Example: A short-term financial consequence of improvements to a works canteen facility must be weighed up against the long-term effects of improved staff morale on productivity, staff turnover, and worker loyalty. Similarly, an investment in a new high-technology robotic machine tool might have important longer-term implications for industrial relations (where redundancies might arise as a consequence). However, it might also provide a basis for sustaining quality and price competitiveness against rival firms making similar investments, and create opportunities to gain valuable experience in using such new manufacturing technologies.

As with the financially quantifiable aspects of the decision, evaluation of the qualitative factors should also be based on a comparison with the next best alternative. The long-term consequences of not taking a decision may be very important.

It is important that such long-term, qualitative factors are properly understood by those responsible for decision-making.

Example: If the decision to invest in the machine tool (above) were to be rejected, the long term consequences might be a gradual decline in competitiveness and technological expertise that would require much more drastic action to be taken at a later date to restore the company's competitive and technological position. In comparison with this alternative the short-term financial consequences of the investment decision would be given a proper perspective.