A cost benefit analysis is a collective term for a group of processes which inform the decision making process, sometimes called quantitative decision making.

The challenge is in estimating the financial values linked to each cost and each benefit. If you do not apply a financial value it is not a true cost benefit analysis, it is more a comparison of potential benefits verses potential risks.

Clearly there will be assumptions behind your thinking, these and linked evidence will assist the evaluation of your analysis.

The simplest approach would be to assign a positive value to benefits and a negative value to costs. Adding these up will give you a net value which if positive indicates more benefits and negative value more costs.

Remember some business critical issues do not have a specific monitory value, however, can be critical e.g reputation risk / loss of life etc. You could do both, begin with a narrative capturing a list of both, then follow up with a table of those that can have a value assigned.

Some of best cost benefit analysis is done within project management, I've enclosed a link to a website which explains an approach to this. Good luck.

http://www.brighthubpm.c...a-cost-benefit-analysis/