How To Write A Proposal That Justifies Your Investment Into An Alerting System

So you’ve decided your organization needs to invest in an alerting system to help improve internal communications and engagement. As a communications professional, you understand the inherent value of such a system… you’ve done the research and you’ve narrowed it down to a few different vendors with a suitable product. But you can't just go out and purchase one without going through the proper channels within your organization, and you’ll need to convince the powers that be to get it over the line.

In most organizations, when you plan on making a significant purchase, you will need to produce a business case or funding proposal that is presented to the area responsible for allocating budgets and finances. This might be your finance department, or it may be a committee of senior managers such as a board, or even your CEO, tasked with making these decisions.

Your business case or funding proposal is really a pitch to “sell” the importance of what you are trying to procure, highlighting how it works and what benefits it will bring to the organization.

Here is an example of how you can create a great investment proposal and secure funding from the appropriate decision-makers to obtain an alerting system, such as DeskAlerts, for your organization.

You can also download a free investment proposal template for alerting solution (MS Word):

Project background:

Here you should explain the aim and objectives of the software you want to invest in. For example:

The communications team proposes to invest in a software system that will provide the organization with an alerting system that can instantly send messages to employee computer screens featuring important corporate communications and ensure important information is shared more effectively.

This system would be highly-visible and enable the team to send real-time messages in a variety of ways including pop-up notifications, screen-savers, and a scrolling news ticker. The system can be configured to send messages to the entire company, or to targeted groups of users and computers only.

The IT department would be involved in the configuration of the system, however, the day-to-day management of the software, including devising and distributing the messaging, would be the remit of the communications team.

The system would be useful for other parts of the organization such as senior management, human resources and IT when they need to communicate with the entire company and the communications team would be able to help facilitate that.

Strategic context:

Here you should explain the problem you are looking to solve. For example:

To date, our organization has mainly relied on email for internal communications, which is an increasingly unreliable medium for sending important information. Many emails are never opened, and the medium of email relies on someone opening and reading a new message to receive the information contained within it.

An alerting system provides a quick and highly visible alternative to email. Notifications are sent straight to computer screens as pop-ups or via the scrolling ticker. These cannot be missed or ignored like emails. Unlike emails, the notifications will appear regardless of whatever software is being used at the time, which means urgent and time-critical information can be seen and acted upon when needed. If the screensaver feature is chosen then messages would be sent straight to every employee’s screen as a screensaver that they are unable to change or deactivate.

There is scope for messaging to be sent on any number of topics meaning that important corporate communications, information, and announcements will not be missed by employees, unlike when this information is only distributed by email. It can also be used as an emergency notification system.

Messages can be standalone communications campaigns or can reinforce other messaging and communications campaigns that are being carried out using other channels.

Messages can be sent to the entire company or specific groups only. For example, we would have the ability to send to specific work teams, or all staff based in one particular office location.

Time frames:

Here you should outline a timeline of delivery of this software solution. For example:

It is proposed that if funding is successful, the preferred software system will go through the usual procurement process.

The IT department will install, configure and test the system before deploying it company-wide.

The Communications team would create protocols and policies around how the software is to be used as an internal communications tool, about creation and approvals processes.

It is expected this process would take xx months.

Benefits:

Here you should outline what the specific benefits to your organization will be. For example:

The software solution will help to improve communications across the entire organization.

Improved communications are critical for success so all employees understand what is required of them. It also helps to reduce the risk of mistakes and errors being made.

Improved communication is better for productivity and profitability, as well as boosting levels of employee engagement.

Options:

Here you should outline the different options that you are proposing. For example:

Software package a) includes (list features) and is available for (x number users) at an annual cost of (price).

Software package b) includes (list features) and is available for (x number users) at an annual cost of (price).

Software package c) includes (list features) and is available for (x number users) at an annual cost of (price).

Outline the preferred option from the above, and why. What are its benefits compared with the other options, and how does it better-fit your organization’s specific needs and requirements?

Risks:

Here you should outline any potential negative consequences of having the software and also not having the software. This can include miscommunications, potential impact on other services and departments, resourcing issues and so on. You will need to write these specific to your organization and its unique needs.