It is clearly intangible. Conceptually, it is the same as a bank savings account where interest compounds and you receive interest on the interest. The rapid returns from ASA free up the invested resources to gain returns in other projects. It occurs in practice because ASA reduces fire-fighting through automation and proactive management, which manufactures time. As a result, focus can be shifted to other critical projects where additional ROI can be driven.
Early productivity feeds further productivity gains.
Another aspect of the ROI from an ASA project is the leveraging of existing investments. This ensures continuing ROI from earlier IT projects, which is especially powerful if they have already been amortized. ASA can plug into these existing work practices rather than replace them. The replacement cost of the new software is avoided and so are the unavoidable downtime and training costs associated with introducing new work practices. Conclusion BMC Software's ASA initiative is a clear objective for both IT personnel and BMC Software's development plans.