Opening proof path
SIRJ is loading the workspace, connector, or public page with the same proof path intact: ad spend, lead, booked job, invoice, paid.
Build a source-backed SIRJ ROI business case from reporting hours, client workspace volume, manual QA, disputed numbers, and invoice-backed proof gaps.
Decision inputs
The worksheet is useful only when the buyer names the work, the client count, and the source evidence required to support revenue proof.
Start with monthly reporting hours, number of active client workspaces, current reporting cadence, number of connected source systems, time spent reconciling disputed numbers, and the revenue questions clients ask every week.
The strongest plan decision comes from operating pressure, not from picking the cheapest card or guessing which features might matter later.
Follow the proof pathThe worksheet multiplies monthly reporting hours by the loaded hourly cost for the person or team building reports, then separates recurring production time from one-off setup and cleanup work.
This keeps the business case honest: recurring reporting labor can justify an ongoing plan, while one-time cleanup belongs in onboarding expectations.
Follow the proof pathSIRJ value should be judged on whether connected sources can support the revenue claim: ad spend, call or form lead, CRM or job record, invoice, payment, dashboard card, report export, and cited answer.
A business case is weak if it only counts time saved. The stronger case is time saved plus fewer client debates over numbers that cannot be traced.
Follow the proof pathGrowth is the default when reporting is already weekly, more than core integrations are needed, or the agency needs up to 20 active client workspaces with every current SIRJ integration included.
Starter is for first proof. Growth is for agencies that already feel reporting labor as a recurring operating cost.
Follow the proof pathFormula path
Reporting labor comes first, then source coverage, then disputed numbers, then plan fit. Unsupported revenue claims stay out of the business case until the source path can prove them.
Calculation rules
The calculator should help the buyer choose the lowest complete plan, not inflate value from assumptions the product cannot support.
| Rule | Formula | Required inputs | Visible proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly reporting labor | Monthly reporting hours × loaded hourly cost | Hours spent building, checking, exporting, explaining, and revising client reports in a normal month. | Use this number to compare against the monthly plan, but do not count one-time cleanup as recurring savings. |
| Client workspace coverage | Active client workspaces that need invoice-backed reporting this month | The client count that needs connected reporting now, not every account the agency might someday manage. | Workspace count maps directly to plan fit: Starter for first proof, Growth for recurring agency reporting, Scale for portfolio operations. |
| Source coverage score | Required source categories covered ÷ required source categories for the revenue claim | Ad source, call or form lead, CRM or job system, invoice source, payment source, and any messaging follow-up source needed to explain the client outcome. | A high score means the buyer can expect stronger proof. Missing invoice or payment coverage should be treated as an unsupported revenue claim until connected. |
| Number dispute cost | Client review calls about disputed numbers × average resolution time × loaded hourly cost | Count the monthly calls, Slack threads, spreadsheet revisions, and follow-up explanations caused by unclear source lineage. | This value connects trust pages to pricing: lineage, metric definitions, and connector health are economic controls, not decorative trust badges. |
| Plan-fit threshold | Recurring reporting labor replaced + disputed-number cost + retained account value protected | Only include retained account value when there is a real client renewal, churn, upsell, or budget-defense conversation tied to revenue proof. | The output should recommend the lowest plan that covers the real operating need, then explain what would justify moving up. |
Worksheet inputs
A useful ROI case does not need dramatic numbers. It needs inputs the buyer can explain without a spreadsheet archaeology project.
| Input | Why it matters | Validation |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly reporting hours | This is the clearest value anchor because it turns a hidden recurring workflow into a monthly labor cost. | Separate report creation, QA, export, client explanation, and revision time so one noisy week does not distort the business case. |
| Active client workspaces | Plan fit is easier when the buyer counts clients that need recurring proof now instead of a vague future portfolio. | Use current active clients with recurring reporting obligations, then map expected growth to the next plan boundary. |
| Required integrations | The product cannot prove revenue that the source graph cannot support, so integration coverage is part of the value calculation. | Mark each required source as connected, planned, unavailable, or unsupported before using the worksheet to justify a revenue claim. |
| Disputed report numbers | The cost of unclear reporting is not only production time; it is also the time spent defending numbers after the report is sent. | Count disputes that require source records, metric definitions, connector health, or attribution method explanation to resolve. |
| Client revenue at review | Revenue proof matters most when a renewal, budget defense, churn risk, or expansion request depends on connecting spend to collected value. | Only include revenue at review when the buyer can name the client decision and the source evidence needed to support it. |
Workflow
The output should explain which plan covers the current operating need and which missing source or governance requirement changes the recommendation.
| Step | Business-case role | User-visible proof |
|---|---|---|
| Collect current reporting effort | The buyer lists recurring reporting hours, active client workspaces, current reporting cadence, and loaded hourly cost before looking at the plan grid. | The worksheet anchors SIRJ against a current operating cost instead of asking the buyer to interpret feature value from scratch. |
| Map the source chain | Each revenue claim is checked against required source categories: spend, lead, job or opportunity, invoice, payment, and reporting output. | Missing sources are marked before the buyer treats a calculated output as reliable, so the worksheet shows whether the business case rests on source-backed proof or on setup work still required. |
| Calculate recurring labor replaced | The worksheet calculates monthly reporting labor replaced, then keeps setup, migration, and backfill effort separate from recurring savings. | This prevents the calculator from overstating value while still making the weekly reporting cost visible. |
| Choose the lowest complete plan | Plan fit starts with the lowest plan that covers client volume, integration coverage, reporting cadence, and governance needs. | The recommendation can explain why Starter, Growth, Scale, or Enterprise is enough instead of pushing every buyer upward. |
| Keep unsupported claims out of the case | If the source chain cannot support a revenue, ROAS, or retention claim, the worksheet routes the buyer to disclosures, data routing, or connector setup instead of pretending the proof exists. | A business case can be persuasive without inventing numbers the product cannot validate, because unsupported claims become next setup steps instead of polished but brittle savings claims. |
Proof standards
These standards prevent the worksheet from overstating savings, assuming missing source coverage, or pointing every buyer at a bigger plan than they need.
Recurring production, QA, export, explanation, and revision work are separated from setup, migration, and backfill effort.
The source coverage rule marks missing invoice, payment, or operational records before the worksheet treats a revenue claim as supported.
The recommendation starts with the lowest plan that satisfies workspace volume, current integration coverage, reporting cadence, and governance needs.
Unsupported claims are routed to disclosures, data routing, connector health, or source setup before they appear in a buyer-facing output.
FAQ
The calculator should reduce hesitation without promising results the source graph cannot validate.
No. The worksheet is a decision aid. It turns the buyer's current reporting labor, client volume, source coverage, and proof requirements into a business case, but it does not guarantee savings or revenue.
Use the calculator to identify the missing source category, then review integrations, connector health, data routing, or disclosures before treating the output as a revenue-proof case.
Yes, but only when the operating need is real: portfolio reporting, QA, higher workspace volume, security review, custom retention, SSO, procurement, or private connector rollout.
Only count retained account value when a specific renewal, churn, budget-defense, or expansion conversation depends on source-backed revenue proof.
Ready when the numbers need to hold up
Use the worksheet to anchor value, then choose the plan that covers the current client volume, source coverage, reporting cadence, and governance need.