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title: Evaluating a Demand
slug: neurons-for-itsm/admin-user-help/enu/latest/evaluating-a-demand
createdAt: 2026-07-14T19:16:51.263Z
---
**Role**: Demand Manager
During the **Evaluate** phase, a Demand Manager provides more detailed information to assess the viability of the Demand. You can create plans to further detail the costs, benefits, and resource impacts of the Demand.
If needed, select **Need More Information** at the top of the overview form to send an email to the requester.
If you think a Demand is better suited as a Change Request, you can convert the Demand to a Change. For that, select **More** > **Convert Demand** > **Convert Demand to Change** to copy the title, description, and details into a new Change. The Change is assigned to the requester.
**To evaluate a Demand:**
1. Log in to the application as a Demand Manager.
2. Open the **Demand** workspace. Use the **Demand Dashboard** to see Demands in the Evaluate phase.
3. Open a Demand.
4. Use the **Planning** tab to add Project Phases, which are used to group sets of Tasks. Project Phases are used to group sets of tasks. Project Phases are part of the OOTB content of Neurons for ITSM.
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For more information about Project, Neurons for PPM added several new values to the OOTB Project Phase form: **Estimated Effort (hours)**, **Planned Effort (hours)**, and **Actual Effort (hours)**. The **Estimated Effort** value is driven by Resource Plans, which you can create either in the **Resource Plans** tab or **Planning** tab.
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To create a new Project Phase, select **New Project Phase** in the **Planning** tab.
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Select the Project Phase, and then click **Go To** to open the Project Phase record.
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Fill in the relevant fields. For more information, refer to [Assigning Resources in a Project Phase](docId:1U0PHrdmigKoPe7HmyVCM).
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5. Use the **Budgets** tab to enter Project Budget Plans.
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For more information, refer to [Creating a Project Budget Plan](docId:7_L9Cx6c8pNRkUY8c9pHK).
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Neurons for ITSM has added a **Fiscal Year** field to the Project Budget Plan form, and has associated Cost Items with Project Budget Items instead of Project Phases.
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6. Use the **Benefits** tab to assign Demand benefits. In the Benefits tab, select **New Benefit Plan**.
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Mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk.
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| Field | Description |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Type\*** | Select the type of benefit from the dropdown menu: **Business Value**,** Cost Avoidance**, **Cost Savings**, **Revenue**.
It helps categorize the benefit for reporting and prioritization. |
| **Description\*** | Provide a detailed explanation of the benefit. |
| **Estimated Total Benefits** | Enter the estimated monetary value of the benefit. |
| **Focus Area** | Select the focus area from the dropdown menu. It helps identify the primary business domain or strategic initiative that this benefit supports. |
| **Benefit if Done (1-5)** | Rate the benefit on a scale from 1 to 5 if the demand is implemented, where 1 represents the lowest benefit and 5 the highest.
It helps in scoring and prioritizing demands. |
| **Impact if Deferred (1-5)** | Rate the negative impact on a scale from 1 to 5 if the demand is delayed or not implemented, where 1 represents the lowest benefit and 5 the highest.
It helps assists in urgency assessment and decision-making. |
7. Use the **Risks** tab to assess Demand risks.
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For more information, refer to [Working with Portfolio and Project Management](docId\:JSCRbKA1XchNnFoXcFQu8).
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8. The **Assessments** tab shows a snapshot of the Demand finances.
| Field | Description |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Total Cost** | Calculated from the Demand's Project Budget items. |
| **Total Return** | Calculated from Benefits. |
| **ROI Percent** | Return on Investment (ROI) is calculated from **Total Cost** vs. **Total Return**. |
| **Effort (hours)** | Calculated from Resource Planning. |
9. Demand scoring is valuable as a decision-making tool when compared against other Demands. In the **Demand Scoring** tab, answer a set of weighted questions to score the scope and importance of the Demand. The Demand Score displays on the Overview form after scoring has been submitted.
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Demand scoring is comprised of five questions and answers, each weighted at 20% of the Demand Score. Administrators can change the weighted scoring of each answer in the Configuration console.
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10. Use the **Stakeholder** tab to link Demand stakeholders. When the information for the Evaluation phase is complete, the Stakeholders can approve the Demand.
11. Use the **Portfolio** tab to link and unlink Portfolios. When you choose a Portfolio, the tab shows list of the other Projects in the selected Portfolio.
12. When you finish evaluating the Demand, set the status to **Awaiting Approval**. The Demand record is locked during the Awaiting Approval phase, and the Demand goes through the Approval phase.