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Richard_Hartman's avatar
Richard_Hartman
Copper Contributor
Nov 24, 2025

Can anyone attest to the accuracy of an Azure Migrate Business Case?

Hello!  I've only created a business case in a simple lab environment using 5 on-prem Hyper-V servers. (SmartHotelHost lab from Github)  The business case export explains that I'll be saving over $100K annually once fully migrated into Azure after multiple years.  (It's only 5 servers!)  That said, I've been reluctant to suggest the Business Case tool and steer clients toward the Azure Migrate Assessment and Azure Pricing Calculator which have proven to be reliable tools.

 

Anyone have any experience with the business case?  Was it accurate?

 

Thanks a bunch!

Rich

1 Reply

  • Surya_Narayana's avatar
    Surya_Narayana
    MCT
    Dec 09, 2025

    hi Richard_Hartman​  The Azure Migrate Business Case tool is great for generating a quick, executive-level story about cloud ROI, but its accuracy varies based on the workload, the assumptions, and how deeply the inputs are customized.

    Here’s what people typically see in real environments:

    Where Azure Migrate Business Case works well

    • Produces fast, high-level TCO comparisons
    • Provides a starting point for leadership conversations
    • Highlights potential savings from:
      • Hardware refresh avoidance
      • Power & cooling
      • Datacenter footprint
      • End-of-support systems
    • Helps identify modernization opportunities (PaaS, Azure SQL, etc.)

    Where it tends to be inaccurate

    • Small environments (like your 5-server lab) — cost savings can look wildly inflated
    • Uses generic datacenter cost assumptions unless overridden
    • Assumes specific discounting models (RI/Savings Plans)
    • Assumes ideal right-sizing based on CPU usage patterns
    • May not reflect:
      • Licensing nuances
      • Storage growth
      • Backup costs
      • Network egress
      • Operational overhead
      • 3rd-party integrations
    • Doesn’t include every Azure consumption service

    Because of this, many consultants rely on:

    Azure Migrate Assessment - (for actual sizing based on performance data)

    Azure Pricing Calculator-(for exact cost modeling using customer inputs)

    Azure Advisor + Cost Management-(for optimization after deployment)

    Real-World Feedback From Others

    People who have used it in production migrations generally say:

    • “Useful for a PowerPoint slide, not for financial planning.”
    • “Executive-friendly, not finance-friendly.”
    • “Accurate directionally, inaccurate numerically.”
    • “The more you customize assumptions, the closer it gets.”

    In almost all cases, the final detailed design ends up using the Assessment + Pricing Calculator, not the Business Case.

    Recommendation for you

    Use Azure Migrate Business Case for:

    • Initial conversations
    • Vision/strategy discussions
    • Executive buy-in

    But for real forecast numbers, continue steering clients toward:

    • Azure Migrate Assessments (performance-based sizing)
    • Azure Pricing Calculator (actual service-level pricing)

     

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