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.
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)
The Forrester analysis identified three primary areas where Q4 delivered quantifiable business value:
Q4 streamlines the end-to-end earnings lifecycle and website management processes:
“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)
Q4’s Engagement Analytics and AI-powered IRO Agent, Q, transform how teams prepare and execute:
“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)
The platform’s secure, staged release capabilities prevent costly compliance violations:
“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)
While the quantified benefits are compelling, the study also revealed additional value that extends beyond direct cost savings:
The financial analysis demonstrates positive, measurable returns for organizations using Q4:
The study’s risk-adjusted analysis accounts for variables like implementation complexity, training requirements, and usage patterns, providing a realistic view of expected returns.
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:
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.