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How to Build a Business Case for BPA That Resonates with the C-Suite
Many companies have implemented cutting-edge technology to power their business processes. There’s growing support for automation and artificial intelligence (AI) implementation. Still, that’s not the case in every business.
What do you do when you know that your company could benefit from Business Process Automation (BPA) software, but the C-level executives aren’t on board?
To craft a compelling business case that resonates with the CEO, CFO, and other executives, you need to align with their goals and priorities. Crafting a compelling proposal starts with understanding your audience, collecting data to support your case, clearly communicating why the C-suite should care about BPA, and demonstrating ROI for the action you’re recommending the C-suite take.
Understand Your Audience
Understanding your audience is key to crafting a persuasive proposal. When you’re building a business case with the C-Suite as your target audience, start by making a list of the executives at your company and their main roles. Some common C-suite titles include:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)–Highest-ranking executive. Responsible for the company’s overall success and represents the company publicly.
- Chief Operating Officer (COO)–Responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations and ensuring business processes are efficient.
- Some companies also have a Chief Human Resources Manager (CHRM), while others place human resources under the COO.
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO)–Responsible for the company’s finances and all financial actions, including accounting, reporting, and investments.
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)–Responsible for the company’s technology and information systems.
- Some companies may call this position Chief Technology Officer (CTO), or have both a CIO and a CTO.
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)–Responsible for managing the company’s marketing activities and ensuring a cohesive brand image.
The better you understand the C-level executives’ responsibilities and priorities, the better you’ll be able to make a BPA case that resonates with them. This is especially useful if you need to tailor the presentation to individual executives rather than approaching them all together. For example, the CFO will likely care more about BPA enabling faster close, supplying accurate data, and providing an efficient payment system, while the CIO will care more about the type of software used and how that will affect the IT department.
Collect Your Data
You’re going to need quite a bit of data to craft an effective business case. You won’t use all the data directly in your proposal, but collecting that data gives you the information you need to craft a persuasive argument. Categories of data to consider include:
- How the current process works, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (e.g., days to process an invoice, how long it takes to close, and the number of duplicate, late, or erroneous payments).
- Comparisons between BPA software options (e.g., on-premises vs. cloud-based systems).
- Projected changes after implementing BPA software (i.e., what you expect will improve after BPA implementation).
Collecting this data is just the first step. When I worked with a university’s Office of Institutional Research as a grad student, one of the key things I learned about presenting data is that executives do not have time to sift through all your data and figure out why they should care about it. You might have collected page after page of fascinating data to support your case, but now you need to turn it into something a busy executive can easily fit into their day.
Make the data make sense by using benchmarks and comparisons to provide context. When possible, use visual aids like graphs and tables to quickly summarize data. You want to show that you have the data to back up your claims, but focus on high-level impact rather than getting bogged down in granular detail.
Clearly State the “Why?”
Your proposal should begin with an executive summary that succinctly addresses the top concerns of the C-suite. In terms of building a business case for BPA, think about how you’d answer these questions:
- How does implementing BPA software align with company goals?
- What is the ROI of process automation, and what would be the cost of inaction?
- How will BPA software improve processes that keep the company running and provide results that go beyond streamlining individual processes?
- Are there benefits to the C-suite from process automation?
You won’t necessarily answer all these exact questions, but they are a good starting point for considering what your executive summary needs to do. You’ll be able to get into more details and data in the full business case proposal, but that opening summary should answer the biggest questions about why you think the C-suite should care about business process automation.
Granular data provides a foundation for your business case, but even after the executive summary, you’ll want to focus more on high-level concerns. These can include sections on how implementing BPA aligns with the company’s strategic goals, specific use cases demonstrating how BPA software improves the procure-to-pay cycle, anticipated obstacles to implementation and a plan for overcoming them, a breakdown of projected costs and ROI, and a proposed software solution.
Demonstrate ROI
As you craft a takeaway for your business case, focus on quantifiable financial benefits such as cost reduction, cash flow improvements, and risk mitigation as well as strategic advantages like agility, compliance, and improved data collection. Use phased ROI projections and benchmarks to present a realistic, credible investment proposal.
It’s also helpful to have specific recommended actions. It’s easier for the C-suite to act on a business proposal that is specific rather than general. “We need to implement BPA software” is not nearly as actionable as “I recommend we implement NextProcess’s cloud-based BPA software in a phased roll-out starting with accounts payable and automating the entire procure-to-pay process.”
Finally, include real-world examples of ROI related to the specific BPA software you’re building a business case to implement. Here at NextProcess, we can tell you that our clients typically break even in 9-12 months and see additional reductions in processing cost over time. We can also tell you that after implementing BPA automation, the average company will see a 20-25% reduction in invoice errors, a 10-15% reduction in vendor payment errors, and a 5% reduction in reissued checks. Contact us if you have any specific questions about how BPA could work in your company, and to schedule a free demo.
