How to Write a Business Case for New Software [Includes Free Template]

You’re ready to invest in new software. You know the positive impact it will have on your business. You’re ready to get things moving. So what’s next?

It can be tough for decision-makers to justify the costs of a software investment without a clear understanding of the system’s merit. This is why writing a solid business case is your best bet.

In this article, you’ll learn how to build a business case for new software by identifying the benefits and costs of the solution and the return on investment. These recommendations and tips are compiled from my professional experience as an ITPMO leader, Gartner research, and best practices shared by the Project Management Institute.

Here’s a preview of the business case template provided for you. Click here to go straight to the template download .

Free-template-business-case

What is a business case?

A business case is a formal document submitted to senior leadership requesting approval for a proposed project. It outlines the business problem being addressed and the proposed solution. The costs, benefits, risks, and project team are each identified.

The business case is then typically submitted for executive review and approval. The approval should serve as formal approval for budget, resource allocation, and scope agreement.

Why is it important?

Creating a business case serves multiple purposes:

Ensures alignment on the business problem and the solution.

Names the project team members and business owner.

Formalizes the budget approval; can also provide backup if the funds allocation is later questioned.

Shows that you’ve thoroughly analyzed the problem, potential solutions, and the risks to come up with the best possible solution.

Acts as the guiding light through the lifecycle of the project to keep the effort aligned with intention.

But what are the risks if you don’t submit a business case? Gartner states that goal-setting and stakeholder buy-in are two main challenges you’ll face if you don’t build a solid business case first. Let’s go over why. ( Full report available to Gartner clients only. )

Misaligned goals: Without a clear business case, there may be no clearly defined and agreed-upon goals for the investment. This makes gathering requirements and selecting a vendor significantly more challenging, and could potentially result in the project stalling, or selecting a vendor that isn’t suitable.

Limited buy-in: Getting the support of stakeholders across the business may be challenging to get without sharing a robust case for doing so. It’s also possible that opposition to the investment could arise months after implementation, when stakeholders challenge you to justify the ongoing costs. This will be hard to do without an existing business case that includes a measure of the success/impact of the new software.

Before going through the steps on how to write a business case, let’s look at this video to understand the contents of a business case.

Step 1: Build the pieces of your business case

When constructing a business case for new software, it’s important to lay out the full scope of the project so leadership can feel confident that you’ve considered the full impact of your proposal. This is especially important when asking for the amount of money the new software will require for implementation and ongoing expenses.

Be sure your argument includes the following elements (we’ll follow the structure in the template provided below):

Executive summary: Provide an overview of the goals of the new software selection and implementation. Don’t forget to state that you want to buy new software—this may seem obvious, but sometimes that can get muddled after you’ve worked and reworked the wording of this section.

Be sure to answer questions such as:

What is the business problem this will solve?

Why do we need to solve this problem now?

Are there changes to rules or regulations that are making this investment mandatory?

And, include highlights of the business problems that will be solved with the new software.

Cost savings (e.g., software will reduce headcount/hours spent on manual tasks, reduction in costly errors).

Revenue enhancement (e.g., increase workflow speed, integrate with partner systems).

Notice that we’re not naming a specific software program in this section and that’s intentional. This is because you need to solve the business problem. Not just buy software.

Oftentimes the project manager or a department head is tasked with implementing a specific tool. For example, if your lead accountant used one program at their previous company, they could request that you invest in the same software. So the project would become, “let’s buy X software” as opposed to a more thoughtful approach such as, “we’ve outgrown our current accounting process and need a robust program to help us scale.”

Solution description : Describe how you plan to use software to solve business problems and/or achieve your goals. Outline what you’ll be able to do that you can’t do now and what requirements the tool should have to support your team or department’s ability to solve their problems and/or accomplish their goals.

In this section, you can also include the justification for how you determined to buy new software as opposed to developing a custom solution in-house or hiring an external software development team. (This might not be relevant for your company depending on your IT environment.)

Cost overview: In the template below, implementation cost, total cost of ownership, and the return on investment calculation are the numbers highlighted. But these can be intimidating and confusing numbers to calculate. Because of this, we’ve dedicated Step 2 in this process to gathering the numbers needed in order to provide accurate and relevant calculations.

Summary of software benefits: Highlight the expected benefits and tangible gains, such as time and money saved, as well as the intangible benefits, such as increased collaboration and improved risk management protocols.

This section should focus on the business benefits as opposed to the technical benefits. Your executives will have trouble valuing the need for new software if you focus on benefits such as reducing technical debt or streamlining system architecture. But they will see the value in, for example, increasing speed and accuracy across the sales and leads process.

Tip: If you’re a very technical person (as I tend to be!), partner with a business leader to write this section.

Execution timeline : Outline the timeline for implementing the software solution. This timeline can vary significantly based on where you are in the software selection process, so be clear on what actions will be taken and when.

Additional elements you can include:

Major milestones such as the project kickoff meeting, the go-live date, and dates for training.

Cadence for team meetings, status reports, and demos.

Project governance : Name each person and their role on the project. Yes, use names, not just job titles, in order to make sure everyone is clear on the resources needed.

Free business case template

If your business doesn’t already have a business case template (and be sure to ask before starting one), we’ve created one for you. Click here to download .

Step 2: Break down the costs

As promised above in the “cost overview” component, in this section you’ll learn about the typical costs business leaders want to see in a business case. For each, we’ll show you where to get the numbers needed for the calculations.

Total implementation cost

To calculate this number, break down the costs associated with the software purchase and implementation. This includes both the obvious costs, such as the number and price of the software licenses, as well as costs that aren’t so obvious, such as new hardware and training sessions.

Tip: Lay out the number of licenses needed and what types are needed. The type of user licenses you’re purchasing can impact cost. For example, a system administrator license typically costs more than an average user, but it’s likely you need only a few of them.

Total cost of ownership (TCO)

Finding the TCO is often the starting point for calculating return on investment (ROI) and comparing vendor price quotes. This involves totaling the upfront costs for each solution, calculating the net present value of recurring costs over the expected lifespan of the tool, and then totaling the upfront costs and present value of future costs.

It’s common for businesses to only think of the initial costs of new software when evaluating vendors and risks. But there’s a considerable number of factors that need to be included when calculating the TCO.

Think of TCO as an iceberg. There’s more than meets the eye:

graphic-shows-an-iceberg-depiction-of-Total-Cost-of-Ownership,-with-expected-costs-above-the-waterline,-and-unexpected-costs-below-the-waterline

Source: Gartner ( full content available to Gartner clients )

Other numbers you may need to factor in include the salary for any new employees required to maintain the software (e.g., IT system administrator) and recurring hardware management, if applicable (e.g., handheld scanners for a new inventory tool ).

Return on investment (ROI) calculation

True ROI is often hard to measure and even harder to guarantee. You can’t know for certain how the business will grow and change over the life of a tool, and it’s possible you’ll need to add new modules or build out integrations.

Business leaders understand the gray area around this number but will expect full transparency from you. Be sure to explain that these numbers are the best projection of the expected benefits and costs of the new software that you’ve made with educated estimates.

The formula for calculating ROI is: 

(gain from investment – cost of investment) / (cost of investment)

Step 3: Get stakeholder support

Writing a business case isn’t a solo task. You need partners at every step in the process to help develop the plan. Here’s some tips on getting stakeholder support:

Communicate with accounting, marketing, and other department leaders before submitting the business case so they are at least aware of the initiative. Key leaders in other areas of the business will help identify your blind spots and can offer solutions.

Get agreement from all contributors on what is outlined in the document. Each person named in the document should see the final draft before it goes for executive review—no one wants their name assigned to work that they’re unaware of.

Don’t think of the presentation of the business case as an unveiling. Instead, whoever you’re getting approval from should be familiar with your proposal before the big meeting. Best case would be for the actual meeting to get approval is just a formality. The major details, such as the cost and type of software and high-level benefits, should all be previously understood by everyone in the meeting. To accomplish this, you’ll likely have to swing by their office or ask to go to lunch to discuss the proposal in the weeks leading up to your presentation.

What if your business case is rejected?

Rejection is a possibility and it’s important to be mentally prepared for this. Fellow PMPs Elizabeth Larson and Richard Larson share some of the best advice for rejection that I’ve come across. Here’s an excerpt from a paper Elizabeth shared at a PMI Global Conference .

Remember that we are advising the organization with our well-thought-out recommendation. Don’t take rejection personally. If your business case is rejected, ask:

Did I work closely with the business owner to develop the business case?

Do I understand the “objections?”

Can I address them to meet stakeholder needs? If I can, the final product will be even better.

Have I given stakeholders enough time to think about the proposal before asking for a decision?

How can I best support the business owner? Should I advise the business owner to walk away (at least for now), or, do we act like a pit bull that grabs on to a leg and won’t let go?

I feel more empowered and resilient just reading her advice again—hopefully you do, too!

Work through these questions and re-evaluate your proposal. Ask to re-submit your proposal at an agreed-upon time in the near future, involve more partners, and then strengthen your business case.

Next steps: Resources for comparing and evaluating software solutions

Now that you know how to write a strong business case, here are a few next steps you should take to help you compare and evaluate solutions:

Read user reviews: No matter what type of software you’re looking for, Software Advice has tons of user reviews for it . See how your peers have rated systems for qualities such as ease of use and customer support.

Schedule product demos: Discuss your needs with vendors and ask for “day-in-the-life” product demos rather than a reel of feature highlights. For more tips, check out this article on " How to Cut Through the Sales Pitch in Software Demos. "

Download the free template: If your company doesn’t already have a business case template, we’ve made one for you. Click to download it now .

Free Business Case Templates for IT, Project Management, and More

By Kate Eby | June 25, 2018

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A business case helps stakeholders understand what you want to do, how your plan will benefit the organization, and if that plan is possible. A business case template provides a structure for researching and presenting a clear and comprehensive document.

In this article, you’ll learn what to include when you create your own business case , and find the ready-made, downloadable business case templates in Word and PowerPoint formats, like a one-page business case template , a construction business case template , and more.

One-Page Business Case Template

One Page Business Case

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If you have a straightforward but costly proposal, use this short business case template to make a concise list of what you want to do, why you want to do it, how you want to do it, who benefits from the project, and anything that could hinder the project’s success. This template can also help form the basis of your project charter .

Project Business Case Template

Project Business Case

Sometimes, it’s not easy to quantify benefits and disadvantages of a project. This project business case template includes a weighting scheme to create a score for each proposed option, and allows you to score risks.

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Construction Business Case Template

Construction Business Case Template

‌ ‌Download Construction Business Case Template - Word

This construction business case template includes sections for the many types of information and analysis a large construction project may require. It lists the types of documents needed to prepare for construction and includes detailed information on stakeholders and their interests. It also includes tables to help visually compare analyses. The project delivery or implementation details can form the basis for your project plan.

Simple Business Case Template

Simple Business Case Template

‌ Download Simple Business Case Template

This simple business case template in Word addresses all the essential areas needed in a business case. Add as much information to each section as is necessary, or include other sections to reflect your own organization’s requirements.

PowerPoint Business Case Presentation Template

Business Case Presentation Template

‌ Download Business Case Presentation Template - PowerPoint

A simple Word document may provide a good way to document the reasons for, requirements of, and costs included in your business case. But visual representations can communicate vital facts quickly and may be necessary if you present your business case in a meeting. Use this template to visually communicate information.

IT Business Case Template

Simple IT Business Case Template

Download IT Business Case Template

For enterprise-level changes, a business case may be necessary to justify costs, resources, and effort. This IT business case template provides space to discuss why you require the change, how you will source the new solution, and how you will manage the migration and implementation.

Life Sciences Business Case Template

Life Sciences Business Case

‌ Download Life Sciences Business Case Template - Word

In addition to the usual content sections in a business case, this life sciences business case template includes blocks for version control and revision tracking.

What Is a Business Case?

A  business case  (also known as a  business need ) defines a problem or opportunity, measures the effect of a project that solves a problem or exploits an opportunity, and clarifies the costs and benefits of a proposed plan.

You need a business case when you have to justify a resource or expenditure on a project. Through a well-considered business plan, stakeholders and investors can determine whether the enterprise should invest resources in the project. A business plan also provides a structure for presenting findings and recommendations. Moreover, it offers a way to determine if the project aligns with an organization’s strategic objectives. 

Although preparing a business case may seem like yet another document in a long chain of project management tasks, this front-loaded preparation is essential to the eventual success of any undertaking. When started before a project begins, a business case shows stakeholders — and even you — if the project is worth starting. It can reveal problems that could potentially waste time and other resources without yielding benefits. Without business cases, you have no way to prioritize projects. If you don’t clearly articulate the desired results before the project begins, investors and stakeholders can easily be dissatisfied or frustrated with the outcome. And, as the project progresses and ultimately concludes, you have no reference point for measuring achievement.

Inputs for a business case include such things as regulatory and legal requirements, changes in the market, and customer demand.

You can use a business case template as a guide so you remember to include all the necessary content. A template also offers formatting, so you don’t have to worry about layout and design. 

The Business Case and Business Case Template Writing Process

Poor preparation and a lack of senior management involvement often contribute to eventual project failure. A good case study can help you avoid these pitfalls.

Start by consulting key people, such as the finance department, to get accurate estimates and details of the current situation and an idea of what improvements would look like. In addition, remember to follow any pertinent company policies and procedures while preparing the business case and elaborating on the proposed project.

When writing the business case, consider these pointers for success:

  • Write in the voice of your readers and stakeholders, but avoid jargon as much as possible.
  • Communicate concisely regarding the essential content.
  • Be interesting, even entertaining.
  • Be clear about your goals and how they can benefit the organization.
  • Limit the number of authors to keep the voice and style consistent.

The Main Elements of a Business Case Template

Your business case is intended to provide sponsors, stakeholders, and investors with a clear picture of the outcomes and benefits of your project. In general, a business case contains the following particulars about a project:

  • A high-level summary
  • Financial information about the costs and benefits
  • Details of the scope
  • Benefits and risks
  • Information about how the project will be managed
  • Measurements for success

A sample business case template is available here for the management certification guidelines used in the UK, Australia, and other countries. The number of sections and detail of your business case will vary with the complexity and scope of your intended project. Typical elements include most or all of the following:

  • An Executive Summary: Particularly in government or formal business situations, the executive summary may be the only part of the document that stakeholders, investors, the media, and other interested parties read. An executive summary must convey what will be done, who will do it, how much it will cost, and how and who it will benefit — in one page or less. Another gauge for length is that it should take no longer than five minutes to read.
  • Purpose: The purpose of the project describes the background of the business problem or opportunity. It details how the change envisioned (by completing the project) will improve the situation.
  • Alternatives: Researching and describing viable alternative options to the recommended project will help provide a more vivid context for the recommended solution. Presenting alternatives will also demonstrate to stakeholders that you’ve given your project healthy consideration and that it was not chosen arbitrarily.
  • Strategic Alignment: Explaining how your plan fits into and advances the overall strategic direction of the organization is crucial. Stating project goals and objectives in this context can strengthen your case.
  • Organizational Impact: Discuss how the proposed project will change the organization. Consider any relevant departments, equipment, processes, or roles. Stakeholder analysis (i.e., understanding the current situation and the requirements of each stakeholder) can contribute to this picture.
  • Assumptions and Constraints: Be clear about any anticipated resources or limitations. For example, if funding from one agency is certain, note that. If success depends upon implementing a new platform, note that. The list of assumptions may grow and change as the project progresses. You may also consider any interdependencies that might affect the plan.
  • Benefits: Articulate the anticipated outcomes to show how the entire organization gains and improves from your project. Examples of benefits are more customers served, less eye strain for service reps at workstations, or a roof patch ahead of storm season.
  • Schedule and Costs: Outline the plan with a brief timeline for project development and completion, including major milestones. For technology projects, provide an overview of the migration plan, if required. On the timeline, add a cost benefit analysis and budget, possibly even with ongoing maintenance costs.
  • Risks and Opportunities: Risks describe what could happen to delay or prevent the completion of the project or raise the costs of the project. Depending on the scope of your project, complete your business case analysis by studying PESTLE factors (political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental). For each risk you identify, include a mitigation plan.
  • Recommendation and Justification: State the preferred option and summarize its risks and costs as well as the justifying factors that recommend it.
  • Governance and Progress Tracking: Describe who is responsible for managing the project and who is accountable for supporting it. Indicate how progress will be measured and reported.

