itsual Business Case
Overview
A business case exists to support a decision. It should make the recommended option and its rationale obvious to the people who control resources.
When to Use
- Requesting budget or headcount
- Proposing new products, platforms, or major projects
- Build vs buy vs partner decisions
- Strategic initiatives that need formal approval
Recommended Structure
- Executive summary & recommendation
- Problem / opportunity statement
- Strategic alignment
- Options considered (including “do nothing”)
- Recommended option – scope, approach, timeline
- Costs and benefits (quantitative + qualitative)
- Risks and mitigations
- Implementation outline and success metrics
- Ask / decision required
Principles
- Lead with the recommendation
- Make assumptions explicit
- Compare options fairly
- Quantify where credible; be honest where not
- Keep the main body concise; put detailed models in appendices
Verification
- A decision-maker can understand the recommendation and key trade-offs quickly
- Costs, benefits, and risks are clearly stated
- Success metrics are defined