The 1-page internal business case.
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1. The ask
Approval to spend £199 (one-off) on the Excel Skills Matrix Template, with the option to upgrade to PulseAI (the AI-powered version) for £1 in the first year and £199/year thereafter, only if the team chooses to.
2. The problem this solves
We do not currently have a single, current, defensible view of the capabilities present in our team. Decisions about training spend, project staffing, and (where relevant) restructuring are made on instinct rather than evidence. This creates three concrete risks: wasted training budget, unrecognised single points of failure, and weak documentation in any future capability dispute.
3. What we'll get for £199
- The full Excel Skills Matrix Template, yours forever, one-off payment.
- Heat-mapped capability grid (people × skills × 0-5 rating).
- Auto-generated individual development roadmaps.
- Industry-recognised 0-5 capability framework; descriptors editable per team.
- Current vs target capability dashboards (Speedo charts).
- Single-team digital licence (up to 30 people, up to 30 skills), lifetime updates.
- Built on the method that won North England Prestige Awards, Corporate Training Program of the Year 2023/24 and 2024/25.
- £1 upgrade to PulseAI (web + mobile, AI-powered) at any time during year one.
4. Expected return
| Outcome | Conservative estimate |
|---|---|
| Training spend re-allocated to higher-value gaps | 10-20% of annual L&D budget |
| One avoided wrong hiring or restructure call | £40k–£120k per incident (CIPD benchmark) |
| Documented evidence base for capability decisions | Material reduction in employment-tribunal exposure |
| Time-to-productivity for new joiners | 2-4 week reduction (clearer development priorities) |
5. Risk & mitigation
- Financial risk: £199 one-off. The award-winning method and free 5x5 builder mean you can prove the approach before you buy.
- IT risk: .xlsx file, no installation, no permissions, no security review needed.
- Time risk: <1 day per team to set up; ~30 minutes per person to rate; quarterly review thereafter.
- People risk: Manager-and-employee dual sign-off on ratings reduces gaming and resentment.
6. Procurement notes
- Supplier: Upleashed / Skills Matrix Template (skillsmatrixtemplate.com).
- Payment: One-off via PayPal (card or PayPal balance).
- Receipt: VAT invoice supplied on request.
- Renewal: None for the Excel template. PulseAI is opt-in.
7. Recommended next step
Approve £199 spend. Buy template. Run the first matrix on one team within 30 days as a proof of concept. Review impact at quarter end. If proven, scale across other teams (no additional cost, unlimited use of the file). Optionally activate the £1 PulseAI upgrade for multi-team / mobile rollout.
Submitted by [your name], [your role], [date]. Source: skillsmatrixtemplate.com/internal-business-case