Building the business case: ROI for Windows 11
It can be hard enough for IT teams to get funding for new technology at the best of times – but it’s proving especially difficult in the current economic climate. According to Forbes, more than half of finance leaders say that their organisations are facing difficulties around cash flow and liquidity management, while 68% of CFOs say economic uncertainty is their top concern.
This means that IT teams have to work harder than ever to demonstrate the business benefits of essential new solutions like Windows 11, and not just the technical plus points. When it comes to Windows 11 specifically, we’re finding many common challenges IT teams are coming up against:
- Lack of urgency: many Finance Directors and decision-makers assume that Windows 11 migration isn’t a priority, because it doesn’t reach end-of-support until October 2025. This neglects to account for the average migration time of 14 months, something that IT teams often struggle to communicate and emphasise.
- Misplaced perception of Windows 11: often, upgrading to Windows 11 is viewed as a box-ticking exercise, rather than as a genuine opportunity for innovation. This can be because recommendations for new hardware and software come from junior IT staff who don’t have wider business responsibility, and pass requests up to their seniors who won’t take those considerations into account.
- Reluctance to shift human resource: because the potential of Windows 11 isn’t fully understood, organisations aren’t keen to devote staff to the migration process. Instead, they would rather keep them working on other projects that they believe are more innovative.
- Technical debt: many organisations that have invested in new hardware relatively recently, but have found that hardware is not compatible with Windows 11, may find it difficult to justify further demand for investment to the finance team. When finance then mandates that the IT team stick with the old devices so that the cost of them is justified, this can hold operations back substantially. In fact, this same situation has left one SCC customer with 85% non-compatibility across their hardware estate.
Key steps to building a compelling business case
What those challenges make clear is that the IT team has to cover off every possible angle when constructing the business case for a Windows 11 migration. That means it’s essential to do the following:
- Understand the Finance Director’s perspective: the risk of rapidly depreciating assets mean many FDs may consider Windows 11 to be a potential cash drain. A good business case needs to dispel the concerns of the FD and demonstrate why it needs to be a top priority for investment at a time when funds may be tight.
- Use data to fine-tune the proposal: it’s vital to identify which machines in the current estate can run Windows 11, and can run it well, with the help of an expert partner if required. This will help rationalise back-end infrastructure and right-size the migration for maximum cost-efficiency.
- Consider the financials and commercial model: all financial factors should be taken into account, including asset depreciation; current costs on the books; funding methods and sources; potential return on investment and how it can be used; and how this all fits in with the wider strategy of the organisation. Leveraging third-party expertise to drill down into these areas can be invaluable.
- Emphasise all the potential benefits: showcase everything that Windows 11 has to offer, over and above the existing capabilities of Windows 10. This includes increased security, a range of features that support flexible working, wider rollout of Copilot AI and more. Our blog here highlights all the stand-out changes in detail.
The need for this strong business case isn’t restricted to the private sector. The new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has asked every Government department to make a 2% saving in their back-office operations. Moving staff onto laptops that are Windows 11-ready and have AI functionality can facilitate this, and working with a partner like SCC can spread the cost of this, and meet the extra need of projecting viable finances three years ahead.
Why now is the time to invest in Windows 11
Organisations that don’t migrate to Windows 11 will quickly fall behind in a number of different areas. These include (and are not necessarily limited to) a lack of agility; lack of competitive advantage; risks to security and brand reputation; poor staff efficiency that affects productivity and therefore talent retention and acquisition; and an inability to maximise the potential of AI.
SCC can help you construct the perfect business case that avoids these pitfalls and helps you convince your key stakeholders and decision-makers. Not only that, but our flexible commercial model and financing can help you spread the cost of new hardware across three or even four years. That way, you can reduce the pressure on CapEx budgets and future-proof software and hardware without breaking the bank.
Get more insight on how to approach your Windows 11 migration in this webinar.