Businesses are constantly seeking innovative solutions to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and gain a competitive edge but how do you achieve this?
Microsoft Power Apps offer a compelling platform for achieving these goals, enabling organisations to rapidly develop custom applications that address specific business needs. These are low code applications that are easier to implement and lower cost than traditional custom applications.
However, securing investment for a new Power App often hinges on presenting a robust business case.
How to build a business case for a Power App
Here are five key strategies to effectively build a compelling business case for your next Power App project:
- Quantify the Problem and Present Tangible Costs
Before diving into the solution, clearly articulate the problem your Power App aims to solve. This isn’t just about identifying inefficiencies; it’s about quantifying their impact on the business.
- Manual Processes: How many hours are currently spent on manual data entry or inefficient processes? What is the cost of this time in terms of salaries and lost productivity?
- Errors and Rework: What is the financial impact of errors caused by manual processes? This could include wasted resources, customer dissatisfaction, or compliance penalties.
- Lost Opportunities: Are there sales leads being missed or customer service issues escalating due to slow, inefficient processes? Estimate the revenue impact of these missed opportunities.
By presenting concrete figures, you transform abstract problems into tangible financial drains, immediately highlighting the value of a solution.
- Showcase the “Before and After”
Illustrate the transformation your Power App will bring by creating a clear “before and after” scenario. This is an often overlooked strategy but can be key if the figures aren’t as strong as you would like. Improving how your business operates is key even if the benefits aren’t always easy to quantify.
Consider including mock-ups or prototypes of the Power App, even if basic, to give stakeholders a visual understanding of the improved user experience and functionality. This visual and narrative comparison helps stakeholders envision the positive impact and understand the practical benefits.
- Highlight ROI and Cost Savings
The core of any business case is demonstrating a positive return on investment (ROI). This requires a clear projection of cost savings and potential revenue gains.
- Reduced Labor Costs: Quantify the reduction in man-hours required for tasks that will be automated by the Power App.
- Improved Efficiency and Productivity: Translate time savings into increased output or capacity. For example, if a process now takes 50% less time, how many more units can be processed, or how much more customer interaction can occur?
- Error Reduction: Calculate the financial savings from fewer errors, rework, and associated penalties or customer compensation.
Present these figures clearly with a payback period clear against the costs of the investment.
- Emphasise Strategic Alignment and Competitive Advantage
A Power App shouldn’t just solve an immediate problem; it should also align with broader business objectives and contribute to strategic advantage.
- Digital Transformation: Position the Power App as a key component of the company’s digital transformation journey.
- Customer Experience: How will the app improve customer interactions, service delivery, or satisfaction?
- Data-Driven Decisions: If the app captures data that leads to better insights, explain how this will inform strategic decision-making.
- Competitive Edge: How will the Power App enable the business to operate more agilely, respond faster to market changes, or offer superior services compared to competitors?
Connecting the Power App to these higher-level goals demonstrates its long-term value and strategic importance.
- Start Small, Think Big: Pilot Projects and Scalability
Sometimes, the most effective way to build a business case is to demonstrate success on a smaller scale.
Propose a phased approach, starting with a pilot Power App for a specific, high-impact area. This allows for proof of concept and demonstrates tangible results with lower initial risk.
While starting small, ensure your business case outlines the potential for the Power App to scale across other departments or processes once the initial success is proven. This shows a long-term vision and maximises the potential ROI.
Consider including a plan for user training and adoption to ensure the app is fully utilised and its benefits realised.
By following these strategies, you can build a compelling and well-supported business case that clearly articulates the value proposition of your Power App, making it easier to secure the necessary buy-in and investment for successful implementation.
To discover how Power Apps could help your business, download our Power Apps guide here or visit our Power Apps services for more information.
