removes all administration. Policy owners still need to maintain content, reviewers still make decisions, and someone still administers the process. Estimate only the coordination work that a demonstrated workflow could reduce.
One simple model is: annual hours released = occurrences per year × minutes reduced per occurrence ÷ 60. If useful, multiply those hours by an internally approved hourly cost. Treat the result as an estimate of capacity, not a promise of cash savings or reduced headcount.
4. Include the work required to adopt it
Compare the proposed subscription with implementation, document preparation, configuration, training, and ongoing administration. Ask what is included, what varies with users or usage, and what depends on another service.
Keep year-one costs separate from recurring costs. Use conservative and more optimistic scenarios if the inputs are uncertain, and make the uncertainty visible. Your procurement and finance teams should review the assumptions that matter to the decision.
- Subscription and any agreed setup charges
- Internal preparation and migration effort
- Training and process documentation
- Recurring administration and review responsibilities
5. Agree how you will judge the result
Choose a few measures you can collect again after a pilot: time to assemble a policy history, time spent reconciling acknowledgment records, or the number of handoffs that require a separate tracking sheet. Set expectations using your baseline, not a generic improvement percentage.
Some benefits—such as clearer ownership or easier handovers—may be valuable without a defensible monetary figure. Describe them honestly alongside the numbers. A stronger business case explains both the potential value and the effort needed to achieve it.