Quantifying benefits and the benefits dependency network

In an earlier note I asked about the importance of benefits calculation and demonstration for the success of an improvement initiative.One of our constant struggles have been to quantify benefits.

A benefits dependency network is a recommended tool to enable the investment objectives and their resulting benefits to be linked in a structured way to the business,organizational and IS/IT changes required to realize those benefits.John Ward and Elizabeth Daniel "Benefits Management" provides detailed instructions and examples for developing a benefit dependency model

The recommended steps to draw a benefit dependency model are the following

• Understand the drivers acting on the organization and identify the investment objectives for the particular project or initiative
• Identify the business benefits that will result if the investment objectives are achieved
• Identify the changes to the ways individuals and groups work that are a necessary part of realizing the potential benefits identified
• Business changes are those new ways of working that will be required permanently in the future if the benefit is to be achieved and sustained
• Enabling changes are one off changes necessary to allow enduring business changes to be brought about
• Identify IS/IT enablers that will support the enabling changes

How relevant is this model in a generic improvement initiative. Can this be used to develop a business case? Are there examples available to take the discussion forward?