You may also want to include signature blocks for approvers, a table with the sponsor name, the names of anyone providing support or expertise to the document, a table of contents hyperlinked to first- and second-level headings, an appendix for attached worksheets and other supporting documents, and a glossary of terms. To title the document, follow the naming conventions of your organization and provide a version number, especially if the project is complicated and the business case is likely to go through revisions.

Who Is Involved in a Business Case?

The project sponsor prepares the business case in cooperation with team members and subject matter experts from the applicable areas, such as IT or finance.

Some companies may have dedicated project management offices. In that case, the project management office prepares the business case. If an outside organization requests support, that entity prepares the business case. The project sponsor and interested parties review the business case. Based on the business case, the project may be approved, rejected, altered, or postponed.

Tips for Creating a Compelling Business Case and Business Case Template

A business case may seem to require a lot of information, but you can keep it simple if you keep a few things in mind:

  • Define the strategic role and goals of the project early in the case study.
  • Create context for the project by discussing its history and background.
  • Show similarities between the proposed project and previous successful projects. Also, discuss important differences.
  • Don’t just show fixes to problems. Find opportunities where possible and highlight them in your case study.
  • State the benefits that will occur once the project is completed.

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  • The beginner’s guide to writing an effe ...

The beginner’s guide to writing an effective business case

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Nearly every project needs to be approved—whether that means getting the simple go-ahead from your team or gaining the support of an executive stakeholder. You may be familiar with using a project plan or project charter to propose a new initiative and get the green light for a project. But if your proposed project represents a significant business investment, you may need to build a business case.

If you’ve never written a business case, we’re here to help. With a few resources and a little planning, you can write a business case that will help you get the resources and support you need to manage a successful project.

What is a business case?

A business case is a document that explains the value or benefits your company will gain if you pursue a significant business investment or initiative. This initiative can be anything from the messaging for a new product or feature launch, a proposal to increase spend on a current initiative, or a significant investment with a new agency or contractor—to name a few. A compelling business case will outline the expected benefits of this significant investment decision. Key stakeholders will use the business case you provide to determine whether or not to move forward with an initiative.

If you’ve never created a business case, it may sound similar to other early project planning documentation. Here’s how it stacks up:

The difference between a business case and business plan

A  business case  is a proposal for a new strategy or large initiative. It should outline the business needs and benefits your company will receive from pursuing this opportunity.

A  business plan , on the other hand, is an outline for a totally new business. Typically, you’d draft a business plan to map out your business strategy, your mission and vision statements, and how you’re planning on getting there. There may be a case where you create a business plan for an already-existing business, but you’d only do so if you’re trying to take your business in a significantly new direction.

Business case vs. executive summary

Business case vs. project charter.

If you need to create an elevator pitch for your project but you don’t quite need the full business case treatment, you might need a project charter. Much like a business case, a project charter outlines key details of an initiative. Specifically, a project charter will cover three main elements of your project: project objectives, project scope, and key project stakeholders. Your management team will then use the project charter to approve further project development.

Do you need a business case?

Not every project needs a business case—or even a project charter. Plan to build a business case only for initiatives or investments that will require significant business resources. If you’re working on a smaller initiative, consider creating a project charter to pitch your project idea to relevant stakeholders.

Even if you don’t need to pitch your project to any stakeholders, you should be ready to answer basic questions about your proposed project, like:

What is this project’s purpose?

Why are we working on this project?

How does this project connect to organizational goals and objectives?

Which metrics will we use to measure the success of the project ?

Who is working on this project?

When is this project going to be completed?

5 steps for creating and pitching a business case

Your business case shouldn’t just include key facts and figures—it should also tell a story of why pursuing a particular investment or initiative is a good idea for your business. When in doubt, avoid jargon and be brief—but always focus on communicating the value of the project. If this is your first time creating a business case, don’t worry. Follow these five steps to create a solid one.

1. Gather input

You don’t have to write a business case on your own. Instead, make sure appropriate team members and stakeholders are contributing to the relevant sections. For example, the IT team should be involved in any tooling and timeline decisions, while the finance team should review any budget and risk management sections. If you’re creating a business case to propose a new initiative, product line, or customer persona, make sure you also consult subject matter experts.

2. Plan to write your business case out of order

Some of the first things that appear in your business case—like your executive summary—should actually be drafted last, when you have all of the resources and information to make an informed suggestion. Your executive summary will present all of your findings and make a recommendation for the business based on a variety of factors. By gathering all of those details first—like project purpose, financial information, and project risk—you can ensure your executive summary has all of the relevant information.

3. Build your business case incrementally

A business case describes a significant investment for your company. Similarly, simply writing a business case is a significant investment of your time. Not every initiative is right for your business—so make sure you’re checking your work with stakeholders as you go. You don’t want to sink hours and weeks into this document only for it to be rejected by executive stakeholders right off the bat.

Consider doing a “soft launch” with an outline of your business case to your project sponsor or an executive stakeholder you have a good relationship with to confirm this initiative is something you should pursue. Then, as you build the different sections of your business case, check back in with your key stakeholders to confirm there are no deal-breakers.

4. Refine the document

As you create sections of your business case, you may need to go back and refine other sections. For example, once you’ve finished doing a cost-benefit analysis with your financial team, make sure you update any budget-related project risks.

Before presenting your business case, do a final read through with key stakeholders to look for any sections that can be further refined. At this stage, you’ll also want to write the executive summary that goes at the top of the document. Depending on the length of your business case, your executive summary should be one to two pages long.

5. Present the business case

The final step is to actually present your business case. Start with a quick elevator pitch that answers the what, why, and how of your proposal. Think of this presentation as your chance to explain the current business need, how your proposal addresses the need, and what the business benefits are. Make sure to address any risks or concerns you think your audience would have.

Don’t go through your business case page by page. Instead, share the document with stakeholders before the presentation so they have a chance to read through it ahead of time. Then, after your presentation, share the document again so stakeholders can dig into details.

A business case checklist

Start with the why.

The first section of the business case is your chance to make a compelling argument about the new project. Make sure you draft an argument that appeals to your audience’s interests and needs. Despite being the first section in your business case, this should be the last section you write. In addition to including the  traditional elements of an executive summary , make sure you answer:

What business problem is your project solving?  This is your chance to explain why your project is important and why executive stakeholders should consider pursuing this opportunity.

What is your business objective ?  What happens at the end of a successful project? How will you measure success—and what does a successful project mean for your business?

How does this business case fit into your overall company business strategy plan?  Make sure your proposed business case is connected to important  company goals . The initiative proposed in your business case should move the needle towards your company's  vision statement .

Outline financials and the return on investment

At this point in your business case, you should outline the project finance fundamentals. Don’t expect to create this section on your own—you should draft this in partnership with your company’s finance team. In particular, this section should answer:

How much will this project cost?  Even if the initiative is completely new to your company, do some research to estimate the project costs.

What does each individual component of the project cost?  In addition to estimating the total overall cost, break down the different project costs. For example, you might have project costs for new tools and resources, competitive intelligence resourcing, agency costs, etc.

What is the expected return on investment (ROI)?  You’ve talked about the costs—now talk about how your company will benefit from this initiative. Make sure to explain how you calculated the ROI, too.

How will this project impact cash flow?  Cash flow is the amount of money being transferred into and out of your business. Significant investments are going to cost a lot of money, so they’ll negatively impact cash flow—but you should also expect a high ROI, which will positively impact cash flow.

What is the sensitivity analysis?  Sensitivity analysis is a summary of how uncertain your numbers are. There will be a variety of variables that impact your business case. Make sure to explain what those variables are, and how that could impact your projections.

Preview project details

Your business case is proposing a new initiative. In addition to the financial risks, take some time to preview project details. For example, your business case should include:

Your  project objectives  and  key project deliverables .  What will happen at the end of the project? What are you expecting to create or deliver once the project is over?

Your  project plan .  A project plan is a blueprint of the key elements your team needs to accomplish in order to successfully achieve your project goals.

The  project scope .  What are the boundaries of your project? What exact goals, deliverables, and deadlines will you be working towards?

A list of relevant  project stakeholders .  Who are the important project stakeholders and key decision makers for this work? This can include the members of the project team that would be working on this initiative, executive stakeholders who would sponsor the project, and any external stakeholders who might be involved.

A general  project roadmap  in a Gantt-chart like view.  At this stage in the process, you don’t need to provide a detailed project timeline, but you should outline a general sense of when each project stage will happen in relation to the others. To do this, create a project roadmap in  Gantt-chart like software . Make sure to include any important  project milestones  in your roadmap as well.

Any important project dependencies.  Is there anything that would get in the way of this project getting started? Does this work rely on any other work that’s currently in flight?

Discuss project risks

Once you’ve outlined the financial impact and important project details, make sure you include any potential project risks. If you haven’t already, create a  project risk management plan  for your business case. Project risk management isn’t the process of eliminating risk—instead, it’s about identifying, analyzing, and proactively responding to any potential project risks. Clearly defining each project risk and how that risk might impact your project can best equip you and the project team to manage and avoid those risks.

In the risk section of your business case, include:

A risk analysis of any potential project risks.  What is the risk? How likely is it to happen? What is the priority level of this risk?

What, if any, assumptions you are making.  In project risk management, assumptions are anything you think will be true about the project, without those details being guaranteed facts. Basing project decisions around an assumption can open your project up to risk. Make sure you ratify every project assumption to avoid jeopardizing project success.

Any comparable alternatives in the market.  If you’re writing a business case to pitch a new product or angle in the market, evaluate anything that already exists. Could the alternative impact your financial assessment or project success?

Develop an action plan

In the final section of your business case, outline how you will turn this business case into an actionable project. This section should answer questions like:

How will decisions be made?  Who is responsible for the project? Who is the project sponsor? If you haven’t already, consider creating a  RACI chart  to outline project responsibilities.

How will progress be measured and reported?  Not every project stakeholder needs to be notified of every project change. Outline key parts of your project communication plan , as well as how you’ll communicate  project status updates .

What is the next course of action?  If the management team ratifies this business case, what next steps will you take to put this into action?

Bring your business case to life

You’ve built a solid business case and it’s been ratified—congratulations! The next step is to bring your business case to life. It can be intimidating to  initiate large-scale change , and implementing your business case is no exception.

If you haven’t already, make sure you have a  project management tool  in place to manage and organize your new initiative. With a central source of truth to track who’s doing what by when, share status updates, and keep project stakeholders in the loop, you can turn a great business case into a successful project.

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What is a business case and how to write one (with template)

business case template for new tool

In this guide, we’ll define what a business case is, help you determine when you need one (and when you don’t), and walk you through a four-step process for creating a business case.

What Is A Business Case And How To Write One (With Template)

We’ll also outline what you should include in a business case and provide a free template you can use when writing a business case to secure stakeholder support for your next big project.

What is a business case?

Every project needs the support and approval of key stakeholders before it can launch. Many project and product leaders use a project plan or charter to communicate pertinent details to those involved.

Similarly, for large initiatives that require significant resources, potential investors are presented a business case outlining the costs, benefits, business need, and risks involved.

A business case is a document that defines the value it will deliver if executed and benefits the company over the costs involved. With a thorough understanding of the components to be included and necessary resources, it is possible to create a compelling business plan.

Why do you need a business case?

If a project is green-lit without a business case, it can lead to serious issues down the road. A project without clearly articulated expectations and goals can go on endlessly and aimlessly. This leads to wasted resources, money, and time with no outcome in the end.

A business case enables you to:

Align with strategy

Gain stakeholder support, prioritize projects, track outcomes.

A business case helps to showcase how a project is aligned with the overall strategy and goals of the organization. It clearly defines the problem or opportunity that the project is intended to address.

A business case also enables you to determine expected benefits and outcomes before you start a project or initiatives, thus projecting how the project contribute to achieving the organization’s goals.

A business case is a useful tool to provide a clear rationale for pursuing the project. A thorough business case can help key stakeholders decide whether to invest in the project by evaluating the feasibility, costs, risks and potential returns. A business case presentation gives stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions and address concerns.

A business case defines the value that the project is expected to deliver. Based on the value delivered by each project, business and product leaders can prioritize projects for budget cuts or further investments. Proper prioritization helps the organization achieve the goals aligned with the business strategy.

A business case provides a roadmap for the project, including the goals, milestones, and key deliverables. Once the project starts, a roadmap helps you keep track of your progress toward project goals, including what has already been achieved and what will be delivered at the end. Providing a timely update on the project to the key stakeholders is critical for setting expectations.

When you don’t need a business case

A business case is certainly helpful for large initiatives requiring support from key stakeholders, but there are some situations where creating a business case might be a waste of time.

business case template for new tool

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business case template for new tool

For instance, small or low-risk projects that would not impact the organization in any negative way do not require a business case because it would not make sense to spend that much effort on a low-scale project.

A business case might also be considered superfluous for a project that is already ongoing. It can be tempting to create a business case post-launch for the sole purpose of documenting decisions made and milestones achieved. However, it’s typically not worth the time investment because such a business case rarely adds any value or insights.

Before you take on the task of creating a business case, it’s important to carefully consider the need and to ensure that doing so would produce valuable insights to the decision-making process. It is in the best interest of everyone to forgo the business case creation process in situations where it does not provide any additional value and to focus instead on other activities that directly impact the project.

Business case vs. business plan

A business plan is not the same thing as a business case.

A business case outlines a proposed project and its potential benefits to convince key stakeholders to invest. It typically includes analysis of costs, value to be delivered, and associated risks, along with ROI.

A business plan, on the other hand, outlines the overall strategy and goals for an entire organization. It defines the what, why, and who for the business, covering the products and services offered, target segment, marketing and sales strategy, and operational and financial projections over a period of time. A business plan is designed to help potential outside investors make informed decisions about whether the business is worth investing in.

