Now comes the hard part. What's the real benefit to using the technology you're planning to deploy, and how do you measure that benefit?

First, there are two types of benefits: direct and indirect. Direct benefits include items such as decreasing paper costs, reducing accounts receivable, limiting express mail, reducing or reassigning staff, selling old hardware, etc. These are savings you can "touch." There is no easy list for these, so think hard about your particular situation.

Nucleus reports examine these savings in depth and the financial modeling tool provides an outline you can follow. Keep in mind that some savings are one time (selling old hardware) while others are recurring (reducing staff). Recurring savings should be included in every year.

Place these direct savings in the proper years (initial year, year 1, year 2, and year 3).