Writing a business case is a fairly straightforward and standard matter. You can find a variety of outlines about what to include and not to include, with varying degrees of detail and formality, but essentially, all business cases will cover four areas:
- 1. An assessment of the current situation or problem
- 2. Outlining solutions
- 3. The cost/benefit analysis
- 4. A recommendation, preferably with a time line and metrics
Follow that outline, and you can write a standard business case, the type of document that provides a financial justification for a new project.
But that's only a small portion of what a business case can be. By focusing on the process, rather than the end document, you can build a smarter business case that will:
- – Achieve buy-in from business users, thus increasing the chance of your project's success.
- – Identify the real metrics for measuring the project's impact.
- – Show how IT investments support business strategy.
- – Build credibility with executives and business users.
This article will show you how to approach writing business cases in a way that's more efficient and effective than your typical financial business case.
Why IT Should Care About Business Cases
In many companies, the financial department holds the final say over IT investments, which makes the business case a particularly critical component of securing IT funding.
A recent survey of CFOs, conducted by Gartner and Financial Executives Research Foundation, revealed that in 42 percent of organizations, IT reports to the CFO, while 33 percent report to the CEO.
Continue Reading >>