The table below breaks down the differences between a business plan and a business case:

How to write a business case

Before we dive into steps to create a business case, let’s review what we’ve learned so far:

  • A business case is a document created during the initiation of the project but is referred throughout the project lifecycle
  • A strong business case helps in building confidence and gaining support of key stakeholders
  • A business case also helps you track a project’s progress over time
  • A weak business case that is not aligned with strategy can lead to project failure

To write a business case, follow this four-step process:

  • Identify the business need
  • Explore all possible solutions
  • Propose the best approach
  • Outline the implementation process

1. Identify the business need

Projects are initiated to solve a business need and achieve a value or a benefit aligned to the goals of the organization.

The first step to create a business case is to identify the business problem and define it clearly. Market research and any available data to justify the business need is helpful to include in the business case.

2. Explore all possible solutions

Once the business problem has been identified, the next step is to explore all the possible solutions for that problem. You can do this systematically by listing out all the possible solutions along with other parameters, such as:

  • The benefits of each approach
  • Feasibility
  • Time period
  • Assumptions

A detailed analysis of each option predicting the cash flows, ROI, and value delivered would help key stakeholders understand each solution and cross-question the assumptions, feasibility, and other parameters.

3. Propose the best approach

Set a criteria to showcase how you evaluate each solution and then come up with the best out of the list.

To set the criteria, identify attributes that closely align to the organization’s strategy. For example, if the organization’s goal is to increase revenue in the next year, then an important criterion might be the solution with maximum revenue projection.

List the top three-to-five attributes to evaluate alternative solutions against and rank each solution 1–5. Once you rank all of them, total the ranks for all the attributes to indicate a clear winner.

Document this process and present it to stakeholders to ensure they are on the same page with the selection process of the best solution.

4. Outline the implementation process

Once the best solution has been proposed, the next step is to think about how it will be implemented.

When it comes to planning the implementation process, you need to define:

  • Resources needed
  • Timeline from initiation till the end
  • Risks and how to mitigate
  • Milestones and when they will be achieved
  • Total cost involved and how much will be used by when

These four steps, when captured in detail, can help you win the support of key stakeholders and kick off your project with a solid foundation and a clear objective.

What is included in a business case?

Now that we’ve walked through the steps of how to create a business case, let us also take a look at what to include in the business case document to support the four steps outlined above.

Here’s what to include in a business case:

  • Executive summary — A quick overview of the project and the topics being covered in the business case
  • Business problem — A description of the business problem and why it is important to solve it
  • Possible solutions — A list of possible solutions and how the best possible solution is identified
  • Project definition — Define the business objectives to be achieved along with general information about the project
  • Project plan — Create the project plan with key elements your team needs to accomplish to successfully achieve your project goals
  • Project scope — Clearly define what would be covered as a part of the project and what is out of scope to avoid any confusion
  • Project budget — Estimated cost involved to complete the project needs to be captured with a detailed breakdown
  • Project roadmap — Projection of the estimated timeline for each stage of the project to be done. Be sure to include any important project milestones
  • Project financials — Financial metrics depicting the cash flow, such as NPV, IRR, ROI, and payback period to help stakeholders understand the financial value the project can bring in over a period of time
  • Risk assessment — Capture the risks involved and the steps planned to mitigate the risks
  • Project stakeholders — A list of key stakeholders involved can help anyone looking at the document to reach out to them when needed. The list can include the project team, sponsoring executives, and any external stakeholders who might be involved

Business case template

To help you get started writing a business case for your next big project or initiative, we created a business case template that you can download and customize for free.

Business Case Template

You can access this simple business case template by clicking here (be sure to select File > Make a copy from the main menu bar before editing the template).

Preparing the business case is only half the journey of initiating a project. The next step is to present the business plan to key stakeholders , answer their queries, and compel them to support the project.

Lastly, be sure to follow up with the attendees to make sure all the stakeholders are on the same page and aligned to support the project.

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Business Case Template

Use this free Business Case Template for Word to manage your projects better.

business case template for new tool

A business case template is a document that helps sell your project. It collects the main points of a project and delivers them in a clear and concise manner. Our free business case template for Word is a great tool to help you gather that important data during the project initiation phase and show the project stakeholders the value and validity of the project.

What Is a Business Case?

The business case is a document used in project management to show that the costs related to the project are worthwhile and there will be a strong return on investment. These documents summarize various aspects of the project including its objective in addition to the costs and benefits that the project will deliver to its stakeholders.

You can think of a business case as the pitch you make to win over the client, customer or stakeholder. It justifies the project by evaluating the benefits, costs and risks while showing why this project’s path is the preferred solution to whatever problem the project is solving or the need it’s addressing. This buy-in is essential for any project to meet its objectives.

A business case provides details that are only outlined in the project proposal of the project. Unlike a project charter , which is a high-level description of the project and its deliverables, the business case is more focused on return on investment and future opportunities. The project charter details the actual project more than the business case, which is about justifying a company’s decision on taking on the project.

free business case template for Word

Why You Need a Business Case Template

The main reason why a business case template is so important is that it does the due diligence for stakeholders and proves that the expense is worth the return on their investment. There are many projects that might be in a company’s pipeline with only so many resources to deliver them. It’s crucial to know which project is going to be worthwhile from a financial viewpoint.

A business case acts as a number of different cases. For one, it’s the strategic case, looking to see if the project aligns with the overall company strategy. The economic case explores if the project offers the best value. A commercial case looks at the project through the lens of the market. A financial case sees if the investment is affordable for the company. A management case looks at those who will be involved in the project and whether they can deliver it.

No matter the project, big or small, the business case is a must if only to define the business needs and objectives of the project. Whether you have a long document or capture it all in the span of a single page, the business case template is a great way to align the project team and stakeholders, one of the most important reasons why you need a business case.

How to Use Our Business Case Template for Word

In order to fill in the blanks in our free business case template for Word, you need to start with research. That research will include the market you intend to introduce your project or service to the competitors that are already in that space and any alternatives.

Next, you’re going to compare business and project management approaches, looking for the best fit. The best approaches will be included in your business case template. Then you’ll compile all the data you have and present those strategies, goals and options.

Don’t forget to document everything . Your business case should be to the point but at the same time not skip important details that will sway your stakeholders. In order to do that, you’ll want to have an outline and then fill in each section. That’s where the free business case template for Word comes in—it does it for you.

Elements of Our Business Case Template

Our free business case template lays out all of the areas you’ll need to paint a full picture of the project, its objective, benefits and risks. This picture should be realistic while simultaneously proving the feasibility of the project from the point of view of investment. Our free business case template for Word is broken up into the following categories.

Executive Summary

This is at the top of our template. It’s the elevator pitch, in a sense, as it is a short roundup of all the sections that follow in the free business case template. This will provide your stakeholders with a way to get the gist of the whole document at a glance.

Mission Statement

It doesn’t hurt to have a mission statement , which is different from the above summary. It is a place to define the project’s objectives, purpose and goals. The mission statement is like the North Star in that it will help lead the team as well as help stakeholders understand the project more fully. If the project moves forward, there will be changes along the way and the mission statement will make sure that as you adjust your project plan you always keep the reason for the project in the crosshairs.

Product or Service

In this section, you’ll describe the product or service that is the final deliverable of the project. More than just a description, however, it should explain how it will be competitive, what niche it’s filling, the problem it’s addressing or the need it’s filling.

Project Definition

Here, you’re going to discuss the project itself, such as what its business objectives are and how you’ll achieve them with the project plan outline . This includes the project scope, such as the tasks and deliverables of the project that will allow you to reach your business objectives.

Project Organization

With this section, you’ll get into the style of coordination, communication and management you’ll use in the project. There are four basic project organizations: functional, which is a traditional structure with departments and managers who report to an executive; project, with divisions that focus on a specific project; organic, where the project follows a natural progression that is more flexible; and matrix, which is part function and part project-based.

Financial Appraisal

This is the dollar and cents part, so it’s extra-important as most businesses focus on the bottom line. You’ll need to show the costs of the project, which is the budget estimation , including how much all of the tasks and resources will be, and why that cost is less than the benefits that the project will deliver to the business. This comparison can be done with a sensitivity analysis and cost-benefit analysis.

Market Assessment

Whatever your product or service and however successful you say it will be, you must back up those claims with market research. This means looking at the market you plan to deliver your product or service, defining it, showing the competition and its percentage of that market, plus how you can reach an unserved segment of the market or answer a need that hasn’t yet been served. Not only the opportunities that you see in the market, but you need to also outline any threats to your product or service.

Market Strategy

Once you have done your market research it’s time to develop a strategy to take advantage of the opportunities you see there and avoid the threats. Describe what your distribution channel will be and what you think is a competitive price point for the product or service. Profile your target audience and how you’ll reach these customers and other aspects of your marketing plan.

Risk Assessment

No project is without risk. The best way to prepare for this unknown inevitable is by making a risk assessment of the project. Where are the weak points? Identify potential issues that might arise over the life cycle of the project and develop plans to mitigate or take advantage of these risks, as there are both negative and positive risks in a project.

How ProjectManager Helps Turn a Business Case Into a Project

ProjectManager is project management software that helps you turn a business case into a project. We have the tools you need to plan better and monitor your execution so you deliver your project on time and within budget. A business case is what convinces your stakeholders that the project is worthwhile.

Create Detailed Plans on Robust Gantt

The project plan is how you’re going to get from the idea to the reality. Now that you’ve outlined that path in your business case, use our interactive Gantt chart to stay organized. You can organize tasks, link dependencies to avoid bottlenecks and set milestones to track progress. Our tool goes even further by allowing you to filter for the critical path without time-consuming calculations. Once you set the baseline, you can then generate variance reports to see if your actual progress is aligned with your planned progress.

ProjectManager's Gantt chart

Monitor Progress and Performance With Real-Time Dashboards

In order to meet the expectations set by your business case and keep your stakeholders updated, you need to have an eye on your project to see things as they happen. Our real-time dashboard automatically collects and calculates six project metrics and displays them in colorful graphs that are easy to digest. Unlike lightweight tools, there’s no setup required. We also have real-time reports that dive deeper into the data, which can be filtered to show only what you want to see and shared with stakeholders to manage their expectations.

dashboard showing project metrics in real-time

Other Templates to Help Build a Business Case

The business case template is a powerful tool to win over your stakeholders. ProjectManager is not the software that will make the business case a reality. But we’re also an online hub for all things project management, including dozens of free project management templates you can download as you’re building your business case. Here are a few.

Executive Summary Template

Part of any business case is the executive summary. If you need help composing this overview, our free executive summary template for Word is what you should download. It’s all here, everything you’ll need to collect the main points and write a powerful and direct executive summary to sway your stakeholders.

SWOT Analysis Template

When developing a strategic plan for your business case, our free SWOT analysis template for Word helps you map the internal and external factors of influence. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This free template download can help you see your project in a bigger context.

Estimate Template

Another important part of a business case is the financial appraisal. What you need is to make an accurate forecast of your project’s costs. Our free estimate template for Excel helps you identify all the project costs related to labor, materials and more to show your stakeholders why their investment is going to give them a greater return.

Related Content

ProjectManager is also a great place to read about project management. We publish multiple blogs a week and have hundreds of tutorial videos, guidebooks, white papers and much more. These assets cover every aspect of managing a project, from initiation to close. Here are some related to making a business case.

  • 15 Free Word & Excel Templates for Business
  • How to Write a Business Case
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis for Projects: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • What Is a Project Plan? The Ultimate Guide to Project Planning

ProjectManager is award-winning software that organizes work, monitors progress and reports on performance to keep you productive. Whether you’re managing one project or a program or a portfolio of projects, we have the tools that connect teams across departments or the country. Real-time data helps you make more insightful decisions. Join teams at NASA, Siemens and Nestle who use our tool to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

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Article • 9 min read

How to Write a Business Case

Getting approval and funding for your project.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

business case template for new tool

You've got some great ideas for improving the way your department delivers what's required of it.

But how do you get approval for your projects to go ahead? And how do you ensure that you receive the resources you need to complete them successfully?

By creating a proper business case document.

In formal projects, a business case is the main deliverable from the Strategy and Business Case Project Phase . It's one of the key documents that senior managers review when deciding whether to give a project the funding it needs to go ahead. In the business case, you detail the benefits that the project will deliver, how they'll be achieved, what it will cost, and how long it will take.

There are a number of other benefits that come from writing a business case:

  • You have to be specific about what your project will achieve, all in a single document, so this encourages you to think the project through and record your key assumptions.
  • It provides a project baseline, against which you can track scope, cost, timelines, and the delivery of benefits.
  • It gives you an opportunity, right at the start of the project, to ensure that all of your stakeholders understand what you're delivering (and not delivering) and recognize any responsibilities and obligations they have in supporting the project.

To get the biggest advantage from this, think about how you can get your most important stakeholders involved. For example, you could consult with them before you put the business case together – or, alternatively, you could get their input when writing your business case, and get their feedback on early drafts.

Several of the articles within the Building Support for Your Projects articles in our Project Management section will help you here. Look at our articles on Working With Project Sponsors , Stakeholder Analysis , Stakeholder Management , the RACI Matrix and Influence Maps .

How to Use the Tool

Each business case should include several core components. The level of detail needed within your document will depend on the stage that the project is at, and on the level of complexity and investment required in the project. For example, in a complex project, you may need to submit an initial business case to seek approval of the project in principle. This would then lead to the release of preliminary funding, so that the project manager can produce a full business case, with a detailed analysis of scope, costs, and benefits. Approval of this detailed business case would then release funding for the project to be implemented in full.

On the other hand, a project to change an existing standalone IT system to deliver a legal requirement may be quick to implement, because it's self-contained, and has minimal impact. In this case, the business case may be only a few pages long.

Most organizations have a rigorous, careful process for allocating funds to projects. They may also have a set of priorities or considerations against which projects are assessed. Investigate the templates and guidelines available within your organization before you start writing your business case.

In particular, explore whether there's a template that you must use (and which parts of this are mandatory or optional). Identify who approves business cases for the level of investment that your project requires, and determine the assessment criteria for project approval.

