The business case

In order to make a case for the business to take on a project, there are multiple variables to be considered outside of just the financial considerations. Because the business case is the very first document to be created for a potential project, it is an important piece of a go/no-go decision. There are typical headers found in most business cases that describe a variety of items for consideration by the selection committee.

The executive summary is first on the list, but usually the last to be written and it describes what the selection committee believes are the key points for consideration.

Other headers may include the following:

• Issues that the project is addressing
• The anticipated outcomes
• Any recommendations from the selection committee
• The business case analysis team
• The problem definition and statement, which describes why the project is under consideration
• The organizational impact of the project
• Technology implementations
• Project overview and description
• Goals and objectives
• Expected project performance
• Any assumptions or constraints
• Major milestones
• Strategic alignment
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Alternatives analysis
• Approval signatures

As you can see, a business case can be very comprehensive even given the fact that not much is really known about the true breakdown of project scope, actual costs, schedules, and the need for resources at this point. Remember, in a predictive environment, it is easier to see the finish line at the beginning of the race because everyone knows where the finish line should be, hence pre-project initiation decisions are a bit easier to make.