Is quantitative business case analysis more objective than qualitative evaluation?
Not really. This is because any hard dollar analysis will be based on certain assumptions, many of which are soft, i.e. best guesses or consensus views. Assumptions about projected costs tend to be more fully informed and less hypothetical than assumptions about projected returns. Think about it. The price tag of a project’s raw materials (such as labor or supplies) would be far easier to peg than the hoped-for revenue flows or cost savings from a yet-to be completed project. Only if each assumption behind costs and paybacks has an ironclad guarantee would a Return on Investment analysis be more objective. And the difference between what is guaranteed and what is hoped for is called “risk.
