Making TBM Real: Use Cases That Deliver Value

Detailed guidance on data mapping, cost allocation methods, and model configuration can be found on the TBM Modeling section of our website, helping you ensure your use-case development aligns with established best practices.

Ramping Phase

Accelerating Phase

Innovating Phase

Use-Case Prioritization Framework

Not every TBM use case can be tackled at once, so a clear prioritization approach helps you focus on those initiatives that will deliver the greatest early value. The table below presents a simple scoring matrix: you assign each candidate use case a score from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) in three dimensions—Business Impact, Data Readiness, and Stakeholder Alignment—then sum the scores to determine your priority ranking.

How to use this matrix:

1. List each potential use case in the first column.
2. For Business Impact, consider estimated cost savings, efficiency gains, risk reduction, or revenue enablement.
3. For Data Readiness, evaluate the availability, quality, and accessibility of required data sources, such as ERP extracts, cloud billing, or CMDB records.
4. For Stakeholder Alignment, assess executive sponsorship, department buy-in, and the willingness of end users to adopt new reports or dashboards.
5. Sum the three scores to calculate the Total Score and rank use cases accordingly.

A higher total indicates a use case that is both valuable and achievable with your current resources. This prioritization technique is adapted from our High Impact TBM Use Cases publication, which provides scoring examples and detailed criteria. Once you have your ranked list, you can proceed to assign ownership, define scopes, and begin development in a structured, impact-focused way.

Governance & Ownership

Clear governance and well-defined ownership are essential for moving TBM use cases from concept to execution. Establishing roles ensures accountability, accelerates decision-making, and maintains momentum as you progress through pilots, scaling, and advanced phases.

Begin by appointing an Executive Sponsor who champions TBM at the leadership level and secures necessary resources. This sponsor sets strategic direction and removes hurdles. Next, designate a Use-Case Owner for each initiative—this individual coordinates scoping, data gathering, model configuration, and stakeholder communications. Data Stewards, drawn from IT and Finance teams, maintain source-system accuracy, manage transformation rules, and resolve data-quality issues. Finally, the TBM Center of Excellence provides taxonomy standards, best-practice templates, and ongoing support across use cases.

Below is an example RACI chart for a typical use case. Hover over each cell to learn more.

Use this template to clarify expectations before work begins, adjusting roles to fit your organization’s structure. Consistent governance and ownership accelerate adoption, improve data quality, and maximize the impact of each TBM use case.

Data Quality & Readiness

Data quality often determines the success or failure of TBM use cases. Even the most thoughtfully designed use case will struggle without accurate, timely, and complete data. Before initiating any TBM use case, practitioners should carefully assess whether their data meets essential readiness standards.

Evaluate your data quality and readiness according to these four key criteria:

1. Completeness
   Confirm that all critical fields—such as GL codes, vendor invoices, or consumption metrics—are fully populated in your source systems. Missing data significantly undermines use-case credibility and accuracy.
2. Consistency
   Check data alignment across systems by verifying adherence to standard naming conventions and consistent use of your established TBM taxonomy. Misaligned tags and inconsistent terminology distort allocations, making results unreliable.
3. Timeliness
   Validate whether your data refresh frequency supports your reporting requirements. For instance, FinOps scenarios typically require near-real-time cloud billing data, while budget and forecasting use cases may be adequately supported by monthly data updates.
4. Accuracy
   Regularly reconcile TBM model outputs with trusted source-system totals—such as ERP extracts or CMDB records—to identify and address discrepancies. Persistent inaccuracies erode stakeholder trust and diminish the value of your analytics.

Addressing these data readiness factors requires active collaboration with Data Stewards, who maintain source-system accuracy and enforce data standards. Effective organizational change management further reinforces these efforts, helping stakeholders adopt improved data-entry behaviors and consistently adhere to data-quality practices over time.

Additionally, align your data definitions and quality practices with recognized industry frameworks such as the ServiceNow CSDM or the NIST cybersecurity framework, described on our Connected Standards page and detailed in our TBM Taxonomy and NIST white paper.

Proactively managing data quality using these strategies enables your TBM use cases to deliver trusted insights, achieve strong stakeholder engagement, and produce sustainable organizational outcomes.

Change Management & Adoption

Even the most technically robust TBM use case requires thoughtful organizational change management (OCM) to achieve adoption and sustain impact. Change management supports successful use-case implementation by addressing stakeholder engagement, organizational readiness, and adoption challenges that commonly arise in TBM initiatives.

Effective change management begins with clear and proactive communication. Stakeholders—ranging from executives and business-unit leaders to IT and finance teams—need to understand the purpose, expected benefits, and their specific roles within each use case. Develop targeted communication plans tailored to different stakeholder groups, using regular status updates, town halls, and executive briefings to maintain momentum and manage expectations. For detailed guidance and templates, consult our Organizational Change Management resource page.

Stakeholder training is equally essential, especially when introducing new TBM tools or updated processes such as budgeting, forecasting, or chargeback mechanisms. Provide role-based training sessions, hands-on workshops, and documentation to support user confidence and proficiency. Ongoing support resources, such as FAQs, how-to guides, and dedicated office hours, further accelerate adoption.

