# IT Investment Rationalizer (COBIT APO05)

> Draft ROI and NPV narratives for IT investments and value-based business cases. Ensures Benefits Realization Plan includes measurable KPIs. Includes benefit realization check.



Tags: COBIT, APO05, Investment, Business Case, ROI, Benefits Realization


## Example Prompts

- Draft the ROI and NPV narrative for our new IT project
- Ensure our Benefits Realization Plan has measurable KPIs, not vague promises
- Prepare the financial and strategic justification for our IT investment

URL: https://rakenne.app/skills/it-investment-rationalizer/index.md

Try this skill: https://rakenne.app/a/?skill=it-investment-rationalizer



## Overview

Draft ROI and NPV narratives for IT investments and value-based business cases. Ensures Benefits Realization Plan includes measurable KPIs. Includes benefit realization check.

## Example Conversation

> **You:** We need a business case for our new CRM project — costs, ROI, and benefits. Make sure the benefits are measurable, not vague.

> **Agent:** I'll draft the business case with ROI (Net Gains − Cost) / Cost and NPV narrative, plus a Benefits Realization Plan with measurable KPIs and timeframes, then run `benefit_realization_check`.

> **Agent:** Created `business-case-crm-apo05.md`. Running `benefit_realization_check`...

> **Agent:** **FAIL** — benefits section has vague language ("improved efficiency", "better visibility") without measurable KPIs. I've replaced them with: "Reduce lead-to-close time by 15% within 12 months (baseline: 45 days); increase pipeline visibility (dashboard adoption target 90% by Q2)." Re-running the check...

> **Agent:** **PASS** — Benefits Realization Plan now includes measurable KPIs, targets, and timeframes. Ready for portfolio review.

## What the Tools Validate

**`benefit_realization_check`** scans a business case or Benefits Realization Plan (Markdown or text):

- **Measurable:** Looks for KPIs, metrics, targets, percentages, timeframes (e.g. "reduce by 15%", "99.9% uptime", "within 12 months", "ROI: 1.2").
- **Vague:** Flags benefit phrasing without metrics (e.g. "improved efficiency", "better visibility", "cost savings" without a number or baseline). The check focuses on the benefits/outcomes section.
- **Rule:** The document must contain measurable benefits and must not rely only on vague benefit language. PASS if measurable KPIs/targets are present and vague-only benefits are not the sole content; FAIL otherwise.
- **Output:** PASS or FAIL with short guidance. Fix by adding measurable KPIs, baselines, and timeframes (APO05).

## Output Excerpt

**Benefits Realization Plan (excerpt):**

```markdown
## Benefits Realization (APO05)

| Benefit              | KPI / target                    | Timeframe   |
|----------------------|----------------------------------|-------------|
| Shorter sales cycle  | Lead-to-close −15% (baseline 45 d) | 12 months   |
| Pipeline visibility  | Dashboard adoption 90%          | Q2          |
| Support cost         | Ticket volume −20%               | FY26        |

ROI = (Net Gains − Cost) / Cost. Assumptions and NPV in Appendix.
```

**benefit_realization_check report (excerpt):**

```
=== BENEFIT REALIZATION CHECK (APO05) ===
Result: PASS

Document: business-case-crm-apo05.md
Measurable KPIs, targets, or timeframes found in benefits.
No vague-only benefits.
Benefits Realization Plan includes measurable KPIs.
```

## Getting Started

Add your investment outline (costs, expected outcomes) and any existing benefits list to the project workspace, then activate the *IT Investment Rationalizer (COBIT APO05)* skill. The agent will draft the business case and run `benefit_realization_check` until benefits are measurable.


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