The core business case components are as follows:

  • Management summary – Here, summarize the key points within each business case section, ideally on one page. You'll write this summary after you've clearly thought through the project proposal in detail, and written the rest of the business case document.
  • Project background – Identify the issue, opportunity, and business strategy requirements that the proposed project will address. Discuss any other options that you have considered and rejected as potential solutions. Identify any implications of not approving the project. Give information on the key stakeholders who have been involved in developing the project proposition, and explain the work that's already taken place in earlier project phases or in dependent projects.
  • Objectives – State what the project will deliver using SMART objectives .
  • Scope – Define what the project will deliver. Be clear about what is in the scope, and what's out of scope. You may find it helpful to list processes or process areas, geographical areas, departments/functions, equipment, systems (remember to state which system interfaces are in scope - this is often forgotten!), or stakeholder groups as a way of being clear about what is in scope. It's often also useful to state where the project responsibilities will end. For example, the project may be responsible for setting up the initial training of the internal support team. However, the internal support team may then be responsible for training end users as part of their existing "business as usual" responsibilities.
  • Dependencies – Identify any project dependencies. For example, state clearly if your team is in any way dependent on work from another team to complete the project. Also, be sure to state whether another project relies on something that you're delivering.
  • Risks – Identify the critical risks within the project. State how you plan to eliminate, reduce or manage these risks , and determine the implications of not doing so. You might also find it helpful to estimate the probability of each risk occurring, or give more detail about the conditions under which you could not effectively reduce the risk.
  • Costs and resources – Clearly lay out your project budget. In addition, highlight resources that you're depending on, but that don't need cash expenditure. These resources may include things like IT hardware, people, equipment, and rooms that are already available. In these cases, state the amount of these resources that you'll need, and highlight where you expect these resources to come from. Clearly state any assumptions that support the cost estimates in the business case, as well as any numbers that you've left out. For example, if you've assumed that there's sufficient data storage capacity already available, state this. Areas that are often forgotten in budgets include expenses for staff who must attend project events (such as workshops or business testing exercises) and extra systems hardware capacity. For example, if an additional server is needed to support testing, but it won't be needed once the project "goes live," it's easy to forget to budget for this. Managers often have problems getting hold of the resources they need for their projects. This is why it's really important to have key stakeholders give up-front approval, and understand the resources that the project will need.
  • Benefits – State the benefits that the project will deliver. These should include both qualitative and quantitative benefits.
  • Milestones – State your project timeline. If the project has to be delivered by a certain date to achieve legal or internal deadlines, state this. Also, be clear about the implications of the project starting, or not starting, by a certain date.
  • Project Evaluation – How projects are evaluated will depend on the organization and its mission. However many organizations will base go/no-go decisions on the project's Internal Rate of Return or Net Present Value, both of which are measures of the return that the project will deliver to the organization once costs have been considered.

Just as your organization is likely to have specialized templates for business cases, it's likely to have specialized rules detailing how projects should be evaluated. If appropriate, get help from your finance department to make sure that this part of your business case is correctly structured.

The business case is a key document in the initial stages of a project. It details how the project will proceed, and it's the key document that decision-makers need to decide whether to approve and fund your project. As well as this, it sets the baseline for the project's scope, costs, and timelines, which means that it's a key document for determining whether the project is judged as a success or a failure. As such, take care with this document – after all, anything that's wrong, left out or misunderstood could is likely to cause problems later.

As with many of the key project management documents, the business case provides you with an opportunity to engage with your key stakeholders and build support for your project. Make sure that you take best advantage of this opportunity!

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10 Free Business Case Templates in PowerPoint & ClickUp

ClickUp Contributor

February 13, 2024

clickup.com/templates/case-study-design-t-182377258(opens in a new tab)

Every great project kicks off with a solid plan. But before diving into that plan, you need a clear and concise business case to back it up.

Here’s some good news—we’ve got you covered with top-tier business case templates you can use in ClickUp and Word.

What is a Business Case Template?

What makes a good business case template, 1. clickup business case analysis template, 2. clickup business plan template, 3. clickup business plan document template, 4. clickup lean business plan template, 5. clickup case study template, 6. clickup case study design template, 7. clickup business analysis project plan template, 8. clickup business development plan template, 9. powerpoint business case template by slidemodel, 10. business case presentation template by 24slides.

Think of a business case template as your project’s passport. A business case template details the “why’s” and “how’s” of a project or proposed business change—its benefits, cost, risks, objectives, and more.

Whether pitching an idea or seeking approval, a business case template provides the structure you need.

A compelling business case template isn’t just about numbers; it paints a clear picture. It showcases benefits, draws attention to potential risks, and defines clear objectives.

Moreover, a solid business case template is versatile, user-friendly, and adaptable to various business needs. In fact, several business case templates use a similar structure to answer or address these areas:

  • Executive Summary : It gives a brief overview of the project, the overall objectives, and expected outcomes
  • Problem Statement : Clearly defines the problem you’re facing and what needs to be solved
  • Proposed Solution : This outlines your proposed solution in detail and includes how it will solve the problem
  • Cost Benefit Analysis : This provides a detailed breakdown of the associated costs with the solution and the potential financial benefits
  • Project Timeline : Outline the timeline for implementing the solution, including key milestones—basically anything that will help the project manager keep things on track
  • Risk Analysis : Identify potential risks and how they will be mitigated
  • Conclusion : Summarize why the proposed solution is the best choice for the business

10 Business Case Templates to Use in 2024:

Below are our favorite business case templates on the market today.

ClickUp Business Case Analysis Template

Diving into a new project demands a solid foundation. And what better way to lay it than with a well-structured business case? But crafting such a document can be challenging. Enter ClickUp’s Business Case Analysis Template : your ultimate solution!

This business case template is your assistant to visualizing and comparing different approaches to a business problem swiftly, determining the viability of your project with a cost-benefit analysis, and pinpointing key factors to the success of your business case.

Use our business case template’s custom statuses to monitor the progress of your business case analysis, and create custom fields so you can approach that business case analysis systematically. You can view different facets of the business case analysis as a Doc View, a Gantt chart, a Calendar View, or simply a list of tasks.

Bring ClickUp’s full suite of project management tools to bear as you map task dependencies to feasible due dates, then track business case progress automatically using AI-powered automations. These features are part of what makes ClickUp some of the best operations management software available.

This business case template allows you to identify your business problem and outline your business objective in ClickUp Tasks. Then, brainstorm together in ClickUp Docs to identify potential solutions for your business case. 

Finally, design your roadmap and assign tasks to the team. You can automatically monitor the progress on your business case with your custom statuses and set up regular check-ins on the project calendar.

Are you embarking on a new business case? Navigate seamlessly with ClickUp’s Business Case Analysis Template.

ClickUp Business Plan Template

Every flourishing venture begins with a robust business plan. It’s not just about having an idea but charting a clear course to bring it to fruition. ClickUp’s Business Plan Template simplifies this journey, providing you an efficient route to outline:

  • Crystal clear goals and mission
  • Comprehensive strategy, along with an execution timeline
  • Performance checkpoints, risk alerts, and success metrics

Envision it, and ClickUp’s template will guide you to actualize it!

Why is a Business Plan Template essential? With ClickUp’s Business Plan Template, you can:

  • Zero in on your precise objectives and aspirations
  • Profile your target audience and their sectors
  • Highlight your edge over competitors
  • Craft a strategy aimed at exponential growth
  • Write an executive summary to give investors a high-level overview of all your research

This meticulously designed business case document uses custom statuses so you can navigate from in progress through the revisions stage and finally mark each task as “complete!”

Organize your tasks with custom fields, and switch between views to emphasize different information based on your priorities.

ClickUp’s robust project management package lets you tag multiple teammates, nest subtasks in larger tasks, and set priority indicators.

This business plan template is set up so you can brainstorm your objectives with your team in ClickUp Docs and then itemize your product’s unique selling point in ClickUp Tasks. Execute your objectives on time and budget with the help of ClickUp’s Gantt charts. At the end of your proposed project, revisit your accomplishments with ClickUp Goals to see where you hit the target and where you may need to revise your approach.

If business success is your destination, ClickUp’s Business Plan Template is your map.

ClickUp Business Plan Document Template

Crafting an impeccable business plan can be an intricate journey, given its importance in rallying investors and stakeholders. But what if there was a tool to simplify and enrich this journey?

Meet ClickUp’s Business Plan Document Template , your ally in:

  • Unifying your team towards a shared vision
  • Amassing all critical data for an in-depth blueprint
  • Centralizing materials for seamless accessibility

Embark on fresh undertakings or rejuvenate current ones; this free business case template molds your aspirations into executable steps. Begin your ascent towards achievement today!

This ClickUp template equips you with:

  • Your project scope and a charted path laden with quantifiable goals
  • Resource management tools to accomplish tasks for task accomplishment
  • Proactive risk anticipation and mitigation strategies
  • Instant, precise data retrieval and modification

Naturally, this template includes a Doc View, but as a project manager, you have options like Gantt charts, Workload Views, and Calendar Views to help you see at a glance the information that matters most to you.

Keep a tight grip on your project with advanced comment tracking and AI automations that make your workflow run smoothly in the background while you get more work done.

To get the most out of this template, start by gathering your business objectives, audience research, product offerings, and financial picture. You can use research management software to help with this stage. Then, you can use ClickUp’s Table View to lay out a clean, easy-to-read executive summary and your market assessment and financial appraisal for investors.

ClickUp Lean Business Plan Template

Aspiring to propel your business idea into reality but are hindered by the extensive demands of traditional planning? ClickUp’s Lean Business Plan Template is your savior.

Forge an efficient, succinct business strategy, offering:

  • A bird’s-eye view of your enterprise
  • Intuitive blueprints for devising a cogent business plan
  • Incremental assistance for fleshing out each plan segment

Elevate your business cases quickly and affordably with ClickUp’s streamlined approach.

The template allows you to define your business, describe your target market, set budgets, and create goals.

Once that’s done, use custom statuses to monitor your progress toward achieving your goals. You can set reminders to check in on different areas of your business and use different views to check on your priorities, brainstorm additions to your business plan, or see a timeline of the tasks to be completed.

With ClickUp, turning your vision into a viable venture has never been more accessible. Simplify, strategize, and succeed.

ClickUp Case Study Template

Crafting an influential case study is an art of strategic organization and detailed execution. Enter ClickUp’s Case Study Template , your ultimate companion to orchestrate, frame, and present your research seamlessly.

Use this simple business case template to gather and consolidate data to support your case study and extract meaningful conclusions and takeaways from that information.

This approach to case studies gives you space to weave a real-world, impactful narrative that resonates with your audience. These stories are an important way to validate your sales propositions with concrete results. Telling others about your clients’ successes also builds trust with prospects.

You can brainstorm potential stories with ClickUp Whiteboards, then put your plan to paper with ClickUp Docs. After that, organize your writing process with an actionable task list. 

The ClickUp AI writing assistant can help you turn your ideas into a cohesive story. Then, use ClickUp’s integrated email and collaborative editing tools to get final approval from the client.

A great case study stands tall in the realm of effective enterprise marketing tools . Let ClickUp be the wind beneath its wings.

ClickUp Case Study Design Template

Harness the power of compelling narratives with ClickUp’s Case Study Design Template , tailored for businesses keen on weaving success tales—a well-crafted case study not only shares successes but bolsters your brand credibility.

With this template, you can:

  • Demonstrate problems your customer encountered and how your offerings emerged as the proposed solution
  • Showcase tangible results, affirming the prowess of your product/service to potential clients
  • Ensure an organized, standardized business process , ensuring brand-consistent design and presentation across all case studies
  • Save precious time with streamlined research, design, and publication processes

Use this template to track the progress of your case study, seamlessly manage and visualize the data that will inform the case study, and incorporate ClickUp’s project management features like nested subtasks, multiple assignees, and priority labeling to make case study creation a breeze.

This template has space for you to define the goal for the case study, choose and describe your subject, collect all your data in a Table View, draft the narrative in ClickUp Docs, and then create a task list for marketing and promoting your case study. A communication plan template can also be a helpful tool for this stage.

With ClickUp’s innovative design template, crafting impactful case studies becomes an organized, efficient endeavor, enhancing your brand’s narrative prowess.

ClickUp Business Analysis Project Plan Template

Embarking on a business analysis project requires meticulous planning, resource utilization , and clear objectives. ClickUp’s Business Analysis Project Plan Template is a tailored solution to navigate these complexities seamlessly.

This template is for you if you need to:

  • Craft a bespoke business analysis plan aligning with your organizational goals
  • Perform a risk assessment and create mitigation strategies
  • Effortlessly adapt to changing scenarios and ensure timely project delivery
  • Equip your project team to dive deep into business nuances, ensuring a holistic understanding of products, clientele, and operational facets

The ClickUp Business Analysis Project Plan Template lets you lay out the scope and objectives of your plan, identify key personnel and their roles, build an action plan, and then assign the necessary resources to achieve your goals on time and on budget.

Use ClickUp to assemble your team and assign them roles. You can document deliverables in ClickUp Docs along the way and tag significant milestones with ClickUp Tasks.

With ClickUp’s template, business analysis project planning is simplified and supercharged for optimal outcomes.

ClickUp Business Development Plan Template

Crafting a robust business plan is the cornerstone of entrepreneurial achievement. With myriad tasks to manage and objectives to meet, a streamlined tool becomes imperative. That tool is ClickUp’s Business Development Plan Template —your ultimate companion in carving out a successful business trajectory.

With this template, you can set precise, achievable targets and track your progress toward achieving them. Document clear blueprints to meet your business aspirations, but use ClickUp’s collaborative tools to edit and iterate on those plans along the way.

The beauty of this template is it ensures all stakeholders are synchronized and aligned because you have defined actionable steps to use your resources effectively.

With ClickUp’s Business Development Plan Template, chart a course toward unparalleled entrepreneurial success!

Powerpoint Business Case Template by SlideModel

Elevate your business presentations with SlideModel’s Free Business Case PowerPoint Template . Tailored for modern professionals, this dynamic template facilitates a comprehensive discourse on new business initiatives, elucidating their relevance, objectives, and potential returns.

This template is ideal for consultants, budding entrepreneurs, and SMEs aiming to pitch their project description or corporate strategy to stakeholders or investors.

It includes an engaging title slide, slides for introduction, problem statement, solution proposal, benefits, implementation, and key takeaways. You’ll enjoy the eye-catching human character vector graphics for sharp visuals, versatile infographic icons, and a wavy timeline chart to illustrate milestones.

The template has full editability across color palettes, backgrounds, and fonts. The template’s adaptability ensures its seamless integration into diverse presentations.

Although optimized for PowerPoint, you can also download versions that cater to Google Slides and Keynote.

In search of an impressive medium to present your business case? SlideModel’s template is a click away. For alternative designs, explore their featured Business Case PowerPoint Template collection. Secure your copy today!

Business Case Presentation Template by 24slides

Introducing the Business Case Presentation Template by 24Slides —a comprehensive toolkit for innovators and visionaries ready to revolutionize their organization. Every groundbreaking idea warrants a robust presentation that encapsulates its essence, both financially and technically.

Crafted with precision, this template offers an array of instrumental slides tailored to articulate your idea seamlessly:

  • Clearly define your vision and the strategic goals you aim to achieve
  • Delve deep into potential challenges, ensuring stakeholders are well informed and prepared
  • Offer a lucid timeline, pinpointing milestones and mapping out your project’s trajectory

Every slide has been meticulously designed to foster clarity, conviction, and comprehensibility. With the 24Slides template, you are empowered to present a holistic overview of your idea, bolstering its feasibility and implementation potential.

For those committed to driving value and championing transformative ideas, this Business Case Presentation Template serves as the ultimate companion. Express, elucidate, and execute your vision with unparalleled finesse.

Why ClickUp Stands Out in the Business Tool Realm

Templates are great, but when combined with an intuitive platform offering robust project management features? It’s a game-changer. 

ClickUp isn’t just a library of versatile business templates. It’s a comprehensive tool designed to streamline your projects, optimize communication, and enhance productivity. 

From setting up workflows to collaborating with your team in real-time, ClickUp seamlessly integrates every aspect of project management. 

So whether you’re drafting a business case, planning a project, or managing day-to-day tasks, ClickUp is your one-stop hub, combining utility with unparalleled efficiency. Dive into ClickUp today and experience the future of business management.

