Cost-Benefit Analysis

Definition:

A process by which you weigh expected costs against expected benefits to determine the best (or most profitable) course of action

When it comes to goal setting or deciding on the best plan of attack, working up a cost-benefit analysis will help you decide just which route would be best for you. And a cost-benefit analysis doesn’t have to be complicated. You simply draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper to create two columns. On the left, list the benefits of achieving a given goal. On the right, list what it will cost you to get there. Once you’ve done that, you can simply add up the benefits and costs columns and see which has more, or assign weighted scores to each entry and total them at the bottom. Of course, you may not want to let this quick and easy analysis make the final decision for you. And it may sometimes be the nearest thing to a tossup. But even a simple cost-benefit analysis can give you an idea of whether a given goal is worth investigating further.

An example is a sales director who needs to decide whether to implement a new computer-based contact management sales processing system. The sales department currently has only a computer; its salespeople aren’t computer savvy. The system upgrade would require extensive employee training. The company is likely to experience a drop in sales during the transition period.

While total expenses, including equipment, installation, and training costs, plus lost productivity, are estimated to be $55,800800, the company’s analysis reveals the new computer system would increase sales capacity, boost efficiency, and enhance customer service and retention–financial benefits the company pegs $90,000 annually. Based on the cost-benefit estimates, the company would see a return on its investment in eight months. ( Payback time: $55,800? $90,000 = 0.62 of a year.)

Related Content

Product Development

The overall process of strategy, organization, concept generation, product and marketing plan creation and evaluation, and commercialization of a new product

Exit Interview

The formal conversation that takes place between an employee and an HR or other manager to determine the reason(s) the employee is leaving

Primary Market Research

Iinformation that comes directly from the source--that is, potential customers. You can compile this information yourself or hire someone else to gather it for you via surveys, focus groups and other methods.

Credit Policy

Guidelines that spell out how to decide which customers are sold on open account, the exact payment terms, the limits set on outstanding balances and how to deal with delinquent accounts

Mergers

The combination of one or more corporations, LLCs, or other business entities into a single business entity; the joining of two or more companies to achieve greater efficiencies of scale and productivity

Subchapter S Corporation

A special form of corporation that allows the protection of limited liability but direct flow-through of profits and losses