Pick The Best ITSM Tool & Get Sign-Off

This is where everything comes together. To identify the best vendor, you’ll need to compare the costs and benefits of each option. That’s what a business case is for.

Let’s start with the benefits.

You’ve already seen a simple method for calculating benefits in Phase 1: Why should we consider buying a new ITSM tool?. Now it’s time to apply that to your shortlisted vendors.

Saved working hours because of IT efficiency boost

• n1: Automate ticket qualification and dispatching
• n2: Speed up incident resolution
• n3: Reduce incidents
• n4: Accelerate service delivery

Saved working hours because of user productivity increase

• n5: Minimize outages
• n6: Speed up support

Now add up the workload savings like this: (n1 + n2 + n3 + n4 + n5 + n6) × hourly rate

And remember—there may also be savings in license or support costs if you’re switching to a more affordable vendor or replacing older tools. These should be added to your overall benefit calculation.

Keep it simple and credible

It might feel like this approach is too high level, too simplistic. But here’s the reality: most managers won’t trust a spreadsheet with hundreds of complex formulas—especially if they didn’t build it themselves. What they do respond to is a clear and simple estimate. If you can walk them through your logic in plain language and show the impact of varying the assumptions up or down, you’re more likely to get their trust—and their approval.

Don’t forget internal costs

While vendor pricing is easy to include, make sure you also estimate internal costs. What effort will your own team need to invest to get the implementation done? Are there key roles needed, project hours to consider, or additional training?

When you put it all together—estimated benefits vs. total costs—you’ll have a solid business case for each vendor.

At this point, you might already have a clear front-runner. But numbers alone don’t tell the whole story.

Even the best plan can go sideways. So before you push for sign-off, take a closer look at potential risks. One of the most effective ways to do that is by talking to other customers.

Get customer references

Ask your preferred vendors for references—and don’t settle for generic success stories. Look for companies that are similar to yours in size, industry, and challenges. That’s how you’ll get the most meaningful insights.

If possible, talk directly to these customers. Ask about their experience during implementation, ongoing support, and how the tool performs in real life.

This gives you a clearer picture of the vendor’s reliability and capabilities—something you just can’t get from a slide deck or sales demo.

Risk isn’t just about technology—it’s about trust. And references are a powerful way to build that trust.

With your business case built and your risks evaluated, it’s time to bring leadership on board. If you’ve kept your executive sponsor in the loop throughout this process, this part should feel like a natural next step.

Present your recommendation clearly:

• Show the quantified benefits
• Walk through the cost estimates
• Talk about the risk evaluation
• Explain why one vendor stands out

Make it easy for them to say yes by focusing on impact, simplicity, and confidence in your numbers. Most executives don’t need to see every detail—they want to understand the value and feel assured that you’ve done your homework.

It’s also helpful to show how changes in the benefit assumptions affect the result. This gives management a sense of the business case’s robustness—and shows that you’re thinking realistically.

If they trust your judgment and the numbers make sense, you’re on your way to kick-off the implementation.