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How to write a business case (+ free template and example)

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Table of Contents

Let’s say you are a project manager — and you notice the communication tool your team is using is outdated and difficult to use. 

It frequently causes issues in communication — team members don’t always receive meeting invites, messages get lost, you can’t save important information without writing it down somewhere separately, etc.

You discovered a new communication tool that you think would be great to switch to, but that would require the whole company to transition from one to the other. You can’t just suggest this to your superiors, without offering concrete evidence as to why the switch is necessary.

This is where a business case comes into play. It outlines why and how an endeavor or a project is worth undertaking. In this text, we will talk about:

  • What a business case is,
  • How it differs from similar documents,
  • How to write and present a business case, 
  • The Five Case Model for preparing a business case, and
  • The key elements of a business case.

We will also provide you with a business case template you can use, and an example you can reference.

How to write a business case - cover

What is a business case?

As per the PMBOK 7th Edition , “ a business case is a value proposition for a proposed project that may include financial and nonfinancial benefits. ” 

On top of this, “ a business case can contain information about strategic alignment, assessment of risk exposure, economic feasibility study, return on investments, expected key performance measures, evaluations, and alternative approaches. ”

Basically, a business case is a document that acts as the summary of your project idea, providing the reasons it should be executed and focusing on the benefits it brings.

Writing one should be among the first steps to starting your project — as you will use it to gain the attention of the stakeholders and convince them to support your project. 

We’ll get into detail on writing it, but first — let’s clear up the difference between a business case and some terms it’s often confused with.

Business case vs. business plan

A business case and business plan seem similar at first glance — they both outline a project and can be used for stakeholder propositions. 

In reality, though, they are used for different things.

The main difference between the two is what they focus on. 

Business cases are created for endeavors within a business — projects, acquisitions, events — while business plans are typically used when starting a new business. 

A business plan will contain broader aspects of a business — like a mission statement or target market. Business cases are more specific, and they deal with an aspect of a business — be it an issue or an opportunity.

💡 Plaky Pro Tip

You can find examples of how to write a business plan in our guides on starting a business in different US states:

  • How to start a business in Connecticut
  • How to start a business in Arizona
  • How to start a business in Alabama
  • How to start a business in Arkansas

Business case vs. project plan

A business case can also be confused with a project plan . However, a business case should justify why a project should exist. Only after a project is approved, post business case review, a project plan is created.

Where a business case will speak on how a project should look, a project plan will determine how it will look. Meaning, business cases are broader and more theoretical. Project plans need to be exact, as they will serve as guidelines for all project team members .

Business case vs project charter

The main difference between a business case and a project charter lies in their similarities — a business case is used to justify a project’s existence, while a project charter is used to authorize its execution. Again, a business case is created before the project charter.

The second difference between the two is in how concrete they are. A business case suggests project managers, while the project charter authorizes them. Essentially, the project charter makes the final calls on how things should be done. 

The same goes for the project scope — while a business case can suggest the schedule and budget of a project, the project charter will make the final decision.

business case template for new tool

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How to complete a business case in 3 steps

The business case is one of the most important documents to create for your project. Therefore, you should approach the process of making one with utmost care and attention.

For ease of reference, this process can be separated into the following steps:

  • Do your research,
  • Write incrementally, and
  • Present your business case.

Step #1: Do your research

Rushing into things blindly will practically always result in failure. So, before you begin writing a business case, you must gather as much information as possible regarding the desired project.

It’s good to seek out information on matters you know little about. Consult experts in the fields required for your project. 

For example, if you are creating an app to help tourists experience lesser-known landmarks, you want to consult both with IT experts and tourism experts for the appropriate locations.

Now, instead of relying on data you’re unsure of, you have concrete, confirmed information that you can create your project around. 

Basically — you’re taking the guesswork out of the equation.

Step #2: Write incrementally

Now that you have all the information necessary for your project, it’s time to start writing your business case. 

This is where you’ll determine where certain pieces of information you’ve gathered will fit — which piece of your project they are necessary for.

Knowing how to utilize what you’ve learned is essential for this step. For example, if you’ve gathered information on what it would take to create your app, you should know the:

  • Employee skill sets required, and
  • The number of employees needed for your project.

Once you have all the information, try to present it in a concise but compelling manner.

It’s good to check in with your project stakeholders for updated information and change the business case incrementally with their input. After all, the stakeholders have your project’s best interest at heart, so their advice is to the project’s benefit.

You want to save the executive summary for last since it will be a recap of all you’ve written in your business case.

Step #3: Present your business case

Now that you’ve completed your business case, it’s time to convince your stakeholders that it’s an endeavor worth pursuing. 

Whether it’s external financiers or company seniors, you need to have important stakeholders on your side for the project to take off. 

Your business case might be incredible, but if you cannot sell the idea you’re pushing, it will be difficult to get any backing. So, organize a presentation for your stakeholders or try an elevator pitch — a quick way of presenting your key points.

If you’re inexperienced with presenting your ideas, practicing an elevator pitch is a great way to realize what the main selling points of your project are. 

An elevator pitch should last around 30 seconds — about as much as an elevator ride lasts — and include the main reasons someone should invest (be it their time, funds, or effort) into your project.

The Five Case Model for developing a business case

When writing your business case, you should not only be concerned with what the contents of your business case will look like but who will be reading that content as well.

There are many different kinds of stakeholders, and all of them will be looking for different appeals in your business case. To help you write one that can get positive remarks from all of them, you can use the Five Case model .

It suggests that a business case should be written from five different points of view, named:

  • The strategic case,
  • The economic case,
  • The commercial case,
  • The financial case, and
  • The management case.

POV #1: The strategic case

The strategic case is written from the perspective of the business itself. It aims to show how a project will keep in line with the business objectives, goals, and vision — and benefit them.

The goal is to show how this project will positively impact the business — whether directly, through perhaps a product, or indirectly, through something like a PR stunt.

POV #2: The economic case

The economic case is written to show how the project brings social value, including environmental effects. The most important part of the economic case is the options analysis, which we will touch on in the next segment.

Not surprisingly, you want to focus on the economic case if you are making a project that will interact with the public. 

POV #3: The commercial case

The commercial case is written to show the commercial strategy and cost-effective procurement of project resources . It shows that you have a good understanding of the marketplace by assessing supply options.

You’ll need to keep updated on costs, the resources you’ll need, as well as any risks that might come when acquiring them. 

POV #4: The financial case

The financial case, in essence, wants to answer the question — can we afford it? It speaks on the funding of the project and the support of stakeholders and customers.

For the financial case, you need a thorough understanding of the capital, revenue, and whole-life costs of your project. You also need to address any possible gaps in funding that might arise during the course of the project.

POV #5: The management case

The management case is written to show the delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of the project. You need to assure your stakeholders that your project will be managed with the best practices and that all timelines are set with appropriate goals assigned to them.

It mostly covers the project governance and risk management elements of the business case, which we will talk about soon.

7 Key elements of a business case

A business case can have many elements — there can be over 50 elements in a detailed document. 

However, we can divide and combine them into 7 key elements that should exist in every business case, namely:

  • Executive summary 
  • Financial assessment
  • Business objectives
  • Project options analysis
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Project governance
  • Risk management

Let’s dive further into them and see what you should look into when writing each of these elements in your business case.

Element #1: Executive summary

You could view the executive summary as a retelling of the essence of the business case. It gathers all the most important information from the rest of the document in one place.

An executive summary should start with an introduction and answer the following questions:

  • What issue does the project solve or what opportunity does it take advantage of? 
  • What options exist to tackle this issue/opportunity?
  • What option is the preferred solution?

Next, you want to present the research you went through to create this business case. Then, go through your recommended actions — the conclusion of your research. This is essentially where the bulk of your project expectancies go.

By the end, the reader of your executive summary should understand what they’re getting into for the rest of the document.

Element #2: Financial assessment

In the financial assessment, you want to predict the cash flows of your project. The first thing you want to show in this section is detailed cost estimates and risks.

You should produce cost estimates for different aspects of the project — for the app example, think UI design or marketing — and determine them at both the P50 and P90 levels of confidence. 

P50 means a cost estimate with a 50% probability of not exceeding it, and P90 means a 90% chance of the same. 

For example, you’re 50% sure that the UI design costs will not exceed $50k, but you’re 90% sure they won’t be over $70k.

Next, you want to present the following:

  • Project funding analysis, 
  • Development analysis (the cost of scoping a project),
  • Staffing impact summary, and 
  • Summary of costs for each project phase. 

Element #3: Business objectives

The business objective answers a simple question — why are you doing the project? 

Think back on what we described first in the executive summary. What opportunities or issues arose that require this project to exist?

How does this project relate to the current business strategy? You need to convince everyone reading that your project needs to happen. 

What are your project goals? Once you determine project goals, you can determine:

  • Project scope,
  • Project constraints , and
  • Project deliverables .

Element #4: Project options analysis

Now that you’ve justified the reason your project should exist, it’s time to take on different options for its execution. 

This element is dedicated to analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each option — basically, doing a SWOT analysis for each of them. 

Then you want to shortlist the options by discarding the ones that don’t lead to the desired outcome. Finally, do a reassessment of the shortlisted options and discard options accordingly.

Take a look at the external stakeholder impact of each option. More specifically, you want to look at the nature and level of impacts, specify the negative ones, and propose how they should be managed and mitigated.

While this boils down to a risk analysis for each option, it’s broader and used to determine the overall risk of each option. A more detailed risk analysis, determining the weight of specific risks and building contingency plans, comes later.

The project that comes out of this will be the preferred option for tackling the issue or opportunity described, which will be used as a reference when the actual project is executed. Finally, determine target outcomes for the reference project, measured with project KPIs . The targets must be realistic and measurable, yet challenging.

Element #5: Cost-benefit analysis

A cost-benefit analysis is used to prove that your project is worth doing from a business point of view. It proves that the benefits of doing a project are greater than the costs, thus justifying the project.

The cost-benefit analysis is done in 4 steps:

  • Establish a framework — in this step, ask yourself what the measurement of your project’s success is (hint — take a look at the KPIs you’ve determined) and make sure both costs and benefits are measurable.
  • Analyze costs and benefits — measure the costs and benefits of your project separately. Some are obvious — material or employee costs — but some are more elusive. If you are using an owned facility to house the project in, you are not spending any money for rent, per se — but that facility’s worth is being directed towards your project, so it’s an indirect cost.
  • Establish a value for the costs and benefits — to compare the costs and benefits, they must share an equal “value unit”. Traditionally, monetary currencies are used, but you can be more creative if the situation calls for it. Intangible costs and benefits can be difficult to place a specific value on, but not impossible to achieve still.
  • Compare the value of the costs and benefits — compare the sums of both the costs and benefits of your project. If the benefits outweigh your costs, your business case is good to go. If it’s the opposite, maybe you should revise the option you chose in the previous element.

Element #6: Project governance

Who will do what in your project? This is the question you want to answer in the project governance element of your business case. A typical hierarchy is set as:

  • Responsible minister,
  • The project control group,
  • Project sponsor, and lastly,
  • Project team.

Next, you want to analyze communications. In essence, how and how frequently will you communicate with certain stakeholders? 

You can use:

  • Progress reports for superiors, 
  • Team meetings for team members as internal stakeholders, or 
  • Even social media for communication with customers as external stakeholders.

If you want to know more about the importance of communication in a project, check out this article:

  • Why is communication important in project management?

Element #7: Risk management

Lastly, an element you mustn’t underestimate is risk management . Risk assessment is so vital to every project that it’s done while writing a business case, so even before the project is approved.

Risks are analyzed through 2 criteria — likelihood, and impact.

By likelihood, they can be: 

  • Almost certain,
  • Possible, and 

By impact, they can be: 

  • Major, and 
  • Catastrophic.

These criteria are used to create a risk matrix, determine the categories of risks, and make us aware of how urgent action is. Safe to say, if a risk is both catastrophic in impact and almost certain in likelihood, action on it is prioritized over any other.

You can vary these parameters of likelihood and severity to keep your analysis flexible, as seen here:

Example of a risk assessment matrix

After all the risks have been identified, you want to construct a risk management plan , outlining all risks and their categories, as well as figuring out contingency plans for all of them.

If you want to learn more about managing risk in your projects, check out this guide:

  • What is risk in project management?

Business case template + example

Knowing the steps to make a business case, however, does not properly explain what a business case looks like. 

A business case can be very detailed — the sheer number of points in it could be as long as an academic paper. 

But, we’ve created a business case template with 7 of the most important points it should have:

  •  Executive summary
  • Cost benefit analysis

Business case template

🔽 Get the free business case template here

A filled-out business plan template can be extensive, spanning many pages of documentation. So, to give you an idea of what you should be writing about in a specific situation — we have filled in a business case template with the thought process that will come into writing each element:

Project title: Poetry Night event

Start date: 10/5/2023

Project manager: William Cambridge

Contact info: [email protected]

Executive summary: Reasoning for a poetry night might come from doing a poll, showing that the local area has no such events, yet the populace shows a good number of aspiring writers and poets.

Financial assessment: Cost estimates for this project may vary — renting space may be mandatory, and you might want catering for the event. Both of these may vary in cost depending on the number of attendees, so for your P90 analysis you should take a look at the poll results to estimate the maximum number of guests.

Business objectives: This project is done for public benefit, but can also serve to boost the PR of an organization. The project goals might be viewed through the attendees’ satisfaction, a boost in your organization’s online presence, or a rise in the popularity of a poet you were trying to promote with the event.

Project options analysis: This section would be dedicated to analyzing the different kinds of executions of the poetry night. Should it be in public, or in a closed rented space? Should there be light music in the background, and would it be beneficial to the event if the music was live? If you’re unsure of the answer — consult with stakeholders. In this case, you could do another poll.

Cost benefit analysis: The benefits of this project will largely be intangible — the rise in your organization’s popularity or the satisfaction of attendees would be difficult to quantify with dollar signs. However, there might be tangible benefits to find — if your organization offers a product or service, is there an expected rise in procurement after the project’s completion?

Project governance: Who will be in charge of the organization of the project? Who will be the sponsor? Who will tend to the catering? Who will be the presenter, and whose poetry will be presented? Answering these questions gives us project governance in this example.

Risk management: Is there a possibility that very few people will show up? Is there a possibility that the vendor of the rented space or the catering cancels last minute? In that case, is there a backup you can use and how can you notify all attendees of the change effectively?

And below, you can see how our example looks when we add it to our business template:

Business case example

Conclusion: Use a business case to pitch your ideas correctly 

By now, you should be aware that just having an idea usually isn’t enough to make someone want to support it. Analyzing it, justifying it, and creating a detailed business case around it are the essence of selling an idea to superiors or potential investors.

Always start with the idea itself — the best way to bring someone closer to it is to explain how you came up with it in the first place. Be sure to compare with alternatives, and show why your case is the one to go with.

A business case is a great tool to facilitate growth, whether it be small or large in scale. 

✉️ Do you have experience with writing business cases and have additional advice on the subject? If yes, write to us at [email protected] and we may include your advice in this or future articles.

LukaBogavac

Luka Bogavac is a project management author and researcher who focuses on making project management topics both approachable and informative. With experience in entrepreneurial projects, education, and writing, he aims to make articles that his younger self would appreciate. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors hiking, or staying indoors with a good film or video game.

