Skip the Weeks. ChatGPT Builds Your Business Case in Minutes

We’ve recently explored how AI tools like ChatGPT can streamline this traditionally time consuming task. In fact, what used to take three to four weeks can now be accomplished in a matter of minutes, and with surprisingly strong results.

Business cases are essential for securing budget and buy-in but they’re also notoriously hard to get right. They require:

• Data on current challenges and performance gaps

• Evidence of potential ROI

• A clear comparison of vendors and features

• Risk assessments and implementation plans

Many teams, especially HR or internal comms, don't always have the bandwidth to dedicate weeks to building a compelling case. That’s where tools like ChatGPT can be game-changers.

Writing a Business Case with ChatGPT: From Weeks to Minutes

Using ChatGPT, you can feed in your scenario and key data points and let AI generate a full draft for you.

For example, here’s a prompt we used recently:

• The financial cost of turnover
• How improved communication can increase engagement and retention
• A cost-benefit analysis of spending £10,000/year
• Side-by-side comparisons of leading platforms
• A final recommendation (spoiler: Thrive.app came out on top)

Executive Summary

Employee engagement and internal communication are critical drivers of performance, productivity, and retention in today’s fast-paced industrial environments. For our engineering company based in Northern Ireland, with a workforce of 500 employees, maintaining alignment, morale, and motivation is increasingly challenging—especially as we navigate digital transformation, skills shortages, and changing employee expectations.

This business case outlines the rationale and expected benefits of investing £10,000 per year in an employee communications and engagement platform. We assess three leading vendors—Thrive.app, Workvivo, and Blink—and recommend a solution based on our specific needs and context.

Key benefits of the investment include:

• Improved employee retention, potentially reducing annual turnover costs by 20–30%

• Higher productivity and reduced downtime from miscommunication

• Stronger organisational culture, alignment, and morale

• Real-time feedback, surveys, and data to support decision-making

• Enhanced onboarding and continuous engagement for field-based teams

Our analysis shows that even modest improvements in retention and engagement could generate annual savings exceeding £50,000, representing a 5x return on a £10,000 investment.

1. The Challenge

1.1 Our Workforce Landscape

As a Northern Ireland-based engineering company with 500 employees, we operate in a complex and demanding environment. Our staff includes a mix of skilled engineers, support staff, supervisors, and field-based personnel. We currently experience:

• 8% staff turnover per annum (approx. 40 employees/year)

• Industry-average salaries, with estimated average cost per employee of £35,000

• Communication challenges with non-desk-based teams, often leading to disengagement or missed updates

• Limited channels for real-time feedback, announcements, recognition, and internal culture-building

1.2 The Cost of Disengagement

Disengagement has both direct and indirect costs. A Gallup study shows that highly engaged teams show 21% higher profitability, while disengaged employees cost organisations 34% of their salary in lost productivity.

For our business, this could translate into:

• Reduced productivity

• Higher recruitment and training costs

• Lower morale and increased absenteeism

• Inconsistent safety and compliance communication

2. The Opportunity

2.1 The Case for Digital Employee Engagement

An employee communications and engagement platform offers a centralised, mobile-friendly way to:

• Share company updates and critical information instantly

• Recognise and reward achievements

• Deliver surveys and polls

• Enable feedback loops with leadership

• Reinforce safety procedures and compliance

• Create a sense of inclusion and culture—even across remote or field-based teams

These platforms are especially impactful for non-desk-based staff, who may not have regular access to email or intranet systems.

3. Financial Case

3.1 Cost Overview

Annual investment: £10,000 (approx. £20 per employee per year)

3.2 Potential Financial Gains

Reduced Turnover Costs

• Average cost to replace an employee: 6–9 months of salary = ~£20,000

• 8% turnover = ~40 employees/year = £800,000/year in turnover cost

• A 20% reduction in turnover = 8 fewer leavers = £160,000 saved

• Even a 10% reduction saves £80,000/year

Increased Productivity

• A 2–3% productivity boost across 500 employees could equate to £200,000–£300,000/year in added value (based on salary cost/time)

Reduction in Communication Errors

• Miscommunication costs businesses an average of $420,000/year per 100 employees (SHRM)

• Even modest reductions in communication failures can translate to tens of thousands in operational savings

Improved Compliance and Safety Outcomes

• Timely delivery of safety reminders and updates may reduce incidents, absences, or penalties

Total potential savings: £80,000–£250,000+ per year
ROI on £10,000 investment: 8x–25x

4. Vendor Comparison

5. Vendor Overviews

5.1 Thrive.app

Headquartered in Belfast, Thrive.app is a communication app designed specifically for organisations with deskless employees. Its features include targeted content delivery, secure document access, staff surveys, and push notifications. Thrive is well-suited for companies seeking a streamlined internal comms solution that is mobile-first, quick to deploy, and backed by local support.

Pros:

• Local vendor with understanding of UK/EU workforce needs

• Strong focus on internal communications

• Simple, cost-effective deployment

Cons:

• Less focus on cultural and social engagement compared to competitors

5.2 Workvivo

Workvivo is an engagement platform designed to replicate the feel of a social media network, encouraging peer recognition, community-building, and culture reinforcement. It includes features like shout-outs, podcasts, goal alignment, and sentiment tracking.

Pros:

• Comprehensive engagement toolkit

• Strong focus on culture and recognition

• Backed by Zoom (recent acquisition)

Cons:

• More complex setup

• May be more feature-rich than needed for basic comms needs

5.3 Blink

Blink is a productivity and communications app aimed at the frontline workforce. Its features include chat, surveys, newsfeeds, analytics, and integrations. It is designed to serve as an all-in-one "front door" for company information and tools.

Pros:

• Robust analytics and survey tools

• Chat-based interface feels familiar to users

• Integration-friendly with enterprise tools

Cons:

• More focused on productivity than culture

• Slightly higher cost per user

6. Recommendation

6.1 Primary Recommendation: Thrive.app

For our organisation's size, structure, and goals, Thrive.app is the most suitable and cost-effective choice. Its strengths lie in:

• Simplicity and clarity of communication

• Quick deployment and ease of use for non-desk staff

• Local vendor relationship and tailored support

• Lower price point with high ROI potential

While Workvivo offers a broader set of engagement tools and Blink brings powerful analytics, Thrive.app delivers targeted, practical impact for internal communications with minimal overhead.

7. Implementation Plan

7.1 Timeline

7.2 KPIs to Track

• Employee engagement scores (via quarterly pulse surveys)

• Read rates of key announcements

• Staff turnover rate (target: reduce to 6–7%)

• Feedback participation rates

• Number of recognition events per month

8. Risks & Mitigations

9. Conclusion

Investing in an employee communications and engagement platform is not a luxury—it is a strategic imperative for organisations like ours that rely on strong alignment, culture, and information flow to drive operational success.

By committing £10,000 annually, we unlock the potential for significant financial returns and cultural improvements. Our analysis shows that even conservative gains in retention and engagement will result in savings of £50,000–£100,000+, not to mention improved morale, brand perception, and safety.

Recommendation: Approve investment in Thrive.app, begin rollout Q4 2025.

At Thrive.app, we understand that getting budget approval can be a hurdle, but it doesn’t have to be. By combining AI tools like ChatGPT with our own proven results, and our Free Trial options you can build a compelling business case that drives action, fast.