# CRM Business Case Template

**SoftwareGlimpse resource** · Stage: Decide / Justify · Kind: Template  
**Last reviewed:** 2026-08-15

Build an **approval-ready business case** for selecting, purchasing, replacing, or expanding CRM software — including current-state costs, options, TCO, expected benefits, ROI assumptions (when evidenced), risks, and the final decision request.

This is **not** an evaluation checklist. Pass / Partial / Fail / Must-have belong on the [Evaluation Checklist](/resources/crm-evaluation-checklist.md) and [Vendor Scorecard](/resources/crm-vendor-scorecard.md). Here, financial assumptions use **Verified / Estimated / Scenario / Unknown**.

**Downloads:** [PDF workbook](/resources/crm-business-case-template.pdf) · [Excel financial model](/resources/crm-business-case-template.xlsx)  
**Guides:** [Business case](/guides/crm-business-case/) · [ROI](/guides/crm-roi-guide/) · [Total cost](/guides/crm-total-cost-guide/) · [Pricing](/guides/crm-pricing-guide/)  
**Tools:** [Cost Calculator](/tools/crm-cost-calculator/) · [TCO Calculator](/tools/crm-tco-calculator/) · [Requirements Builder](/tools/crm-requirements-builder/) · [Vendor Scorecard](/tools/crm-vendor-scorecard/) · [CRM Finder](/tools/crm-finder/)

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## Journey placement

```
Define problem → Requirements → Find CRM → Evaluate vendors → Model costs
  → Build business case → Approve → Implement → Measure outcomes
```

Use **after** problem definition and basic requirements; **before** final purchase approval / contract. Update after shortlisting with real costs.

---

## How to use

1. Document the **business problem** and how work runs today.
2. Capture **baseline metrics** and **current annual cost** (mark confidence).
3. Define **outcomes** and non-financial strategic value.
4. Compare **options A–D** (do nothing, improve existing, implement CRM, alternative).
5. Build **Year 1 + recurring TCO** in Excel — licences are not enough.
6. Model **benefits** (productivity, optional revenue scenarios, cost avoidance).
7. Review the **financial case** — leave ROI/payback blank until inputs exist.
8. Register **risks**, **dependencies**, and **realisation checkpoints**.
9. Write the **recommendation** and **decision ask**; collect signatures.

**Rule:** never invent ROI, vendor uplift, or fake pricing. Blank beats false precision.

---

## Confidence key

| Badge | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Verified | Supported by known evidence |
| Estimated | Reasoned internal estimate |
| Scenario | Hypothetical modelling assumption |
| Unknown | Still requires validation |

---

## 1. Cover & executive summary

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Project / Initiative | |
| Business owner | |
| Executive sponsor | |
| Prepared by | |
| Date | |
| Target decision date | |

**The decision**  
We are requesting approval to…

| Executive summary | Value | Confidence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Current problem | | |
| Recommended option | | |
| Investment required | | |
| Expected annual benefit | | |
| Estimated payback | | |
| Decision required by | | |

---

## 2. Why change? (current state)

**Business problem (2–4 sentences):**  

**Current process:**  
How are leads, customers, opportunities and activities managed today?

### Current systems

| System / Tool | Purpose | Users | Annual cost | Primary limitation | Replace / Integrate / Retain |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

### Current pain points

| Problem | Who is affected? | Frequency | Business impact | Evidence / source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

Guidance prompts only (not claims about your company): duplicate data · manual reporting · poor pipeline visibility · missed follow-ups · spreadsheet forecasting · disconnected activity history · low adoption · manual lead routing.

---

## 3. What does the current state cost?

| Metric | Current value | Source | Confidence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Salespeople | | | |
| Average loaded hourly cost | | | |
| Hours/week — manual admin | | | |
| Hours/week — preparing reports | | | |
| Leads / month | | | |
| Lead response time | | | |
| Conversion rate | | | |
| Average deal value | | | |
| Win rate | | | |
| Sales cycle length | | | |
| Forecast accuracy | | | |
| CRM / tool costs (annual) | | | |
| Duplicate software costs | | | |

### Current annual cost estimate

| Category | Amount | Confidence | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Manual administration | | | |
| Reporting | | | |
| Existing software | | | |
| Lost productivity | | | |
| Other measurable | | | |
| **Total estimated current annual cost** | | | |

