Service Streams
Business Case
Stream
The investment decision you're about to make is too significant to rest on a vendor's projections. We build the case your board can trust — independently, rigorously, and on your terms.
What This Stream Delivers
From First question
to board approval.
Most investment decisions in warehouse automation and supply chain transformation fail not because the idea was wrong — but because the case was built on assumptions, vendor optimism, and incomplete modelling. We change that. The Business Case Stream takes you from initial scoping through to a board-ready investment pack, with independent analysis at every stage.
Outcome 1
Governance that holds
Every assumption documented. Every dependency mapped. A case that survives scrutiny at board level and beyond.
Outcome 02
Risk genuinely reduced
Independent analysis eliminates the blind spots that vendor-led processes always leave. You see the full picture before you commit.
Outcome 3
Approval Accelerated
A structured, board-ready investment pack that answers the hard questions before they're asked — reducing approval cycles significantly.
01
Phase one
Scoping
___________
Before any numbers are modelled, the requirements must be right. This phase ensures they are.
The most expensive mistakes in automation investment happen before a single vendor is engaged. They happen when scope is assumed rather than defined.
We conduct on-site assessments and structured workshops to define the future operational and functional requirements of your warehouse or supply chain environment. Everything that follows — the financial models, the vendor briefs, the board presentation — is only as strong as the scoping that underpins it. We make sure that foundation is solid.
On-site operational assessment and structured discovery workshops
Future-state requirements mapped to your strategic objectives
Documented boundaries, assumptions, and dependencies
Scope diagrams, process flowcharts, and interface outlines
Baseline operational model grounding all subsequent analysis
02
Phase two
Business Case
Creation
___________
A rigorous case that quantifies commercial viability — with full visibility of benefits, risks, and assumptions.
A business case is only credible if every claim can be traced back to real operational data. We build cases that can withstand the questions your CFO hasn't asked yet.
We create a structured, independently validated business case covering the full commercial picture. This includes a baseline analysis of your current processes and systems, supported by Day-in-the-Life operational modelling and labour forecasting. We define future-state scope across processes, automation, and systems — and document everything with the transparency needed for genuine governance.
Full baseline analysis of current operations and systems
Day-in-the-Life operational model and future-state labour forecast
Future-state scope definition: processes, automation, system design
High-level functional and technical requirements
Complete documentation of assumptions, boundaries, and dependencies
Visual artefacts: scope diagrams, flowcharts, interface outlines
03
Phase three
Building &
Benefits Model
___________
Physical infrastructure and measurable business value — modelled together, validated independently.
Numbers without a path to realisation are just projections. We model both the investment and the roadmap needed to capture it.
We develop a comprehensive Building and Benefits Model covering physical infrastructure requirements and the quantified business value of the proposed investment. Scenario analysis across manual, automated, and hybrid options gives your leadership team a clear, evidence-based comparison — not a single-option recommendation built to justify a pre-chosen outcome.
High-level building layouts, sizing, storage design, and spatial planning
Benefits Realisation Framework: cost, throughput, labour, and service improvements quantified
CAPEX aligned to expected benefits and delivery timelines
Scenario analysis: manual vs. automated vs. hybrid solutions
Value Realisation Roadmap — the steps to capture benefits post go-live
04
Phase four
RFI / RFP &
Management
___________
Structured vendor engagement that informs your case — without handing vendors control of it.
Most organisations go to market too early, with requirements that aren't tight enough and no independent framework for evaluating what comes back. We change that dynamic entirely.
We prepare and manage a structured RFI or RFP process to engage automation suppliers, WMS providers, and system integrators. Vendor responses are normalised and evaluated through a consistent framework — covering technical fit, operational impact, cost, and risk. You get a clear, defensible comparison rather than a stack of incomparable proposals.
Complete RFI/RFP documentation tailored to your defined scope
Vendor shortlist strategy and engagement coordination
Structured evaluation framework: technical fit, cost, operational impact, risk
Normalised comparison of all vendor responses
Q&A, clarification rounds, and follow-up session management
05
Phase five
Financial
Modelling
___________
Multi-angle investment evaluation that supports evidence-based approval — not faith-based commitment.
The financial model is where conviction is either built or lost. We build models that create conviction — because they're honest about uncertainty as well as opportunity.
We develop detailed financial models evaluating the investment across multiple planning horizons and risk scenarios. All key metrics are included: payback period, IRR, and NPV — alongside non-financial benefits that matter to operations and customers. Sensitivity analysis ensures your leadership team understands not just the base case, but the range of outcomes.
CAPEX and OPEX modelling across defined planning horizons
Payback period, IRR, and NPV calculations
Scenario and sensitivity analysis for risk-adjusted decision-making
Non-financial benefits: service levels, labour optimisation, customer experience
Comprehensive risk register and mitigation plan
Draft investment recommendation ready for executive discussion
06
Phase six
Stakeholder
Buy-In
___________
A board-ready investment pack that communicates clearly, answers objections early, and moves decisions forward.
Even the best-built case fails if it isn't communicated with precision and clarity to the people who need to approve it.
We prepare and — where needed — deliver the board-level investment presentation. Messaging is tailored to the specific concerns of finance, operations, and executive leadership. Supporting Q&A materials are prepared in advance to handle the scrutiny that major capital decisions rightly attract.
Board-ready executive summary presentation (PowerPoint or PDF)
In-person or virtual delivery by senior Ethon consultants
Messaging tailored by stakeholder group: finance, operations, leadership
Pre-prepared Q&A documentation for approval meetings
Supporting materials for an efficient and well-governed approval process