When technology leaders are under pressure to prove ROI, credibility matters as much as the numbers themselves.
IDC’s Business Value practice is designed for organizations that need defensible, customer-backed proof of value, not theoretical models, not marketing claims, and not opinions detached from real outcomes.
The answers to the most common questions we hear from executives, product leaders, and marketers who are evaluating a Business Value engagement with IDC are:
What exactly is an IDC Business Value study?
An IDC Business Value study is a primary-research-based analysis that quantifies the measurable business impact of a technology or solution based on real customer experiences.
IDC Business Value assets are based on:
- In-depth interviews with actual customers
- A bespoke and detailed Business Value model based on IDC’s credible Business Value methodology
- IDC SME analyst insights
How does IDC actually calculate ROI and business impact?
IDC uses a structured, multi-step methodology refined over decades of research.
At a high level, the process includes:
- Customer interviews to capture pre- and post-deployment conditions
- Quantification of benefits across all benefits associated with the solution, including but not limited to cost reduction, productivity/efficiency gains, security, compliance and risk mitigation, revenue impact, etc.
- Normalization and modeling using IDC proven methodology and standardized assumptions
The model is grounded in what customers actually experienced.
Who is involved on the IDC side?
Business Value projects are led by a dedicated IDC Business Value analyst, supported by:
- Project management to keep execution on track
- Subject-matter analysts when required
Analyst involvement is central, from interviews through final delivery.
What is required from you as the client?
IDC minimizes client burden while protecting research quality.
Typically, clients are asked to:
- Participate in an initial kick-off meeting followed by a briefing to align on scope and value drivers
- Provide access to a limited set of customer interview candidates (IDC can also recruit)
- Review a draft interview guide and assets at defined checkpoints
IDC manages IDC recruitment, scheduling and completing interviews, modeling, presentation of results to internal stakeholders and asset creation. The process is collaborative, but tightly run.
How long does a Business Value study take?
A standard Business Value engagement typically runs ~6 months, depending on:
- Speed of interview guide development and customer recruitment
- Availability of interviewees
- Review turnaround times
IDC shares a clear timeline upfront and provides ongoing status updates to keep momentum high and expectations aligned.
What external deliverables do clients actually get?
Most Business Value engagements include:
- A Business Value White Paper (externally usable)
- A Business Value Snapshot (a one-page summary of key business value results)
- A stand-alone Business Value executive summary (a one-page summary of the key Business Value results)
- All assets are IDC-branded, research-backed, and designed to support late-stage buying conversations, not just awareness.
Can the results be used in sales and marketing?
Yes, and that’s often the primary reason clients invest.
Business Value assets are used to:
- Reinforce late-stage marketing and sales enablement (e.g., demand gen nurture, ABM programs, sales-facing emails, and social distribution)
- Equip sales teams with credible ROI and additional KPI proof points
- Provide a credible 3rd party perspective that validates marketing and sales messaging
- Accelerate late-stage deals where trust is the blocker
Many clients continue using Business Value assets for multiple years across campaigns and regions.
What types of companies benefit most from a Business Value study?
Business Value studies are best suited for organizations that:
- Have Pproducts/solutions still in the adoption cycle where customers need to be convinced of the value
- Face buyer skepticism or competitive noise
- Need financial proof of value beyond feature claims
- Have customers who ask, “Can you prove this?”
What happens after the study is complete?
IDC doesn’t disappear once the report is delivered.
Many clients extend value by:
- Leveraging IDC analysts as speakers in sales enablement sessions, executive briefings, and external webcasts
- Integrating findings into demand gen and ABM programs, through Business Value tools
- Activating Business Value insights across regions or personas
- Using IDC to translate and localize insights for regional markets and global audiences
- Licensing content and insights for partners, enabling consistent messaging across ecosystems
The goal is not just research, it’s impact.
Why this matters now
As AI, automation, and platform investments accelerate, buyers are under pressure to justify decisions more rigorously than ever.
IDC Business Value helps organizations move from claims to confidence, with evidence buyers recognize, trust, and act on.
For more:
- Move beyond claims and into evidence buyers recognize as relevant to their situation. Explore how IDC Business Value helps turn relevance into momentum.
- Reach out to a market expert at IDC to explore analyst-led validation solutions, market data and b2b buyer research.
