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Excel template

ROI Business Case Excel Template

A spreadsheet template for comparing investment cost, implementation cost, ongoing cost, expected revenue, savings, total benefit, ROI, payback, assumptions, and risks.

Download CSV templateUse in workflowAll templates

Who it is for

Founders, finance teams, marketers, analysts, project managers, and operations leaders making business-case comparisons.

Best use cases

  • Investment approval
  • Marketing campaign review
  • Software purchase case
  • Equipment justification
  • Operational savings analysis

Related workflow

Used in: Business Risk Cost Workflow

Use this template when risk, operational, or insurance projects need a defendable cost-benefit case.

Feeds into tools

ROI Calculator
Check scenario-level ROI and payback quickly.
Break-Even Calculator
Estimate what volume or savings threshold is needed to justify the initiative.

Template fields and structure

The starter structure is designed to work in Excel, Google Sheets, Power BI, insurer portals, internal trackers, or client-facing documents.

initiativescenarioinvestment_costimplementation_costongoing_annual_costexpected_annual_revenueexpected_annual_savingsroi_percentpayback_months

Copyable CSV / spreadsheet structure

initiative,scenario,investment_cost,implementation_cost,ongoing_annual_cost,expected_annual_revenue,expected_annual_savings,roi_percent,payback_months
Claims automation pilot,Base case,35000,12000,9000,0,48000,85,11

Example filled row

Use the example as a quality benchmark for how specific each row should be before the file is used in a workflow or tool.

initiativescenarioinvestment_costimplementation_costongoing_annual_costexpected_annual_revenueexpected_annual_savingsroi_percentpayback_months
Claims automation pilotBase case350001200090000480008511

How to use it

  1. Add one row per initiative and scenario.
  2. Separate investment, implementation, and ongoing costs.
  3. Use conservative, base, and optimistic cases where assumptions are uncertain.
  4. Pair the spreadsheet with the ROI calculator for quick scenario checks.

What a completed version should prove

OKCosts, savings, revenue, payback, assumptions, and risks are separated clearly.
OKThe business case includes conservative, base, and optimistic scenarios where uncertainty matters.
OKDecision-makers can see what must be true for the ROI to be credible.

Common mistakes to avoid

!Including benefits without naming the assumption behind them.
!Ignoring implementation and ongoing costs.
!Presenting a single ROI number without payback, risk, or sensitivity context.

Use this with

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Is ROI enough for a business case?

Usually not by itself. Include payback period, cash timing, risk, and assumptions so the ROI is easier to challenge and defend.

Can I use this in Google Sheets?

Yes. Upload or import the CSV, then add formulas or formatting to match your internal process.