Guide to Building a Business Case for Forensic Software

Forensic-specific software is crucial for modern-day investigations, as it provides the right tools to handle complex evidence analysis. To effectively communicate the feasibility and value of a forensic software initiative, it is essential to create a comprehensive business case.

We have compiled a brief guide to help you get started. We want to make it clear that we wrote this guide to assist agencies that wish to implement CSIpix but need help presenting it to senior management. We strongly encourage you to use your experiences and day-to-day examples to explain how CSIpix will benefit you, your agency, and the communities you serve. You are welcome to use the entire guide or take what you need and leave the rest.

Tip! Copy and paste the below guide into a word document as your template.

To get started, consider the following elements:

1. Executive Summary:

Provide a brief overview of the business case, highlighting the forensic software initiative’s purpose, benefits, and goals. This section can summarize key points from any of the below areas.

2. Objectives:

Ensure you clearly define the specific goals you intend to accomplish by implementing forensic software. Considering how the software would contribute to your department or agency’s overall objectives is essential. This may include enhancing investigative capabilities, improving efficiency, reducing backlogs, increasing documentation and accountability, and providing training support for new recruits or accreditation.

3. Current Challenges:

Describe the challenges and limitations of the current process. Consider your entire workflow right through to court presentations. Include any challenges with any existing tools you may use. Here are some common challenges we have heard from agencies prior to adopting CSIpix:

• Inconsistent workflows among different examiners
• Insufficient documentation of the ACE-V workflow
• Time-consuming, disjointed comparison process
• Inability to conduct a 1:1 search
• Lack of tools to help with comparisons
• Difficult to track and replicate analysis
• Lack of audit trails to help communicate how examiners came to conclusions.
• Growing caseloads
• Training recruits is time-consuming and difficult to test using real-life scenarios/evidence
• Printing and then scanning friction ridge prints results in low image quality

4. Solution Recommendation:

• Present a detailed description of the chosen forensic software solution (in this case CSIpix software). Include company history, track record, and if the software is specifically designed for forensics. Check out the CSIpix About page for this information.
• Explain how it addresses the identified challenges you listed above and fulfills the agency’s requirements and objectives. Be specific. For example, if your challenge is a time-consuming process today, note how long it takes to complete critical tasks in your workflow and compare that to using software.
• Include the results of your trial of the software. What did you learn? What stood out? This level of detail shows the extra due diligence you have completed. We have even had examples of examiners identifying suspects while working through a CSIpix trial. Needless to say, they are now a CSIpix customer.
• On our Resource page you can find additional information and videos on using CSIpix for friction ridge comparisons.

5. Peer Reviews, Quotes and Case Studies:

Including user reviews, case studies, and quotes from CSIpix users can be beneficial when building a business case for the software. This additional documentation demonstrates that due diligence has been performed in evaluating the software. Real-world experiences shared by peers can provide valuable insights into the software’s performance in practical scenarios and how it has met the needs of other agencies. We can connect you with a similar agency to speak with or provide customer quotes if you’re interested. Additionally, you can find a case study from Oregon State Police on our resource page on our website www.csipix.com/resources.

Here are just a few examples of customer quotes that you could include:

“That worked perfectly thanks Patricia, you guys are officially the easiest vendor to deal with haha.” – Happy Agency IT Specialist

“We save hundreds of hours of time and avoided many false exclusions with this software. Thanks again!” – CSIpix CASE AFIS user and Certified Latent Print Examiner

“We appreciate you all at CSIpix taking the time to listen to examiners. The cliché of “teamwork makes the dream work” is applicable and appreciated.” From an anonymous source, CA, USA

“We have seen such an increase in identifications since we have been using the software. We love it…even us old dinosaurs. ” – A new CSIpix user who was not previously using any software for fingerprint comparisons.

6. Technical Requirements:

Outline the technical specifications and requirements for implementing the CSIpix software. It is important to note that the system requirements for CSIpix are minimal, which is beneficial for IT departments as they may not need to invest in any additional hardware or software. Also mention CSIpix software is available as a fully function 30 day trial that can be downloaded and installed in minutes. The trial can be extended if necessary, so it is possible to become comfortable with the software prior to purchasing. Technical support is provided during the trial phase and after purchase.

Cut and paste these CSpix System Requirements right into your business case.

Minimum System Requirements

Recommended System Requirements

7. Cost-Benefit Analysis:

Provide financial details of the software, including initial investment, ongoing maintenance costs, potential cost savings, and overall software cost. Outline what it includes, whether it is a one-time or annual fee. e.g. CSIpix offers a one-time licensing fee and a yearly maintenance plan for product enhancements, support, and training. Additionally, include the potential savings for the agency, as investing in software can enhance efficiency and reduce time, as an example.

8. Risk Assessment:

Identify and assess potential risks associated with implementing the forensic software and not implementing one. Discuss strategies for mitigating these risks and ensuring the project’s success.

9. Include Visuals and Samples

When you present your business case, it is crucial to include visuals and samples, just like in a court. These visuals can help explain your work to individuals who may not be familiar with the intricate details of your day-to-day process. You can use the CSIpix trial software to prepare sample court charts, screenshots of 1:1 Matcher Hits (minutia pattern matches), and other supporting visuals to support your case. Please let us know if you would like us to supply some sample visuals, and we would be happy to assist you.

By including these elements in your forensic software business case, you can provide a detailed rationale to support your initiative. If you still need help, don’t hesitate to contact us; we will do our best to assist you.

Here are a some example Court Charts you can include in your business case.

Remember, you can cut and paste this page and use the headers to start your business case document. To copy the above images into your document, right click the image and select Copy image.

Hopefully, you found this guide helpful, but know that we can provide any additional information you need—just email john.guzzwell@csipix.com. We can even walk through the software with your team.

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