Ray Collis

Examining the Business Case – The Building Blocks

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page

The term business case can mean different things to different people. For this reason it is helpful to explain the key elements of a business case in terms of other more universally understood business planning and analysis tools. The business case combines four elements as shown in the diagram.

Business Case Components

The Building Blocks of the Business Case:
(click to expand)

Considering the business case along the four dimensions above provides a broader perspective. For example, many business cases are good at explaining what they want to do (1), but fall short in terms of proof/validation (2), or financial quantification (3), or how the project will be delivered (4). Because the seller is concerned with the business case the sales proposal must also contain these four elements.

The business case must address the needs of multiple audiences, ranging from the CEO to the COO. This again is reflective of the scope of what is involved. Of course the business case may also reference other elements such as a technical audit or supplier analysis, however, these are the items that tend not to be overlooked by sellers.

Series Navigation

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

why-buy-smallad
The latest research on how buyers buy
Who makes the buying decision