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8 Clear-Cut Steps to Building the Business Case for Enterprise Agile Software

  • The Team at Apptio
  • August 27, 2018

Building a business case in an Agile environment might seem like a difficult endeavor. And while it can be challenging, there are tools and methods that simplify the process and make it far more manageable.

When Forbes interviewed 500 international senior executives last July, they found one striking Agile statistic : Almost every single respondent—92%—agreed that “organizational Agility” is “critical to business success.” (We’ve got a free business case for software that will help you with just that.)

Another statistic? Enterprise Agile software radically helps with organizational agility. For example, a study out of Capterra shows that users see improvements in team communication, final product quality, and the number of projects completed within budget with the implementation of similar tools.

Scaled Agile Framework tools have the opportunity to supercharge large businesses’ productivity, product outcomes, and bottom line. They’re meant to be used with SAFe—or the Scaled Agile Framework —which is a system designed to bring iterative improvement to everyone , from the recent college hire to the C-suite. A number of other end-to-end business agility practices, like Nexus or LeSS, provide a similar system.

That said, building the business case for software to enable Agile cross-functional teams is not easy. In recognition of the work that goes into building this business justification, we’ll equip you with insights into how to:

  • Assess the business’s greatest priorities—and how to tailor your business case to those needs.
  • Verify whether or not your company is really ready for an enterprise-grade tool.
  • Evaluate the path for tool adoption.
  • Screen existing software for features that enable both strategic planning and fast, high-quality execution.
  • Find the numbers you need.
  • Analyze benefits and risks without hyperbole or minimization.
  • Propose a realistic change management plan and outline a corresponding timeline.
  • Distill your business case to a one-page proposal and corresponding half-hour presentation (both business case template and business case presentation are available for download).

If you’re itching to skip ahead, feel free to use the table of contents above to match where you are in your business case for software.

1. Assess your business’s greatest priorities before making your business case for software

As with many enterprise businesses, you should have a feel for what the C-suite is pushing hardest for in their annual goals. If you don’t, consider asking your leadership (or someone who reports to leadership with insight) the following questions:

  • If you were to choose the most important qualitative and quantitative goals for our company this year, what would they be?
  • What is your definition of a successful SAFe transformation? What metrics will you be looking for?
  • If you could snap your fingers and fix one thing about our business operations, what would it be?

You’ll probably get an answer that stems from one of the following:

Naturally, enterprise Agile software touches on a good number of these variables both directly (operational efficiency) and indirectly (financial stability). As much as you can, align your stakeholders’ goals with measurable outputs from your proposed enterprise Agile solution.

In the end, your business priority alignment diagram should look something like this (these are all included in the Enterprise Agile Software Business Case Template Free Download).

Your stakeholders’ priorities create the scaffolding for your business case for software; if your reasoning for purchasing software deviates from these priorities, your ability to convince your leadership of investing in something that’s not a business priority will become incredibly difficult. Be sure to complete this step before moving on to the next.

2. Verify that your business needs an enterprise-grade Agile tool.

As many businesses grow, different software teams tend to identify tools and processes that work specifically for them. Unfortunately, if you want these teams to work smoothly as an individual unit  and across the company, there’s a limit to how individual toolsets can sync.

For example, it’s not uncommon for some teams to start off with only free tools; I’ve certainly worked in environments based on a mishmash of Google calendar, Slack, Taiga.io, Codebrag, Git, Atom, Eclipse, and Jenkins—all free, yes, but all limited in communication. Anyone developer would have to access a multitude of tools to get insight into what the team was working on.

Another common problem is that the team uses a nicely integrated tool that’s outdated. Because it was tough to learn and expensive to boot, there’s fear that the sunk costs aren’t worth the change management involved in implementing a new tool.

That’s not an unreasonable fear! What would be unreasonable, however, would be adhering to that fear without considering what other opportunities might be available.

3. Evaluate the path for enterprise Agile software adoption

Designing and optimizing your adoption strategy will require significant creative thinking—it is the least pattern-based part of developing your business case for enterprise Agile software and the most critical factor to decision makers.

Bear in mind: a majority of business leaders do not believe change management is possible—a belief founded in an enduring disproven estimate from 1993 .

There are three common pitfalls of adopting a new Agile tool. These are serious considerations, especially when advocating to executives who are time- and process-conscious.

  • Your infrastructure isn’t ready. Unless you’re stuck in 2015 , you’ll probably want a SaaS instead of an on-premise solution (they’re significantly more secure and often cheaper than on-premise software, even in the long term ). That said, even SaaS tools have certain system requirements. For example, Targetprocess requires one of the latest two versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to run correctly. Be sure you have enough internet bandwidth to prevent the software from slowing down, and build redundancies so that you don’t run the risk of losing access to your Agile tool.
  • You haven’t considered change that’s already happening in your company. Plot where you are in your Agile transformation. Business agility is such a new concept that most enterprises (with few exceptions like Spotify or certain divisions of ING ) are not yet fully “Agile.” Whether you’re in the midst of launching the Agile Release Train or just forming your Nexus Integration Team, the introduction of cross-functional Agile software will undoubtedly bring more change to a company already in transition.
  • Not all teams were considered when making an impact analysis. Detail how the software implementation will affect individual teams. If moving from Jira to Targetprocess to save money, for example, your programmers will be able to quickly make the switch. However, if you’ve been running your software teams off of ad-hoc tools like Slack , you may need to provide some required training. How much time will that cost your teams?

To avoid these problems when gathering information for your change management process, be sure that you have thoroughly completed the adoption pathway assessment. Below we’ve created a checklist of common questions to investigate during this stage:

  • What individual beliefs conflict with adopting an enterprise Agile tool? Sample answer from a developer: I like using [current tool] and I don’t particularly want to change.
  • What team-level beliefs conflict with adopting an enterprise Agile tool?  Sample answer from a product owner: Learning SAFe is hard enough. Can’t we finish learning that system before adding more complexity?
  • Who is available to teach the desired tool to our development teams?  Sample answer from the CFO: It would be cheaper for the provider to provide a four-hour training session.
  • Is the provider well-equipped to help with software implementation?  Sample answer from you: The provider has a template that it has used successfully for companies similar to our own.
  • How will the new software change workflow?  Sample answer from the CIO: I’m looking forward to it! It looks like the software will improve transparency through our entire department.

Think of yourself as an investigative journalist. Be sure to get a set of answers from at least one representative from each impacted team—ideally more.

It’s not your job to find all the answers to these questions, but it is your job to assess what challenges you may have to overcome when implementing a new tool. Addressing the answers to these questions will come from those in charge of change management in your organization, along with representative team members, is all you have to do at this point.

Finding the high-level answers to these questions is just the first step; later, you’ll create software advocates similar to the groups that you surveyed here to help with user adoption.

4. Screen existing enterprise Agile tools for scalability

You know that enterprise Agile software aligns with your business’s priorities.

You confirmed that there is a business justification for software adoption.

You worked through a set of investigative questions to gauge what problems may emerge when adopting the tool.

Let’s look at selecting the right software systematically.

There are plenty of programs that claim to provide “business agility,” some to their own detriment . While plenty of product management tools provide features for Agile development and also claim to scale, few were created with the intention to do so.

Luckily, there are a series of signs that suggest whether a tool can work well with SAFe, LeSS, Nexus, or other scaled Agile frameworks.

Feature A: Basic Agile

Of course, every enterprise Agile tool should have basic Agile features . Any tool that doesn’t provide the following should not be a consideration for your team:

  • Dependencies
  • Story types
  • Velocity and burndown reporting
  • Issue tracking

Many project portfolio management tools claim that they support Agile, but don’t in reality. For example, using just this short list of features that any Scrum team could expect of their project management software, many “Agile” tools don’t make the list.

Once you’ve identified scalable Agile tools, look for the second set of qualifications.

Feature B: Built with scaling in mind

While many tools market themselves as team-based solutions that scale, the features that they offer—not to mention the price point at which they offer it—quickly prove those claims untrue. But how can someone evaluate a tool for something that works not just for your team now, but your team of the future?

There are four features you should look for:

  • SAML or OAuth : Your Agile software should offer sensitivity to your company’s growth as an enterprise—and with it, increased security risks. The enterprise version of the tool should offer a single sign-on protocol to keep your teams’ information safe.
  • Customizable visual encoding: As your software scales across the enterprise, speed fuels its agility. Portfolio and product managers must be able to see all of their projects’ progress immediately on their dashboard—and those reports must be easy to set up, visual in nature, and immediately actionable. Be sure your new tool can tailor its views so that management can immediately see items in need of attention.
  • Scaled pricing: Not every enterprise Agile tool believes in pricing transparency (a concern in and of itself), but if you’re able to glean insight into pricing structures, beware: – Throttled non-administrative user roles. – Plugin dependency for features commonly available in traditional project management software (e.g. time tracking), especially if they cost extra.
  • User buy-in: If no one likes using the software, no one will use it; they’ll find workarounds.

Only consider tools that have a 90% (or 4.5/5 stars) satisfaction rating when averaging review sites like Capterra, Finances Online, and G2Crowd. When providing the example below, I averaged those three sites.

Feature C: Enterprise-level, Agile-specific functionality

Whether you’re using Scrum at Scale, SAFe, LeSS, Nexus, or something else, you’ll want your enterprise Agile tool to be enabled to conform to these guidelines.

Given that many companies scale Agile differently (and often use a hybrid process), consider looking for these features:

  • End-to-end business agility: Tie business objectives to each product in development so that the whole company is pushing in the right direction.
  • WSJF and ART enablement: Look for features specific to continuous delivery, building and enabling a secure work structure, and investing in priorities transparency.
  • Advanced forecasting and estimating: Look for tools that can not only report on work you’ve already done, but also work that you will do. Adaptive tools are necessities.
  • Third-party validation: While awards aren’t everything, they can indicate a product’s strengths. Look for placement from objective evaluators like Forrester or Gartner in their latest evaluations of best enterprise Agile tools.
  • Method investment: Is the tool formally invested in one of the scaled Agile methodologies? Whether the enterprise Agile software is a Nexus, Scaled Scrum, or SAFe-specific tool, investing in sponsorship for a business agility framework demonstrates a commitment to the cause.

From here, it’s time to get quantitative.

5. Find the right numbers for your business case for software

No business case for software is complete without metrics, money, and methods. The people you’ll be presenting to will immediately forgo text if they can get numbers. Let’s find the ones they care about most.

And while understanding metrics and knowing how to read them is highly important for any decision-maker, there is still one aspect that trumps everything else in business. Let’s talk cash.

There are three questions you need answer for your Agile software business case: What is the initial cost of ownership, what is the short-term cost of ownership, and what is the total cost of ownership over the course of five and ten years.

The initial cost of ownership is the easiest of these to calculate. It simply means “how much will it cost to first implement?”

For some tools, this may be a heavy investment; if you need to upgrade your enterprise’s infrastructure, for example, implementation costs could net several million dollars.

However, if you’re choosing a cloud provider, that scenario is unlikely. Instead, you’re more likely to encounter one-time setup costs, training fees, or an annual bulk payment. If you’re planning on hiring a third-party implementation specialist, include them in the initial cost analysis as well.

Short term costs include the above-mentioned fees along with estimates about lost productivity. If the tool isn’t as easy to use as Facebook, your business may suffer from resistant employees and unenthusiastic leadership. Be sure that your enterprise Agile software account manager advises you, using experience from serving companies similar to your own.

Finally, the total cost of ownership (TCO) is an estimate of how much the tool will cost you in the long term. Use our calculator to estimate what your TCO will be.

(A complete TCO calculator is included in the business case for software kit.)

6. Analyze the tool’s expected benefits and risks

You’ve picked your tool and you’ve honed in on costs. It’s time to evaluate the tool’s benefits and potential risks.

The benefits of enterprise Agile software tend to stem from the following:

  • Provide value stream clarity
  • Create and share portfolio roadmaps
  • Alleviate portfolio resource and budget misallocations
  • Tie company goals to projects and initiatives
  • Break down large projects into easy-to-tackle parts
  • Manage and mitigate risk
  • Uncover and visualize dependencies
  • Predict upcoming user workloads
  • Prioritizing and assigning backlogs
  • Improve communication
  • Decrease unnecessary meetings
  • Increase budget adherence
  • Foster quicker deadlines
  • Clarify priorities
  • Systematize pipeline management

As I mentioned above, decisionmakers love numbers. Consider working with an account manager to estimate numerically. Some benefits may include:

  • Increase program velocity by 70% in six months.
  • Establish program predictability within first mo nth.
  • Reduce running technical debt by 25% in first year .

No good things come without risk, and outstanding scaled Agile software is no exception. Ideally, your account manager will have worked with people in your industry before and be able to flag specific common problems. For example, in enterprise IT businesses, common risks include poor user adoption, poor security precautions, and poor implementation.

You’ll find many other possible risks as you evaluate the path (step 3).

When assessing what to do about those risks, remember that there are five common strategies. As I wrote in a prior article on risk management :

  • Avoidance : Change the objectives and scope to avoid the risk altogether
  • Transference : Push the risk onto a third party (like a subcontractor)
  • Moderation : Take steps to lower the probability of the negative event occurring
  • Acceptance : Accept that the risk may take place, along with any associated consequences
  • Abeyance : Determine how to address this risk at a later time.

Note: these suggestions were also pulled from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response , but the original document has been removed.

Be sure to investigate risks thoroughly and present them transparently; if decision makers uncover that you’re purposefully hiding or distorting realities that could damage their company, they will not take the rest of the proposal seriously.

7. Propose a sample implementation plan

While your enterprise’s decision makers will likely have follow-up questions and will want to demo the product themselves, show your preparedness with an illustration of how your company might deploy your new software. Your implementation plan will likely change, but it should demonstrate an awareness of what a plan might look like.

My suggestion is to take a calendar and select dates for the following over the course of three months:

  • Confirm and reinforce executive support
  • Create software advocacy groups
  • Configure the system to meet enterprise needs
  • Transfer existing data
  • Initial onboarding session (this is typically an iterative process, but good to include as a benchmark)
  • Provide enterprise Agile tool vendor feedback for customization
  • Provide specialized training to software advocates to amplify adoption
  • Audit processes for implementation failures after three months to iteratively address

8. Distill your message to a one-page plan and presentation

Congrats: you have all that you need! To effectively organize all this information into a business plan for enterprise software and one-page business justification.

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Additional Resources

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FinOps: A New Approach to Cloud Financial Management

The Fast Track Guide to SAFe Implementation

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Business Case Canvas by Steve Lydford

Business Case Template

Impress stakeholders and get buy-in with this complete Business Case Template. Cover all key elements of a business case and ensure your pitch is successful.

Trusted by 65M+ users and leading companies

About the Business Case Template

Steve Lydford , director at Codurance, developed this business case template to enable teams to visualize all the key components of a business case. When advocating for a project or getting stakeholder buy-in, developing a business case that is well articulated and compelling will increase your chances of getting funding and sponsorship.

This business case template is similar to the Business Model Canvas , except it focuses on the business problem and the tactics to solve it. It also shows how to implement your business plan, covering nine key areas.

