This business case generator does one job: it turns your problems, their cost and a price into the single page an approver wants to see. It's deliberately short. If you need a fuller document with an executive summary, risks and alternatives, start from our business case template and use this page as its numbers section.
How the numbers are worked out
Everything is simple arithmetic, done in your browser:
- Cost today = the sum of the monthly costs of the problems you tick.
- Monthly savings = cost today × the share you expect the purchase to remove.
- Return over the term = (savings over the term − price over the term − one-time cost) ÷ (price over the term + one-time cost).
- Payback = (one year's price + one-time cost) ÷ monthly savings.
- Net after year N = savings over N years − price over N years − one-time cost. You get this for years 1, 2 and 3.
If your savings come to zero, payback shows "Never, at these numbers". That's not a bug. It means the case doesn't stand up yet.
There's no discounting, tax or depreciation. For most software purchases at a small company, the approver wants two answers: what is this costing us today, and how fast does the purchase pay for itself. Keeping the maths simple keeps the conversation on those two questions.
The problems. Write them the way the person who has them would say them. "We re-key every order into the accounting system" lands better than "process inefficiency". You can add up to 12. Untick a problem to leave it out of the totals without deleting it, which is handy when the approver asks "what if we only count the first two?"
The monthly cost of each problem. Rough is fine, but be ready to say where each number came from. The two usual sources:
- Time lost: hours per month × what an hour of that person's time costs.
- Money at risk: revenue lost, penalties, or a tool you'd stop paying for.
How much of the cost it should remove. This is your estimate, set in 5% steps. Be conservative. An approver who sees 100% will question everything else on the page. Half is a reasonable place to start a discussion.
Price and one-time cost. Use the yearly price for the term you're considering. Put setup, onboarding or data import in the one-time cost, so it counts against year one.
Term. Choose 1, 2 or 3 years. If the vendor offers a lower yearly price for a longer term, run each term and compare the payback.
How to use the result
- Print it or save it as a PDF for the meeting.
- Copy it as text and paste it into an email to your approver.
- Copy the share link. Your numbers ride in the part of the link after the #, which browsers never send to a server, so we never see them. Whoever opens the link sees your case and can change the numbers on their own screen.
When you present it, lead with the cost today, then the price, then the payback. Expect questions about the monthly costs, not the arithmetic. If your champion is the one presenting, our guide on how to arm your champion covers what else they'll need.
If you only want to test different savings and price scenarios, the ROI and payback calculator is quicker. For the full write-up, see how to write a business case.
For sellers
If you sell software, this is the same builder your buyers get inside every AfterDemo proposal: the buyer's business case sits in the proposal, and the buyer fills it in with their own estimates. Don't fill it in for them. A case built from the buyer's numbers is one they can defend. See it from the buyer's side in the live example.
Questions people ask
Is the business case builder free?+
Yes. There's no sign-up, and you get the full result before anyone asks you for anything.
Do you save the numbers I enter?+
No. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing is sent to us. The share link carries your numbers in the link itself, after the #, which browsers don't send to a server.
What's a good return or payback?+
There's no universal number. Ask your approver what they compare purchases against, and lead with that figure. Many small-company approvers look at payback first.
Can I use it for something other than software?+
It's built for software purchases, but the maths works for anything with a yearly price, an optional one-time cost and problems you can put a monthly cost on.
Does it use AI?+
No. It's plain arithmetic on the numbers you enter, which is why it can run entirely in your browser.
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