Q4 Delivered 212% ROI: Total Economic Impact
Investor relations officers (IROs) juggle high-stakes responsibilities while driving strategic outcomes for their organizations. Balancing investor outreach, earnings cycles, competitive research, and regulatory obligations, they play a critical role in shaping how the market perceives their company and in delivering long-term value.
The Q4 Platform is designed to simplify this complexity with an all-in-one investor relations solution that brings together earnings releases, website content, investor engagement, and reporting into a single, integrated platform experience, transforming scattered data and manual tasks into strategic insights and confident execution.
Using the Forrester Consulting established Total Economic Impact™ methodology, the study commissioned by Q4 combined in-depth interviews with a publicly traded company in the energy sector using Q4, along with detailed financial modeling and risk adjustment, to quantify the benefits, costs, and risks of investment.
The goal was to assess measurable outcomes: How much time IR teams can save, what risks can be reduced, and the potential return on investment of a purpose-built IR platform.
The results: a 212% return on investment (ROI) and $288,000 in net present value (NPV) over three years, driven by increased efficiency, reduced disclosure risk, and faster execution across core IR workflows.
Read on for key takeaways from the TEI study.
The Challenge: Manual Processes and Strategic Gaps
Before implementing Q4, the interviewee company’s investor relations team relied on manual and insecure processes, including handwritten notes, spreadsheets, and email, to manage investor interactions and earnings announcements. Without an integrated solution or data-backed approach, processes were inefficient and risky.
With Q4, the IR team transitioned to a secure, centralized platform with embedded AI, analytics, and automation. This enabled them to streamline workflows, reduce manual labor, and strengthen their ability to target investors and manage disclosure timelines with confidence.
“We were adding undue risk to our company [by] just freely emailing earnings information and assuming it didn’t accidentally get forwarded into the wrong hands. It’s just not how we should be handling that type of information.”
— Director of Investor Relations, Energy Company (Forrester TEI Interviewee)
Quantified Benefits: Where Q4 Drives Tangible Value
The Forrester analysis identified three primary areas where Q4 delivered quantifiable business value:
1. Enhanced IRO Team Efficiency for Earnings Lifecycle and Website Management ($77,000 in savings)
Q4 streamlines the end-to-end earnings lifecycle and website management processes:
- Streamlined earnings call setup: Secure digital workflow reduced prep from days to minutes, with press and earnings releases synced in seconds
- AI-powered script writing: Q4’s Earnings Co-Pilot cut first-draft creation from three days to one hour
- Automated peer summaries: AI-generated earnings call summaries delivered in minutes instead of manual hours
- Seamless website updates: Direct platform changes eliminated vendor back-and-forth
“This past quarter, it took just an hour to produce the first draft — compared to what used to be a drawn-out, three-day process. That’s because the most challenging part of earnings each quarter comes after gathering the numbers: taking the next step and actually writing.”
— Director of Investor Relations, Energy Company (Forrester TEI Interviewee)
2. Enhanced IRO Team Efficiency Gained from Strategic Insights Through Analytics and AI ($169,000 in savings)
Q4’s Engagement Analytics and AI-powered IRO Agent, Q, transform how teams prepare and execute:
- Time-saving executive meeting prep: Data-driven insights and summaries reduced preparation time
- Efficient board reporting: AI-generated summaries of investor activity and key themes reduced manual analysis and enhanced board-level reporting
- Tailored investor engagement: Automated profile generation with historical context and themes for more targeted, insight-driven engagement
“Previously, without Q, we’d go into the CRM and look at previous meetings with the investor and pull out some takeaways. Now we go into Q and ask, ‘Give me the top five themes of the last five meetings,’ and it’s done in a fraction of the time.”
— Director of Investor Relations, Energy Company (Forrester TEI Interviewee)
3. Technical Disclosure Risk Mitigation ($178,000 in prevented costs)
The platform’s secure, staged release capabilities prevent costly compliance violations:
- Accurate earnings timing: Secure scheduling prevents accidental early releases of material information
- Regulatory risk reduction: Minimizes exposure to SEC investigations and legal costs
- Reputation protection: Maintains investor confidence through reliable communications
“There are plenty of examples of people publishing early on accident. If your material nonpublic information is sent out early, it causes a huge shock to the system. Then you’re going to be under investigation from the SEC, and you’re going to have to hire lawyers. If it goes out and people make trades off that information, someone is liable for that. There’s value in managing your earnings in a secure platform.”
— Director of Investor Relations, Energy Company (Forrester TEI Interviewee)
Strategic Transformation Beyond the Numbers
While the quantified benefits are compelling, the study also revealed additional value that extends beyond direct cost savings:
- Integrated platform efficiency: One platform for events, websites, and analytics means fewer silos and more collaboration
- Enhanced investor sentiment: The platform’s reliability minimizes technical hiccups that could impact investor trust
- Proactive activist alerts: Alerts around activist engagement give IROs time to respond before issues escalate
- Strategic capacity: Freed-up time enables more strategic investor targeting and relationship building
Demonstrated ROI with 6-Month Payback
The financial analysis demonstrates positive, measurable returns for organizations using Q4:
- 212% ROI over three years
- $288,000 NPV
- Less than 6 months’ payback period
- Total benefits of $424,000 vs. costs of $136,000
The study’s risk-adjusted analysis accounts for variables like implementation complexity, training requirements, and usage patterns, providing a realistic view of expected returns.
Ready to Transform Your IR Operations?
The Forrester TEI study provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating the financial impact of Q4 on your organization. Whether you’re looking to improve efficiency, enhance strategic capabilities, or mitigate compliance risks, the data shows how Q4 delivers measurable results.
Download the complete Total Economic Impact™ study to access the full methodology, detailed financial analysis, and risk-adjusted projections that can help you build your business case for IR platform investment.
The study includes:
- Complete financial modeling framework
- Detailed benefit calculations and assumptions
- Risk adjustment methodology
- Implementation cost analysis
- Flexibility and strategic value assessment
The Total Economic Impact™ of Q4 study was commissioned by Q4 and conducted by Forrester Consulting in June 2025. The study examined a representative organization’s experience with Q4 Platform over a three-year period, providing risk-adjusted financial projections based on real-world implementation and usage data.