How to use the business case template

Select the business case template and add it to your board. Once you have the template in place, fulfill each section of the frame, answering the questions for each. The structure of your business case canvas will look like this:

Problem: Identify the core issue your business aims to solve. Be specific and use data to back your claims. This section is your starting point and sets the context for your business case.

Solution: Describe your proposed solution to the identified problem. Ensure it is clear, feasible, and directly addresses the problem you've outlined.

Benefits: Outline the advantages your solution offers. Include both quantitative and qualitative benefits, such as cost savings, efficiency improvements, or customer satisfaction.

Scope: Define the boundaries of your business case. Specify what is included and, importantly, what is not. This clarity will help manage expectations and focus your plan.

Stakeholders: List key people or groups involved or affected by your business case. Understand their interests and how your plan impacts them.

Resources: Detail the resources required for your business case, including human, financial, and technical resources. Be realistic about what's needed to achieve your goals.

Risks: Identify potential challenges and risks associated with your business case. This foresight helps in developing mitigation strategies.

Costs: Provide a clear breakdown of the costs involved in your business case. Transparency here is crucial for gaining trust and approval.

Metrics: Establish metrics to measure the success of your business case. These could be financial metrics, customer satisfaction scores, or other relevant KPIs.

Lead a workshop with your team to map out all these aspects of your business plan. If needed, make more than one business case canvas.

Color-code stickies with common topics that are connected.

If needed, leave comments and other stickies to clarify topics.

Why should you use a business case template?

Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey requires you to pitch your ideas to investors and gain support from others. The business case template provides a detailed analysis of your business and presents the core of your product or service in a clear and concise manner. This format is easy to read and helps stakeholders make informed decisions.

In addition, this template can serve as a visual aid in any presentation or pitch deck you create. It clarifies your business's main objectives and the strategies to achieve them. The business case analysis template can also serve as documentation for your team to refer to once things are up and running.

The purpose of the business case analysis template is to ensure that you have everything in place to establish your business. It also serves as a guide for managers and stakeholders to navigate through the entire business idea. Unlike the traditional business model canvas, which focuses on the strategic and tactical side of the business, the business case canvas is more about the core of the business and the benefits it will bring to the market and customers.

Do I need to make any changes to the template for each individual business case, or can I use it as it is?

While the template can be used as a starting point, it is important to customize it for each business case to ensure that it addresses the unique aspects of the proposed initiative.

Is it possible to add additional sections or information to the template if required?

Yes, you can add sections or information as necessary to meet the specific requirements of your business case. The template is a flexible tool that can be adapted to fit your needs.

Who is the intended audience for the business case template?

The primary audience includes senior management, decision-makers, and stakeholders who need to evaluate, approve, or reject the proposed initiative.

Get started with this template right now.

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DMAIC Analysis Template

Works best for:.

Agile Methodology, Design Thinking, Operations

Processes might not seem like the funnest thing to dive into and examine, but wow can it pay off—a more efficient process can lead to serious cost savings and a better product. That’s what DMAIC analysis does. Developed as part of the Six Sigma initiative, DMAIC is a data-driven quality strategy for streamlining processes and resolving issues. The technique is broken into five fundamental steps that are followed in order: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

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Value Chain Analysis Template

Leadership, Strategic Planning, Workflows

First coined by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter, the value chain analysis helps your team evaluate your business activities so you can find ways to improve your competitive advantage. A value chain is a set of activities that a company performs in order to deliver a valuable product from start to finish. The analysis itself allows your team to visualize all the business activities involved in creating the product—and helps you identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and miscommunication within the process.

BCG Thumbnail

BCG Matrix Template

Strategic Planning

Use the BCG matrix template to make informed and strategic decisions about growth opportunities for your business. Assign your portfolio of products to different areas within the matrix (cash cows, dogs, question marks, stars) to prioritize where you should invest your time and money to see the best results.

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Supply and Demand Graph Template

Market Research, Mapping, Diagrams

How do you price your product so that you make a profit while keeping customers and manufacturers happy? By finding a fair price. A supply and demand diagram is a graph that visualizes how much demand there is for your product and how many products you need. This, in turn, helps you with product pricing.

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Stakeholder Analysis Template

Project Management, Strategic Planning, Project Planning

Managing stakeholders is integral to completing a project on time and meeting expectations, so here’s how to use a stakeholder analysis to help. A stakeholder analysis empowers you to meet expectations and complete projects on time by identifying individuals, groups, and organizations with a vested interest in a program or process. In a typical stakeholder analysis, you’ll prioritize stakeholders based on their influence on a project and seek to understand how best to interface with them throughout the course of the project.

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Kaizen Report Template

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What makes a great company great? They know that greatness needs to be fostered and maintained — meaning they never stop working to improve. If you’re one of those companies (or aspire to be), a kaizen report is an ideal tool. It creates a simple visual guide to continuous improvement activities on a team, departmental, and organizational level. Using a kaizen report approach, every employee in an organization audits their own processes and understands what they might have overlooked, making this a powerful tool for increasing accountability at all levels.

How To Write the Perfect Business Case

How to write a business case

Why do too many projects fail to deliver their objectives even though project management best practices appear to be used? Project management is naturally complicated, but it can be disastrous if you don’t have sufficient buy-in from the right parties. Writing a strong and complete business case can make all the difference.

https://main--bacom-blog--adobecom.hlx.page/blog/fragments/workfront-product-tour

In this how-to guide you will discover,

  • What is a business case?

Why you need a business case

  • Is the project worth doing?

When to use a business case

How to write a business case, the business case template, a business case example, 1. the executive summary, 2. the finance section, 3. the project definition, 4. project organization, managing the business case, making the case, frequently asked questions, what is a business case.

A business case is developed during the early stages of a project and outlines the why, what, how, and who necessary to decide if it is worthwhile continuing a project. One of the first things you need to know when starting a new project are the benefits of the proposed business change and how to communicate those benefits to the business.

While the project proposal focuses on why you want a project, it will only contain an outline of the project:

  • business vision
  • business need
  • expected benefits
  • strategic fit
  • products produced
  • broad estimates of time and cost
  • and impact on the organization

In contrast, the business case, which is first developed during the project initiation phase , contains much more detail. It should be reviewed by the project sponsor and key stakeholders before being accepted, rejected, canceled, deferred, or revised.

Depending on the scale of the business change, the business case may need further development as part of a detailed investigation. Therefore, it should be developed incrementally so that time and resources aren’t unnecessarily wasted on the impractical.

Preparing the business case involves an assessment of:

  • Business problem or opportunity
  • Costs including investment appraisal
  • Technical solutions
  • Impact on operations
  • Organizational capability to deliver the project outcomes

These project issues are an important part of the business case. They express the problems with the current situation and demonstrate the benefits of the new business vision.

The business case brings together the benefits, disadvantages, costs , and risks of the current situation and future vision so that executive management can decide if the project should go ahead.

Many projects start life as a walk in the fog, which is fine in itself, but never see the light of day or stumble along aimlessly for too long because the clarity of scope , time-scale, cost, and benefits are not defined adequately during the first stages of the project.

Is the project worth doing

Why are you starting a project? Chances are you’re doing it because you need to solve a problem.

Usually, the problem is something that gets in the way of achieving your goals . So, it seems a project is about achieving goals and your goals won’t be realized unless you deal with the problem (or opportunity or circumstance.)

If a project is worth doing you need to answer 4 simple questions:

  • What is your goal?
  • What’s stopping you from reaching the goal?
  • How much change is needed to overcome the problem?
  • Are you certain this will solve the problem?

Can you answer these questions quickly? Do you have evidence to support or refute your assumptions?

If not, it may not be worth starting a project.

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The business case is needed when resources or expenditure on a project has to be justified. Approval is usually sought from the project sponsor and other interested parties. For instance, the finance function may authorize funds and the IT department provide resources.

The purpose of the business case is communication. Therefore, each section should be written in the parlance of the intended audience.

Moreover, it should only contain enough information to help decision making. When writing a business case keep the following in mind:

  • Be brief and convey only the essentials.
  • Make it interesting, clear, and concise.
  • Eliminate conjecture and minimize jargon.
  • Describe your vision of the future.
  • Demonstrate the value and benefits the project brings to the business.
  • Ensure consistent style and readability.

The project sponsor is responsible for preparing the business case. However, all appropriate team members should contribute to its development. Likewise, subject matter experts from other functions ― finance, HR, IT, service delivery, and so on ― can provide specialist information.

Those writing the business case should have a thorough understanding of the project’s aims and be able to merge the varied and potentially complex plans into one document using the following business case template.

What follows are the four steps to writing a business case template for your project. It includes the following four sections:

  • Executive Summary
  • Project Definition
  • Project Organization

This example of a business case is a simplified version for a small company with few staff. The bigger the project, the bigger the risk, which means the more detail you will need to provide for your investors and stakeholders.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2021, retail e-Commerce revenue reached 768 billion US dollars. People are expecting more digital experiences and want to interact and purchase what they need online.

Our current website is just a static page with no interaction available to possible customers. With a website upgrade to incorporate an e-Commerce store, we can entice users to purchase all their training online, in return increasing productivity and efficiency within the office. An estimated $25,000 could be saved a year through this upgrade.

1.1 Financial Appraisal

The expected cost of the new website is $15,000 with a $500 annual maintenance fee.

The training costs of the staff is estimated at $2,000, but the reduction of administration and manual handling of orders is estimated to save $25,000 annually.

1.2 Sensitivity Analysis

The alternatives include:

  • Maintaining the current system, which costs $25,000 annually to maintain and run.
  • Upgrading the website, but not including an e-Commerce store. This would cost $6,000, but the cost of processing the orders is still $25,000.
  • Outsourcing the training purchases to a third-party site, which would cost between $49.99 - $100 per month. In the long run this would cost more and offer less development scope.

2. PROJECT DEFINITION

2.1 Background information

The World is digitizing and we, as a business, must keep up with consumer demand if we are to remain one of the most sought-after training providers.

Since 2020 and the outbreak of Covid-19, many more people have been working remotely and wish to access their training requirements online. We need to update our systems to provide our customers with a purely online system that can provide them with their required training courses in a virtual environment, from purchase through to attendance. This new e-Commerce website is the first step in this process.

2.2 Business Objective

The goal is to provide an online platform where customers can purchase their training requirements.

The solution is to build an e-Commerce website.

This syncs with the business strategy, as it will increase efficiency and profits.

2.3 Benefits and Limitations

The benefits of this project far out-weigh the negatives. They include:

  • Improvement in the quality of customer service and user journey
  • Increased conversion rate through streamlined processes
  • Cost savings through efficiencies
  • Reduced working capital
  • Increase in revenue generated
  • Remain competitive in a digital world.

The limitations of this project remain with staffing, as we do not have a web designer or developer within our company, meaning this will still have to be outsourced if anything arises at a future date.

2.4 Option Identification & Selection

Options for the e-Commerce site include the following:

  • WordPress website with WooCommerce store
  • All-in-one website hosted on e-Commerce platform such as Shopify
  • Use of third-party payment system, such as Stripe, PayPal, or Worldpay
  • Ability to take payments directly through the website and acting as controller and processor of user’s sensitive data
  • Inclusion of a blog
  • Integration of CRM platform.

2.5 Scope, Impact, and interdependencies

The website will be built independently from the current site, so will not affect any current processes or user experience.

2.6 Outline Plan

The website will be built by an external agency and will take around 6 months to complete and push live.

One month before going live the staff will undertake essential training.

2.7 Market Assessment

Since retail e-Commerce has risen to $768 billion US Dollars, it’s time we also made the move to online sales.

2.8 Risk Assessment

The project will be completed out of house.

2.9 Project Approach

The project will be managed out of house.

2.10 Purchasing Strategy

We will enter a contractual agreement with the creative agency. Attached is a copy of the proposed contract.

3. PROJECT ORGANIZATION

3.1 Project Governance

Project will be managed by the agency and in-house by the Centre Executive.

3.2 Progress Reporting

The agency will report to the Centre Executive.

Depending on the length of the business case you may want to include a high-level summary of the project.

The executive summary is the first section of the business case and the last written. It is a short summary of the entire business case. It succinctly conveys vital information about the project and communicates the entire story to the reader.

First impressions are important. Get this right!

The finance section of an effective business case is primarily for those who approve funding. The finance function will be interested in this plus the first half of the project definition.

Financial appraisal.

When you prepare the financial appraisal seek advice on content and presentation from the finance function. In the case of capital developments, consult subject matter experts.

The purpose of a financial appraisal is to:

  • Identify the financial implications for the project
  • Compare project costs against the forecast benefits
  • Ensure the project is affordable
  • Assess value for money
  • Predict cash flow.

Sensitivity analysis.

Sensitivity analysis concerns project risk and looks at alternative futures by measuring the impact on project outcomes or assumptions of changing values in which there is uncertainty.

In effect, sensitivity analysis lets the project accountant experiment with possible scenarios.

This is the largest part of the business case and is for the project sponsor, stakeholders, and project team. It answers most of the why, what, and how questions about your project.

Background information.

The purpose of this section is to give a clear introduction to the business case and project. It should contain a brief overview of the reasons why the project or business change has come about: the problem, opportunity, or change of circumstances.

If necessary, refer to related programs, projects, studies, or business plans.

Business objective.

This part describes why you are doing the project. The business objective answers the following questions:

  • What is needed to overcome the problem?
  • How will the project support the business strategy?

Benefits and limitations.

The benefits and limitations section describes the financial and non-financial benefits in turn. The purpose is to explain why you need a project.

For instance, to:

  • Improve quality
  • Save costs through efficiencies
  • Reduce working capital
  • Generate revenue
  • Remain competitive
  • Improve customer service
  • Align to corporate strategy

The business case should also include any limitations since these present potential risk to the project.

Option identification and selection.

Identify the potential solutions to the problem and describe them in enough detail for the reader to understand.

For instance, if the business case and proposed solution makes use of technology, make sure to explain how the technology is used and define the terms used in a glossary. Since most problems have multiple solutions an option appraisal is often needed. This will explore the potential solutions and recommend the best option.

When writing the initial business case, the option appraisal is likely to contain a long list of options and will cover many possibilities. As the project continues a few options will be rejected. The final business case may contain three to five options ― the short list ― that includes a do nothing or benchmark option.

Scope, impact, and interdependencies.

This section of the business case template describes the work needed to deliver the business objective and identifies those business functions affected by the project.

Moreover, the project scope, impact, and interdependencies section should state the project’s scope and boundaries. It describes what is included and what is excluded plus the key interdependencies with other projects. It is important for the business case to consider the failure of other interrelated projects and show how such dependencies make impact benefits.

Outline plan.

The outline plan provides a summary of the main activities and overall timescale ― project schedule ― for the project.

A project should be divided into stages with the decisions to make preceding each stage. Use this section to answer the following questions:

  • What is required?
  • How is it done?
  • Who does what?
  • When will things happen?

This outline plan lists the major deliverables and includes a brief project description plus accountabilities for each activity.

Market assessment.

It is important that the business case provides its readers with a thorough assessment of the business context ― the market assessment. In other words, make the underlying business interests explicit.

