ROI Assessments for Finance & ERP Projects

Make the case. Prove the value. Justify the investment. Whether you're evaluating a new Sage solution, scoping a digital finance transformation, or assessing the benefit of automating a manual process, a Return on Investment (ROI) Assessment provides the financial clarity you need.  

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Every finance system investment comes with a cost, but not every project comes with a clear return.

At itas, we support CFOs and finance leaders in building credible, evidence-led ROI assessments tailored to their business priorities. Our approach goes beyond cost-justification - it helps you:

Make informed decisions
Secure internal buy-in
Prioritise effectively
Track value realisation post-implementation

Why ROI matters now more than ever

In today’s environment of constrained budgets, growing compliance demands, and rapid system change, boards and stakeholders demand a clear answer to one critical question:
"What are we going to get back for what we spend?"
That's where a structured ROI assessment comes in. It helps you:
Evaluate multiple options against each other
Demonstrate financial and non-financial benefits
Quantify avoided risks and improved controls
Set realistic expectations for delivery and i
Create the foundation for benefits realisation tracking
We work with organisations at all stages—from early business case planning to post-implementation review.

When should you consider an ROI assessment?

Our ROI assessments are typically commissioned when:
  • You're building a business case for a new Sage finance or ERP system
  • You're presenting a transformation or system upgrade to the board
  • There are competing priorities, and you need to show comparative value
  • There is internal scepticism about the return from previous projects
  • You want to establish measurable benefits before implementation begins
This service is especially relevant for:
  • CFOs and Finance Directors
  • Transformation Leads
  • Programme Managers
  • PMO and Governance Teams
  • Internal audit and investment appraisal functions

What we assess to discover ROI

We take a holistic approach to ROI - balancing cost, capability, compliance, and long-term strategic value. Our assessments typically cover:

Financial ROI (hard benefits)
  • Process time savings (e.g., month-end close, AP automation)
  • Headcount reallocation or reduction
  • Reduced external fees (e.g,. auditors, consultants)
  • Consolidation of systems or licences
  • Faster invoice-to-cash cycles
  • Reduced error rates and manual intervention
Strategic ROI (value enablement)
  • Improved reporting and visibility for faster decision-making
  • Ability to scale operations without additional overhead
  • Better audit readiness and control environment
  • Enhanced agility in responding to funding, compliance, or market shifts
 Risk-based ROI (cost avoidance)
  • Avoided compliance fines or late submissions
  • Improved data integrity and reduction in rework
  • Reduced single points of failure in critical processes
  • Mitigated project failure or cost overrun risk

We tailor our ROI models to suit your audience - whether it’s a CFO, CEO, board, investor group, or external funder.

Our ROI assessment approach

Our structured methodology ensures assessments are robust, objective, and practically useful. It typically includes the following steps:

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Enhanced Collaboration with Integrated Communication Tools

Sage Intacct streamlines team collaboration with built-in communication tools. Instead of relying on emails or in-person queries, finance teams can leave comments directly on transactions, ensuring fast and clear decision-making.

1. Discovery and Context

We begin by understanding your strategic goals, current challenges, and investment context. This might include reviewing your current processes, systems, cost structures, and growth plans.

  • Workshops with key stakeholders
  • Finance process walkthroughs
  • Data structure analysis
  • Reporting and compliance needs
  • Change appetite and team readiness
We use this to shape a delivery plan that fits your capacity and aligns with your broader transformation goals.

2. Baseline Establishment

We establish a clear baseline—what your costs, performance, and risks look like today. This is crucial for identifying what improvements are possible and measurable.

We look at:

  • Process efficiency (time and cost)
  • Current system overheads
  • Support and maintenance costs
  • Audit and compliance risks
  • Manual workarounds and inefficiencies

3. Future-State Modelling

Next, we model the impact of your proposed project or system, drawing on:

  • Vendor data and implementation plans
  • Benchmarks from similar projects
  • Our own experience from finance system transformations

We apply realistic assumptions—not vendor marketing—to produce credible benefit ranges.

4. ROI Modelling and Scenario Analysis

We calculate both quantitative and qualitative returns using financial models that show:

  • Payback period
  • Net present value (NPV)
  • Internal rate of return (IRR)
  • Total cost of ownership (TCO)
  • Break-even points
  • Scenario analysis (best case, expected case, cautious case)

All calculations are fully documented and structured so you can review, reuse, or present them internally.

5. Final Report and Recommendations

We present your ROI assessment in a clear, concise format. This includes:

  • Executive summary
  • Methodology and assumptions
  • Detailed ROI calculations
  • Summary dashboard and visual models
  • Strategic considerations and risks
  • Recommendations for tracking and governance

You can use this as a formal business case document or integrate it into internal investment templates.

Example Implementation Scenarios

Here are some real-world examples of when this approach makes the difference:

Migrating from Sage 50 to Sage Intacct

Client needed board approval for a mid-six-figure investment. Our ROI assessment showed clear time and cost savings across finance processes and significant improvements in reporting and audit control—resulting in a payback period of under 18 months.

Business case for AP automation

Our client was manually processing over 4,000 invoices a month. We modelled the expected benefit from implementing Sage AP Automation and calculated a hard ROI of 32% in year one, with further efficiency gains in year two.

Post-implementation benefits review

18 months after a Sage 200 implementation, a client wanted to assess if benefits had been realised. Our review highlighted where benefits had exceeded expectations—and where additional value could be unlocked with further training and process changes.

What sets itas apart?

We don’t use ROI to sell you a system - we use ROI to help you make a better decision. As a multi-award-winning Sage partner with two decades of finance system expertise, we bring more than numbers. 

We bring:

  • Finance-first thinking, we understand cost drivers, controls, reporting, and real-world finance operations.
  • Business-practical advice, we ground our ROI in how finance and business units actually work.
  • Independence and credibility, we don’t inflate numbers to support a proposal—we help you challenge assumptions.
  • End-to-end insight, we support ROI from initial assessment to post-implementation realisation, if needed.

When ROI assessments are most valuable

You’re presenting to a board or investment committee

You need to compare Sage 200 vs Sage Intacct or cloud vs on-premise

You’ve got stakeholders asking: “What’s the return on this?”

You want to avoid project scope creep or budget challenges

You’re applying for funding, grants, or external approval

When planning the next phase of growth and future proofing

“Working with itas during the early stages of our transformation gave us the clarity we needed to approach vendors with confidence. Their insight into the finance function made a huge difference. We didn’t just buy a system—we made a strategic investment that’s now paying off.”
Finance Director, UK-based Services Firm

Why choose itas as your transformation partner?

At itas, we know that any new finance or ERP system is a serious investment - not just in cost, but in time, change, and risk. Before you move forward, you need to know it will deliver real results. Our ROI Assessment service gives you the evidence you need to justify the decision - internally and externally.

We work with CFOs, finance leaders, and project sponsors to explore the real financial case behind change. Not just licence costs or timesheets - but the bigger picture: efficiency gains, process improvement, risk reduction, and growth enablement. You will discover:

  • A clear business case built around your priorities and pressures
  • Forecasted returns based on realistic timeframes and industry benchmarks
  • Hard numbers for board or stakeholder approval—no fluff, no assumptions
  • Scenario planning to understand best/worst case outcomes
  • Aligned goals between finance, operations, and leadership
  • A plan that supports better vendor negotiations and implementation prep

We combine real-world finance experience with decades of ERP and Sage expertise. We know how to link systems change to tangible outcomes without overpromising.