ICM Build vs. Buy Estimator

See the real cost of managing incentive comp manually — and when a platform pays off

Your Organization

Add groups to model different pay cadences within the same organization. Implementation cost is based on all groups combined.

Structural Complexity Factors

Data & Integration

Number and cleanliness of data sources feeding comp calculations

Currency Variance

Whether payees are paid in multiple currencies

Crediting Logic

Complexity of how credit is attributed across roles and territories

Manual Process Costs

Admin & Ops Time

Admin Hrs / Cycle

hrs

Spreadsheet work, data pulls, calculations

Admin Hourly Rate

Fully-loaded (salary + benefits)

Errors & Disputes

Payees w/ Errors

% of payees with a calc error per cycle

Hrs to Fix Each Error

hrs

Admin time to identify & correct

Payees w/ Disputes

% of payees who escalate a dispute per cycle

Hrs to Resolve Each

hrs

Admin + manager time per dispute

Rep Opportunity Cost

Rep Hrs / Cycle

hrs

Each rep tracking & verifying own comp

Rep Hourly Rate

Fully-loaded cost of rep's time

Platform Investment

Auto-calculated

One-Time Implementation Cost

$ AUTO

Based on plan count, payee volume & complexity factors above

Annual Platform Subscription

$ AUTO

Rate tier based on total payee count, rounded to nearest $1,000

Admin Hrs / Cycle Post-Platform

hrs

Remaining oversight & exception handling time

Annual Cost Summary

steady-state costs · break-even timeline

—

Manual Annual Cost

spreadsheets + errors + disputes + rep time

—

Platform Annual Cost

subscription + reduced admin labor

—

Break-Even

months to recover implementation cost

Net Savings vs. Manual

platform cost difference including one-time implementation

—

Year 1 Net

incl. one-time implementation cost

—

3-Year Net

vs. continuing manually

—

5-Year Net

vs. continuing manually

5-Year Cumulative Cost

manual vs. platform — including one-time implementation

Annual Cost Breakdown

where time and money go in each approach

Cost Category	Manual (Annual)	Platform (Annual)	Annual Savings
Total Annual Cost	—	—	—

All platform cost estimates are for comparison purposes only and may or may not align to current market rates. Implementation and subscription figures are illustrative and intended to support general ROI analysis. Actual pricing will vary based on vendor, contract terms, and specific configuration requirements.