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When Timing Matters

Business cases are great for modeling the financial impact of a purchase. But by default, use cases apply to the entire length of a contract—12, 24, or 36 months. That works for many deals, but sometimes you need to get more specific. Value Timelines let you place use cases on a monthly calendar with start and end dates. This automatically updates your calculated benefit and ROI based on when each use case will actually deliver value. You can even use timelines after a deal closes to clarify the rollout period with your customer.

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What Is a Value Timeline?

Think of a value timeline like a Gantt chart for ROI. Each use case gets a start and end date that visually represents its duration on the calendar. The timeline shows:
  • When each use case activates
  • How long it delivers value
  • What the monthly and cumulative benefit is
You might wait to introduce a timeline until a deal has solidified. Once you’ve answered What you can do for a prospect, timelines help you answer the How and When questions.

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How to Create a Timeline

Every business case has a Timeline tab that’s hidden by default. Internal users at your organization can see it, but external users won’t know it exists until you make it visible.

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Step 1: Activate the Timeline

  1. Click the Timeline tab in your business case
  2. Select “Create Timeline”
  3. You’ll see a calendar with months across the top and your selected use cases in the first column
Heads up: When you first activate a timeline, your calculated benefit drops to zero. Don’t worry—as you add use cases to the timeline, the numbers will dynamically update. You can always revert by clicking the Timeline tab and selecting “Visibility Hidden.”

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Step 2: Place Use Cases on the Timeline

Each use case can be placed on the timeline for any duration you choose:
  1. Click into the starting month for a use case
  2. Drag left or right to adjust the duration
  3. Watch the Net Benefit in the bottom row increase for each active month
  4. Your global calculated benefit updates automatically

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Example Rollout

Imagine you’re selling a platform that takes time to implement:
  • Months 1-12: Place your core “Activation” use case that reflects the bulk of your value
  • Month 6+: Add supplementary use cases that activate once the customer is familiar with your product
  • The monthly totals update automatically, and your total calculated benefit reflects the phased approach

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How a Timeline Changes Your Business Case

The timeline toggles between two calculation modes: Timeline Off (Hidden):
Use cases apply to the entire contract length (12, 24, or 36 months) Timeline On (Visible):
Use cases are calculated based on their specific start and end dates All you need to do is add dates to each use case to get a more accurate, nuanced calculated benefit.

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Add Context with Notes and Phases

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Month Notes

Click on any month name to add a note. When someone hovers over that month, they’ll see the title and description you added. Use this to explain key milestones or context for that specific timeframe.
  1. Click the month name
  2. Select “Add Note”
  3. Add a title and description
  4. The note appears on hover

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Phases

Phases let you highlight multi-month periods at the top of the timeline. Many companies use phases to describe their rollout process: Initial Setup, Team Onboarding, Full Deployment, etc.
  1. Click on a month name
  2. Select “Add Phase”
  3. Give it a title, start date, and end date
  4. The phase appears as a colored bar above the timeline
Phases cannot overlap—each month can only belong to one phase. Arrange your dates accordingly.

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Use Case Notes

Hover over any use case bar on the timeline to add a note. Use these to justify placement decisions or provide context that might help a prospect understand the timeline when you’re not in the room. Only internal users can add or edit notes. External users (customers and collaborators) can view them but not make changes.

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Adjust Dates Precisely

You can interact with the timeline by clicking and dragging, but for more precision:
  1. Click the date underneath a use case name
  2. Use the month selector dropdown to choose exact start and end dates
  3. Changes sync between the dropdown and the visual timeline

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Key Takeaways

✅ Timelines let you model phased rollouts with month-by-month accuracy
✅ Use cases without date ranges have zero calculated benefit when the timeline is active
✅ You can toggle timeline visibility on and off—your entries are saved
✅ Internal users can edit; external users can view (if visible)
✅ Use notes and phases to add context and tell a compelling rollout story

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FAQ

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Why did my calculated benefit drop to zero?

When you activate a timeline, use cases need date ranges to contribute to the calculated benefit. Drop use cases directly on the timeline or use the month selector dropdown to add dates.

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How do I remove a timeline?

Click the Timeline tab and toggle visibility to Hidden. Your use cases will revert to applying across the entire contract. If you’ve added dates, they’re saved—just make the timeline visible again to restore them.

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Who can edit a timeline?

Internal users can create and edit timelines. If the timeline is set to visible, external users can see it in the editor and as a slide in presentation mode.

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My calculation seems broken

Check that the use case has been placed on the timeline. You’ll know it’s formatted correctly if there’s a start date visible underneath the use case name. Still having trouble? Reach out via your company’s Minoa Support slack channel or email us at support@minoa.io.

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I don’t see a use case on my timeline

Use cases can be hidden in multiple places around your business case. On your timeline, click the toggle to Show hidden use cases. If it’s still missing, it may have been removed—go to the Calculation tab and click Add Use Case to select it from your Value Framework.