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Keith Novak
Tukwila, Wa, USA
Christopher,
To start out with, I don't want this to sound too critical but I'm prepping to present the business case for my own job later this week, so it is a hot topic on my mind and you're getting it somewhat unfiltered :-) For a business case, I would say that is too comprehensive. It is great information, but more of a project summary than the point you are trying to make in a business case, which is why this makes sense from a business perspective. You have strategic alignment and value statement on pg 2, after the background that I don't even know I should care about until you tell me the value proposition. Get straight to the punchline. Why should I care first? Then why it is the right thing to do, who's involved, and all that other stuff. If your organization established top priorities for the year, then right at the very top tell me which priority this supports. You are making your case for some potential endeavor and it is well established that people will remember the first and last things you say most, and forget most of the middle. Put your strategic objective right up in the header information before you even address the executive summary, and then back it up with the supporting facts and data. ...
1 reply by Christopher Egan
Feb 13, 2024 8:52 AM
Christopher Egan
...
Hi Keith! Thank you for the feedback! Completely makes sense on the order of operations and moving the strategic priority section up.
What are your thoughts on how to simplify/make less comprehensive? 
Feb 12, 2024 5:56 PM
Replying to Keith Novak
...
Christopher,
To start out with, I don't want this to sound too critical but I'm prepping to present the business case for my own job later this week, so it is a hot topic on my mind and you're getting it somewhat unfiltered :-) For a business case, I would say that is too comprehensive. It is great information, but more of a project summary than the point you are trying to make in a business case, which is why this makes sense from a business perspective. You have strategic alignment and value statement on pg 2, after the background that I don't even know I should care about until you tell me the value proposition. Get straight to the punchline. Why should I care first? Then why it is the right thing to do, who's involved, and all that other stuff. If your organization established top priorities for the year, then right at the very top tell me which priority this supports. You are making your case for some potential endeavor and it is well established that people will remember the first and last things you say most, and forget most of the middle. Put your strategic objective right up in the header information before you even address the executive summary, and then back it up with the supporting facts and data. What are your thoughts on how to simplify/make less comprehensive? ...
1 reply by Keith Novak
Feb 13, 2024 12:58 PM
Keith Novak
...
Hi Christopher,
In my mind, the business case is more about the why than the how and your template has a lot of how in it. You need enough information to demonstrate that you have thought your way through the project that the business case isn't full of holes, but not all of it is applicable for every project. My 1st thought looking at headings like regulatory compliance and project dependencies is could you use a matrix to check the box if those even apply to this business case, and then elaborate later if they are relevant. Pick the items you think are critical to making the decision of whether or not the business case is worth spending the money. Put those right in the face of the decision makers. Then provide the relevant information to show you have a plan that will close the business case. Perhaps page 1 is the mandatory stuff and pages 2 and-on are the supporting articles Business cases don't always show why we want to pursue an ideal but often why we shouldn't. In my R&D jobs, I had a lot of requests to provide business cases to support ideas that I could very clearly prove at the first pass that they were turds.Few things frustrated me more than having to fill out lots of paperwork to convince a room full of executives that we need to flush the toilet and move on. 
Abolfazl Yousefi Darestani
Manager, Quality and Continuous Improvement| Hörmann-TNR Industrial Doors
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Generally speaking, it is ok. could be helpful
Keith Novak
Tukwila, Wa, USA
Feb 13, 2024 8:52 AM
Replying to Christopher Egan
...
Hi Keith! Thank you for the feedback! Completely makes sense on the order of operations and moving the strategic priority section up.
What are your thoughts on how to simplify/make less comprehensive? In my mind, the business case is more about the why than the how and your template has a lot of how in it. You need enough information to demonstrate that you have thought your way through the project that the business case isn't full of holes, but not all of it is applicable for every project. My 1st thought looking at headings like regulatory compliance and project dependencies is could you use a matrix to check the box if those even apply to this business case, and then elaborate later if they are relevant. Pick the items you think are critical to making the decision of whether or not the business case is worth spending the money. Put those right in the face of the decision makers. Then provide the relevant information to show you have a plan that will close the business case. Perhaps page 1 is the mandatory stuff and pages 2 and-on are the supporting articles Business cases don't always show why we want to pursue an ideal but often why we shouldn't. In my R&D jobs, I had a lot of requests to provide business cases to support ideas that I could very clearly prove at the first pass that they were turds.Few things frustrated me more than having to fill out lots of paperwork to convince a room full of executives that we need to flush the toilet and move on. |
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