The importance of investing in technology is undeniable for IT managers, but the real challenge lies in proving the ROI in IT projects. Beyond direct financial metrics, this involves demonstrating measurable business impact that resonates with top management.
How can the value of a Salesforce implementation that optimizes sales cycles or a digital solution that streamlines internal processes be quantified? In this article, we explore advanced strategies for measuring and communicating IT’s value, turning technology into a true growth engine.
What is IT’s ROI, and why is it so important?
The ROI in IT goes beyond an accounting formula. It represents the ability to transform investments in technology — whether in a robust IT Outsourcing infrastructure or AI for Digital Transformation projects — into a lever for growth and competitiveness.
IT value manifests beyond intangible and indirect benefits, such as operational resilience, innovation capacity, and enhanced customer and employee experiences. Unveiling and quantifying these returns elevates the IT of one cost centre to a strategic partner status.
How can IT ROI be calculated innovatively?
The classic ROI formula serves as a base, but we need to go beyond it in the context of technology. This involves translating operational earnings and qualitative financial and strategic indicators.
Indirect benefits that should be quantified:
- Reduce rework and failures: Calculate the team’s work hours saved (cost/hour) and the impact of avoiding failures (downtime cost, fine, loss of customers).
- Time saved with automation: Estimate the extra capacity generated by the team. If AI for Digital Transformation automates 30% of routine tasks in a team of 10 people, these are equivalent to 3 FTE for activities of more value.
- Decrease operational errors: Measure the reduction in incidents and repair costs, beyond the impact on customer satisfaction.
- Improvements in user experience (internal and external): Link the NPS (Net Promoter Score) not only to satisfaction but to business KPIs, such as higher system adoption, reduced training time, increased individual productivity, or even increased client retention (for front-end platforms).
- Optimize the process with less labor: Explore the strategic relocation of talents, allowing the team to focus on innovation instead of repetitive tasks, or a capability to scale operations without increasing labor costs.
The secret is turning these operational earnings into business cases. Most often, these target the project’s TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), which includes not only the initial investment but also maintenance costs, licenses, training, and support over time.
ROI in IT: How do metrics help to demonstrate?
⏱ Delivery time and speed of innovation
It’s not about meeting deadlines but accelerating the ”time-to-market” and the company’s ability to respond to demands. Included metrics are: deployment frequency.
💸 Reduction and optimization of operational cost
IT reduces costs and optimizes and avoids them in most situations. Good IT Outsourcing can reduce labor costs, infrastructure and maintenance. Included metrics are: cost per transition, cost per user, energy savings, and incident reduction that generates costs.
😊 User satisfaction and productivity
Satisfied users are more productive and less resistant to adopting new technologies. A successful Salesforce implementation, for example, directly impacts the productivity of the sales and services team. Instead of NPS, consider the software adoption rate, average issue resolution time, platform engagement, and reduction in support tickets.
📈Impact on innovation revenue growth
IT can boost new revenue streams or expand the market. How does a tailored digital solution allow entry into new niches? How does Salesforce optimize the sales funnel and increase conversion? Métrics included increased revenue per client, market share expansion, and the number of new products or services qualified by IT.
📋Risk mitigation and compliance
Information security and compliance investments do not generate revenue directly, but they avoid financial losses and reputation damage. Included metrics are: avoiding costs associated with data violations, reducing downtime caused by security incidents, and avoiding fines for non-compliance with regulations.
When the ROI becomes reality, not just theory
The true leap from theoretical to practical ROI happens when the IT manager acts as a value architect, aligning every technology initiative directly with strategic business objectives. It’s not enough to have metrics; a solid, data-driven narrative that resonates with the board must be crafted.
Successful IT projects with proven ROI generate:
- Quantifiable operational gains: Translating optimized processes into resource and time savings.
- Increased productivity and engagement: More efficient and satisfied employees.
- Long-term cost reduction and avoidance: Not just savings, but preventing future expenses.
- Greater technological adoption and readiness for innovation: The company becomes more agile and prepared for future disruptions.
Tools to Measure ROI in IT Projects More Accurately
Technology can – and should – be your greatest ally in proving its value. However, simply having the tools isn’t enough; you must know how to extract and correlate data to build a compelling ROI case.
🔍 Business Intelligence (BI) Platforms
Examples: Power BI, Tableau, Looker.
These tools are crucial for consolidating KPIs from various sources (CRM, ERP, customized systems) into interactive dashboards. Biz2People, when implementing solutions like Salesforce, can assist with the integration and development of personalized dashboards that visualize ROI in real-time, allowing managers to present the impact of technology in a business language.
🧩 IT and Project Management Software
Examples: Jira, ServiceNow, Monday.com.
Beyond controlling deadlines and tasks, these platforms are rich data sources on operational efficiency, execution time, cost per project, and incident resolution. With efficient IT Outsourcing management, Biz2People can help structure the use of these tools to capture productivity and service quality metrics.
🎯 User Experience (UX) Monitoring Tools
Examples: Hotjar, Google Analytics, internal feedback forms.
Beyond mere satisfaction, these tools measure user behaviour within customized digital solutions or platforms. They can reveal bottlenecks, friction points, and, most importantly, the direct impact of UX improvements on productivity or conversion. UX data is essential for justifying investments in system optimization, demonstrating ROI through efficiency gains or increased revenue.
👤 CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Systems
Example: Salesforce.
Beyond sales management, Salesforce is a powerful tool for measuring ROI. It allows you to track sales cycle efficiency, sales team productivity, customer Lifetime Value (LTV) impacted by improved service, and reduced marketing and sales costs through automation. Biz2People has the expertise to help maximize ROI measurement directly from Salesforce.
ROI in IT as a Competitive Advantage
In an increasingly digital business landscape, proving IT ROI is fundamental to positioning the IT department as a valid driver of growth, innovation, and sustainable competitive differentiation. When IT quantifiably and strategically demonstrates its value, it transcends the cost centre role. It becomes a propelling force that enables new business models, optimizes operations, and strengthens the company’s market position. This is the difference between spending on IT and investing in IT.
Biz2People and Strategic IT ROI
At Biz2People, we understand that an IT manager’s challenge goes beyond technical implementation: it’s about demonstrating the value of every innovation. Acting as your strategic partner, our team applies expertise in Salesforce CRM, Custom Digital Solutions, IT Outsourcing, and AI for Digital Transformation to deliver projects and prove the ROI your organization needs.
Our priority is transforming every technology investment into measurable and communicable results for senior leadership, elevating IT to its rightful prominence.
👉 Want to know how to measure your projects’ value more accurately? Talk to our specialists. Together, we can design a customized ROI measurement framework that transforms your projects into narratives of success and real business impact.
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