---

## 4. What does success look like?

| Outcome | Current baseline | Target | Measurement | Owner | Target date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

### Non-financial benefits

| Benefit area | Notes | Strategic value (H/M/L) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Customer experience | | |
| Management visibility | | |
| Data quality | | |
| Process consistency | | |
| Compliance / governance | | |
| Employee experience | | |
| Scalability | | |

---

## 5. What are our options?

| Criterion | A Do nothing | B Improve existing | C Implement / replace CRM | D Alternative |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Description | | | | |
| One-time cost | | | | |
| Annual cost | | | | |
| Expected benefit | | | | |
| Time to value | | | | |
| Risk | | | | |
| Strategic fit | | | | |

**Recommended option:**  

**Why the recommended option?**  

---

## 6. What will the CRM really cost?

### Assumptions

| Assumption | Value | Confidence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of users | | |
| Plan / tier | | |
| Billing cycle | | |
| Growth in seats | | |
| Implementation duration | | |
| Contingency % | | |

### Year 1 costs

Licences · add-ons · implementation partner · internal effort · data migration · integrations · training · change management · customisation · security/compliance · contingency → **Year 1 investment**

### Year 2+ recurring

Licences · add-ons · administration · support · integration/platform · ongoing training · other → **Annual recurring** → **3-year TCO** (see Excel `05_TCO`)

---

## 7. What value could the CRM create?

**Productivity:** Users × hours saved/week × loaded hourly cost × working weeks  

**Revenue improvement:** optional scenario assumptions only (conversion, win rate, cycle, recovered opportunities) — do not imply automatic CRM revenue.

**Cost avoidance:** tools retired, manual processes removed, external services reduced.

→ **Annual measurable benefit** (+ unquantified strategic benefits listed separately)

---

## 8. Is the investment financially justified?

| KPI | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Year 1 investment | |
| Annual recurring cost | |
| Estimated annual benefit | |
| 3-year TCO | |
| 3-year benefit | |
| Net 3-year value | |
| Payback (months) | |
| ROI % | |

| Year | Costs | Benefits | Net cash impact | Cumulative |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 1 | | | | |
| Year 2 | | | | |
| Year 3 | | | | |

Populate from Excel `07_FINANCIAL_MODEL`. Leave blank when inputs are missing.

---

## 9. What could prevent the benefits?

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation | Owner |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | |

**Dependencies (prompts):** executive sponsorship · process owners · data readiness · integration capacity · training capacity · procurement · security/privacy review

---

## 10. How will we realise the value?

Approval → Vendor/Contract → Design → Configuration → Migration → Training → Go-live → Adoption → Benefits review

| Milestone | Target date | Owner | Success gate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | |

| Checkpoint | Measures |
| --- | --- |
| 30-day | |
| 90-day | |
| 6-month | |
| 12-month | |

---

## 11. Recommendation

**We recommend:**  

**Why:**  

**Why now:**  

**Why this option:**  

**What happens if we do nothing:**  

| Final investment summary | Value | Confidence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One-time / Year 1 | | |
| Recurring annual | | |
| 3-year TCO | | |
| Expected measurable benefit | | |
| Expected payback | | |

---

## 12. Decision

**Decision requested:**  

- [ ] Approved  
- [ ] Approved with conditions  
- [ ] More information required  
- [ ] Not approved  

**Conditions / comments:**  

**Executive sponsor:** ______________________ **Date:** __________  

**Finance / procurement:** ______________________ **Date:** __________  

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## Assumptions register

| ID | Assumption | Value | Type | Source | Owner | Confidence | Validation required? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A1 | | | | | | | |
| A2 | | | | | | | |
| A3 | | | | | | | |

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## Related resources

- [CRM Requirements Template](/resources/crm-requirements-template.md)  
- [CRM Evaluation Checklist](/resources/crm-evaluation-checklist.md)  
- [CRM Vendor Scorecard](/resources/crm-vendor-scorecard.md)  
- [CRM Decision Matrix](/resources/crm-comparison-worksheet.md)  
- [CRM Implementation Checklist](/resources/crm-implementation-checklist.md)  

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*SoftwareGlimpse · Free to use · No invented ROI or vendor rankings*