In continuing the topic of business cases, here are some tips on creating a Business Case.
How do you begin to create your business case? A business case justifies the value of a project by defining the goal and scope of the project. It will describe the usefulness of the project and the consequences if the project is not approved.
As with any document that needs to prove a point, research has to be first done and then the findings studied. As previously stated in the prior article (Part One), a business case generally provides a solution to a problem, so include details from meetings of problems that currently exist. Note down all the core requirements gathered from meetings, hands-on work, or practical experience needed to resolve a problem. From your gathered information, you will now know what content needs to be written.
To Begin
- Use an outline as a starting point and include a Table of Contents or at minimum an outline of the contents up front.
- Break up the outline into logical sections, e.g., Introduction, Research, Problems, Resolution, Recommendation, Strategy and Risks, Costs, Benefits, and Time.
- Create an introduction to the project and be specific. State the reason (justification) behind the business case and the goal(s).
- Describe the research and findings that were done.
- Describe all the problems that currently exist and the solutions that have been derived.
- Create a chart if needed, and point out relevant data by highlighting it.
- Denote only the important ‘must have’ items within the business case to validate a point.
- Include all the data that is needed to prove your case. Numbers are always beneficial to proving a point or making a justification.
- For lengthy documents, break it up into sections and include a Table of Contents or break it up into several documents; one for each department or subgroup, and show the relevance for each department or subgroup.
- Keep it organized and break it up into subject matter if you need to.
- Note the benefits such as ease of use, long term usage, better monitoring, etc. Prove its value.
- Provide a cost analysis (if needed) and make it visually appealing and not complex.
- Show, e.g., customer satisfaction benefits (if needed) – easier to access information. – saves time and energy.
- Describe how to handle marketing and distribution (if needed).
- For readability, apply bullets to outline lengthy text or explanations.
- Double check your grammar and spelling to ensure the validity of the document.
- Remember to communicate well through written material. You have to work as an editor, illustrator, and designer to get your information across.
Once the document is completed, send it to the client and respective project managers for verification and approval. If the document is of considerable length, indicate what sections should be read by which party. As always, write for the intended audience. Make it accurate and precise to prove your point and to get your recommendation approved.
If you have previously written business cases, please add to this content or leave a comment. Thank you.
Gail Zack Anderson, President of Applause, Inc., has nearly 20 years experience in training and coaching. She
provides individual presentation coaching, and leads effective presentation workshops and effective trainer workshops.
Theresa Pojuner is a Documentation Specialist with over 20 years of writing experience and is skilled in many areas of documentation, for example, Style Guides, Training Manuals and Test Cases, wth a specialty n Technical Writing and Procedures.