Anticipate and proactively address resistance. Common concerns—such as fears around increased accountability from chargeback models or discomfort with data transparency—should be managed directly through transparent communication and leadership endorsement. Demonstrating early successes from pilot use cases can help build trust and confidence across the organization. The publication Mastering Technology Business Management Adoption: Roles & Responsibilities offers additional strategies for effectively navigating resistance and stakeholder alignment.

Finally, establish feedback loops to continuously measure adoption effectiveness. Track usage of TBM reports, dashboards, and decision-making frameworks, and regularly survey stakeholders to identify adoption gaps or emerging concerns. Continuous feedback allows your TBM practice to quickly refine and evolve its approach, ensuring long-term adoption and sustained organizational value.

By embedding these proven OCM strategies within your TBM use-case implementation, you can achieve stronger stakeholder buy-in, faster adoption, and lasting success.

Measuring Success & Driving Continuous Improvement

Sustaining the value of TBM use cases requires more than just delivery—it requires structured measurement and ongoing refinement. Use the checklist below to embed success tracking and continuous improvement into your TBM practice. These checkpoints are organized into five key categories: define metrics, track adoption, evaluate impact, conduct retrospectives, and institutionalize learning.

Define Success Metrics for Each Use Case

• Identify primary KPIs aligned with the use case goal (e.g., forecast accuracy, unit cost reduction, anomaly resolution time).
• Map each KPI to specific data fields within your TBM model.
• Integrate KPI tracking into your reporting layer or dashboards
• Set baseline values and success thresholds (e.g., “reduce unidentified spend by 20%”).

Track Usage and Adoption

• Monitor report/dashboard access frequency using analytics or platform telemetry.
• Conduct short stakeholder surveys post-implementation to gather feedback.
• Evaluate if usage is consistent across all intended stakeholder groups.
• Review training effectiveness and update onboarding materials if usage is low. See OCM guidance.

Evaluate Business and Operational Impact

• Measure realized benefits (e.g., cost savings, improved investment decisions, risk reduction).
• Compare planned vs. actual outcomes and identify contributing factors.
• Confirm whether stakeholders made decisions or policy changes based on insights from the use case.
• Validate that reported metrics are trusted and being used in executive discussions.

Conduct Retrospectives and Stakeholder Reviews

• Schedule retrospectives with the use-case owner, data stewards, TBM CoE, and key consumers.
• Document what went well, what could be improved, and unresolved challenges.
• Review gaps in data quality, model logic, or delivery format.
• Capture decisions made and impacts observed post-implementation.

Institutionalize Learning and Iterate

• Store completed use cases with defined objectives, metrics, outcomes, and lessons learned in a shared repository.
• Standardize successful formats, dashboards, or analysis techniques for future use cases.
• Update delivery playbooks and governance models based on retrospective feedback.
• Share key outcomes with leadership to reinforce the value of the TBM practice.

For examples of how organizations structure and measure TBM success, review the State of TBM or our Case Studies, which feature proven metrics and success stories from TBM practitioners worldwide.

Risk, Compliance, and Regulatory Alignment

As TBM use cases become more advanced and begin intersecting with regulated business areas—such as security operations, financial controls, or sustainability reporting—it’s important to ensure that your modeling and reporting practices align with risk and compliance requirements.

TBM doesn’t replace your organization’s risk management or compliance programs, but it provides a powerful structure to support them. Use cases like Integrated Risk Financials, Security & Compliance Cost Allocation, and Sustainability Cost/Benefits require not only accurate cost and usage data, but also data from regulatory, risk, or audit systems. These use cases often call for alignment with frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, or industry-specific compliance standards.

You can start by identifying which TBM use cases rely on sensitive data or intersect with audit-reporting needs. For those, ensure that data sources include relevant compliance metadata—such as risk scores, vulnerability severity, or remediation status. From there, allocate costs (e.g., for security tools or compliance staff) directly to the services, systems, or business units they protect. This allows your organization to model not just cost, but the relative risk exposure and investment effectiveness associated with those areas.

For guidance on mapping TBM to recognized frameworks, see the Connected Standards page and the publication TBM Taxonomy and NIST, which outlines how TBM elements can support compliance with NIST cybersecurity standards.

Strong risk alignment also requires governance. Your TBM team should coordinate with compliance and internal audit functions to validate assumptions, reconcile shared data sources, and ensure that TBM reporting meets regulatory expectations. This collaboration improves the quality of insights and reduces the risk of duplicative or conflicting reporting.

For a more complete view of how TBM supports secure, compliant decision-making, refer to our topic page on Risk & Cybersecurity. As your TBM practice expands into risk-informed modeling, these resources will help ensure that every cost is backed by context, accountability, and compliance.

Next Steps

While you’re here, join the TBM Council to connect with peers and stay updated on all things TBM. Explore our communities to see how others are tackling similar challenges, or check out our Knowledge Base for frameworks, case studies, and how-to guidance. Learn more about the TBM Framework and how it supports smarter decision-making across IT and Finance. You can also attend an upcoming event, pursue training or certification, or see how our partners are contributing to this area of TBM practice.