Therefore, the market assessment should show a complete understanding of the marketplace in which your business operates.

A good starting point is the inclusions of a PESTLE ― political, economic, sociological, technological, legal, and environmental ― analysis.

Risk assessment.

The risk assessment summarizes the significant project risks and opportunities and how they are managed. Include any risks that could arise from your project, as well as the organization’s ability to deliver change.

This section answers the following questions:

  • What risks are involved?
  • What are the consequences of a risk happening?
  • What opportunities may emerge?
  • What plans are in place to deal with the risks?
  • Every project should include a risk log

When writing a business case, make sure this is included as it explains how risk and opportunity are managed.

Project approach.

The project approach describes how the project is tackled. That is, the way in which work is done to deliver the project.

For instance, a project with much of the work contracted out is likely to take a different approach to a project that develops an in-house solution.

Purchasing strategy.

This section describes how a project is to be financed and whether a decision to buy, lease, or outsource should be taken by the organization before purchasing.

Moreover, the purchasing strategy should describe the purchasing process used. A formal procurement process may save time and money and reduce project risk.

The last section of the business case template is of most interest to the project manager, project team, and managers responsible for delivering work to the project. This project organization section describes how the project is set up.

Project governance.

This section of the business case template shows the reader how the project is structured and the different levels of decision-making. Usually, a business will already have implemented a project governance framework that will support the project through each stage.

If your organization does not use a structured project management process framework use this section to include:

  • Roles and responsibilities (RACI Chart)
  • Project tolerances
  • Project standards
  • Review points
  • How decisions are made.

Progress reporting.

Finally, the business case should define how project progress is recorded and the project board updated on project performance. Usually, the project manager does this by preparing a concise progress report or highlight report at regular intervals.

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The completed business case provides structure for the project and project organization throughout the project lifecycle . Therefore, it should be used routinely for reference and not consigned to the shelf.

Accordingly, the project sponsor and project board should review and update the business case at key stages to check that the project remains viable and the reasons for doing it are still valid. Ideally, the review should take place before starting a new stage to avoid unnecessary investment in time and money.

In this article we showed you how to write a business case. We covered a lot of ground and may give the impression that the resulting business case is a large and unwieldy document.

This is not the case.

A business case should be concise and to the point. For small projects it may run to a few pages. For larger projects and complex business change endeavors the document will be large.

Therefore, be sure to keep the intended audience in mind when preparing each section and include supporting information in an appendix.

For instance, the option appraisal section may summarize each option with the details contained elsewhere for reference.

To conclude, the purpose of a business case is to outline the business rationale for undertaking a project and to provide a means to continually assess and evaluate project progress.

What is the difference between a business case and a business plan?

The focus of the business case is an action, which is usually the purchase of capital equipment or a service. In comparison, the focus of the business plan is to outline the future of a business proposal, it’s margins, revenue growth over several years and what the business goals and strategies will encompass.

What should be included in a business case?

Writing a business case can seem like a daunting task, which is why we have provided you with a business case template and example to help you make a start.

The four sections include:

What is a business case template?

A business case template provides you with a structure and format to present your case to relevant stakeholders and investors. It’s essential that this document communicate the essence of your project’s goals and benefits, while aligning with the company’s strategies and objectives.

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business case template

The Business Case states the justification for a project in terms of measurable benefits versus costs . It should include the reason for the project, the options considered, a cost vs. benefits analysis, key milestones , risks and resourcing requirements. stakeholdermap.com
  • Contents of the Business Case
  • Business Case Template
  • Project templates to download

Business Case Template contents

Field description and guidance for completion.

  • Problem or opportunity
  • Alignment to the Business Strategy
  • Solution alternatives
  • Recommended Solution
  • Expected costs and benefits
  • Implementation Approach.
  • Business Vision, Strategy or Objectives
  • Business processes or technologies which are not operating efficiently
  • New Competitor products or processes which have been identified
  • New technology trends (or opportunities resulting from new technologies introduced)
  • Commercial or operational trends which are driving changes in the business
  • Changes to Statutory, legislative or other environmental requirements.
  • The reasons why the problem exists.
  • The impact it is having on the business (e.g. financial, cultural, operational)
  • Any time scales within which the problem must be resolved, or key milestones.
  • The impact of doing nothing.
  • Any supporting evidence
  • A time frame within which the opportunity will likely exist
  • The positive impact that realization of the opportunity will have on the business.
Issues are defined as anything which currently impacts the ability of the solution to produce the required outcomes stakeholdermap.com
  • There will be no legislative, business strategy or policy changes during this project as it relates to SaaS software and data security.
  • Prices of subscriptions will not increase during the course of this project.
  • Additional human resource will be available from the business to support this project.
  • Time Management
  • Cost Management
  • Quality Management
  • Change Management
  • Risk Management
  • Issue Management
  • Procurement Management
  • Communications Management
  • Acceptance Management
  • Other artifacts as appropriate for the business case
  • Problem / Opportunity research materials
  • Feasibility Study research materials
  • External quotes or tenders
  • Detailed cost / benefit spreadsheets
  • System requirements (if known)
  • Other relevant information or correspondence.

Business Case template

Word download - business case (doc), word download - business case (docx), pdf download - business case (pdf), project templates to download.

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Building Your Business Case: How to Get That New IT Tool Approved

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System administrators are usually responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of their company’s IT environment and devices. This often includes uptime, performance, and security. That’s a lot of responsibility.

As a system admin, you’re more keenly aware of the technologies that work, the ones that keep you up at night, and what’s needed to keep your company productive and secure. Your opinion on future investments and planning can have deep impacts across the organization – both in terms of IT and business functionality and success.

The good news is that the business side of your organization likely no longer needs convincing of ITOp’s significance. Generally speaking, IT “asks” are now often included in executive agendas. It’s never been more imperative for IT and business stakeholders to operate in alignment so they can:

Reduce company risk

Ensure employee productivity

Achieve long-term company security and stability

Developing a business case is an ideal format to formalize your request.

Note: "More organizations realize how dependent they are now on IT to run their business, many issues that have been long overlooked are now coming to a head and can no longer be ignored.” - The State of ITOps , IT Business Edge, June 2021.

Kicking off your business case

A well-structured business case can move your recommendation from ideation to reality.

As a system admin, you probably don’t have time to create a business case from scratch. So, we’ve created a template below to get you started.

In addition, we’ve included a working example for Automox so you can see a genuine business case on paper. We couldn’t help ourselves and thought it might be useful (especially if you’re considering replacing your current, clunky patch management solution. Let’s get started!

Guidance and an example from Automox

Below, you’ll find a Business Case Outline (with our guidance and recommendations for building out your own content). In the second column, you’ll notice a corresponding example with Automox as the recommended solution.

Download your own copy of the business case template here.

It's your turn to build your own business case.

Some final thoughts as you develop your business case: Identify and cling to a thorough, objective, and clear reason for your business case. You can quickly lose your audience if you come off as self-serving or disorganized.

Also, know your audience. Identify what’s important to them, answer their questions, and describe how your solution will make their lives easier.

Finally, it’s clear business is moving faster than ever before. No doubt the pressure on ITOps has grown. As IT gains influence and reshapes how businesses innovate and succeed, now is the time to get creative. Identify the technologies that will take your company forward and enable your organization to stay ahead of the pack.

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business case template for new tool

Free business case template and guide (with examples)

17 min read

August 24, 2023

business case template

Every organization has finite resources at its disposal, particularly when it comes to finances. 

Even the most financially lucrative businesses can’t afford to simply bankroll every proposed project that comes their way – that’s where business cases come in. 

Business cases help managers decide if company resources should be spent on a project or not. This way, they ensure that the limited funds they have are only awarded to the most lucrative projects. To this end, it’s the job of the project proposer to put forward their case in the best possible light. They need to convince the decision-makers that their project is one worth the investment of time, money, and resources.  

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What is a business case? 

A business case is an instrument used to justify a proposed project that requires some type of capital expenditure. It details the allocation of capital and resources to execute the project plan , as well as the benefits of initiating the project or task. Once the business case receives management approval, it’s maintained as a working document that will be used during and after the project management process.

A well-crafted business case identifies multiple options to address the needs or opportunities of an organization and provides critical data to enable informed decisions by executives.

Business cases can be a comprehensive analysis or a simple, informal presentation. In the following section, we’ll detail the elements of a more highly structured document.

Why you need a business case 

Every organization has goals, needs, problems, and opportunities. You may need to solve specific problems, address certain needs, and exploit different opportunities. The solution may require a new initiative, the expansion of an existing operation, or the correction of poor execution. And as previously mentioned, every organization has finite resources, including a budget.

A business case identifies the reason for initiating a project or initiative, including its value, benefit, and the business problem it’s designed to solve. It’s designed to ensure that resources are prioritized for the operations and projects that most directly impact the corporation’s greatest priorities.

During this prioritization process, the key element is recognizing the projects that deliver the agreed-upon benefits.

PRINCE2™ is an internationally recognized project management methodology that supports the delivery of benefits. It identifies these key elements of a project:

  • The output, which is any of the project’s technical deliverables (both tangible or intangible)
  • The outcome, which is the result of the change derived from using the project’s deliverables
  • The benefit, which is a measurable improvement resulting from an outcome that’s perceived as an advantage by one or more stakeholders

The purpose of a business case is to both outline the benefits of proposed projects and provide a means for continually assessing and evaluating the progress of the initiative. Therefore, it will become a living document to use before, during, and after the project.

Initially, the business case establishes the rationale for the project and details its benefits. 

Throughout the execution, the business case measures the progress and overall environment of the initiative, in order to determine if course corrections are required. At the conclusion of the project, a post-mortem provides valuable feedback about future executions. This is an essential component of strong business process management . 

Specifically, a post-mortem will determine if the project has met these envisaged benefits:

  • Revenue growth
  • Productivity gains
  • Cost containment
  • New users / improved user experience

It will also identify these slippages:

  • Failure to meet time frames
  • Cost overruns
  • Inefficiencies

Whenever resources are going to be expended, they should support a well-defined business need, with projected benefits that’ll deliver value to the enterprise. The supporting business case may take the form of a comprehensive document, a presentation, or a verbal agreement. 

Download a free business case template

Fill out the form below to get instant access to our business case template.

To save an editable copy, follow these simple steps:

  • Click “File” in the top-left corner
  • Click “Make a copy”
  • Choose your destination folder

Three business case examples 

Business case templates can cover a wide range of project types, including everything from creative projects to HR initiatives. 

To learn more about the cases that your business should be seeing, here are three of the most commonly used business case examples, alongside detailed business case templates.

Client management 

Client Management - business case template

This Customer Relationship Management (CRM) business case template comes from Demand Metrics . It’s designed to help managers decide whether or not to invest in a client management solution. Its key sections include an executive summary, an opportunity overview, key success factors, risks, contingency plans, and a business impact analysis. 

Human resources 

business case template for new tool

This human resources business case outline, created by sage , is designed to create the most convincing argument in favor of a human resources initiative. To achieve this aim, it covers key points including defining the business’s needs, outlining how the HR vision fits in with the business strategy, and identifying the key benefits of the investment (from a wellbeing and employee retention perspective). 

Marketing perspective 

Marketing perspective - business case template

This simple marketing business plan from TemplateLAB offers a template that covers all bases. It’s designed to help users create the most convincing business case for their proposed marketing projects, by ensuring that they create a carefully constructed argument, clearly aligning the campaign with the overall business objective.

The four key elements a business case should contain 

Whatever project or idea your business case is for, it should always cover these four key elements. From the perspective of a manager, these factors are a fundamental part of the decision-making process. 

So, you want to be one step ahead, and provide a convincing argument that covers these points before the manager even has to ask the questions. 

Elements a business should contain

Executive summary 

The executive summary is a condensed version of the business case, which is succinctly summarized in a couple of paragraphs. It typically comes at the start of the business case document. It should cover the problem, need, or opportunity that this initiative is reacting to, the proposed solution, the resources required, the planned action, plus a risk assessment, a brief outline of the expected benefits, and the predicted ROI. 

Financial component 

This section will break down all of the finances of the proposed project. It should clearly outline the project costs, what financial funding is required, and where it will be spent. Remember, it’s designed to convince the managers that this is a project worth investing in, so it should also include a strong cost-benefit analysis, building on a risk assessment. The more detailed and accurate this section is, the better.

Project definition 

At this stage in the business case, you will need to provide more detail about the project scope, including the nature of the project, what it will look like, the elements that it includes, and the solutions that it will provide. It should be clear what gap the project intends to fill and the benefits that it will bring to the organization. In short, how will this project contribute to your overall business objective?

Project organization 

In this section, you will need to outline how, if approved, you intend to organize the project development. This should include a timescale, key deadlines, naming the project manager and the project team members who will be involved in this project, and what roles they will be assigned. For the manager reviewing the business case, it should be clear what steps will be taken immediately following their approval. 

How to write a simple business case 

Now that you know all of the key things to include, and how to present your case in the most convincing way possible, it’s time to get started. In this section, we’ll be outlining how to write a simple business case, which covers all of the key points, without forcing you to spend weeks putting it together.

But, before you jump straight into writing it, there are some important steps that you need to take first. 

Before you start writing your business case, a good starting point is to think about how to frame your case and identify some key points that will lay the foundation for your convincing argument. 

The best way to do this is by: 

Researching market competitors 

Find out who else is currently offering a similar concept, and identify any strengths or weaknesses in their version of it. 

Researching alternatives 

Find out what alternative solutions, products, or strategies currently exist, then weigh your suggestion against these. 

Analyzing your findings

Evaluate the current field for this idea, and identify where your version of it stands in the marketplace. Does it do more than your competitors? Or, does it fulfill a particular niche that the others don’t? Or better yet, is there no one else that currently offers this useful initiative? 

Compile your data  

Set it up in a convincing plan outline.

Consider options 

Based on this research, what would be the best direction in which to take your idea? 

Once you have completed these steps, you can start writing your business case. We would recommend that you follow the structure below, in order to create a logically structured and well-thought-out case.

1. Executive summary 

As we mentioned above, this section is the introduction to your business case. It’s designed to open the case with a strong, succinct summary of what your project is, how you intend to undertake it, and the benefits that it will bring. That way, the reader can continue evaluating the rest of the case with a clear knowledge of your proposition.

This high-level, condensed version of the business case includes:

  • The problem, need, or opportunity
  • The options that were considered
  • The required resources
  • The benefits and values to be derived
  • A risk analysis
  • The project scope and predicted project outcome
  • The recommended action
  • An investment appraisal, including the predicted return on investment (Although this section leads the business case, it also needs to be reviewed after all the data has been interpreted.)  

2. Financial component  

This section outlines all of the finances of the project, including the predicted cost of the project, plus a more detailed breakdown of how exactly the budget will be spent.

Financial appraisal 

In essence, a financial appraisal is designed to evaluate a proposed investment, in terms of its financial viability. It assesses the return of investment that it will bring to the investor. Typically, this details the project costs, then covers data like profitability index, a risk analysis, and a ratio analysis, while detailing the scope for financial rewards that the project offers. 

This can be done in a number of ways, depending on the nature of the project. For instance, if it’s a marketing project, then this section of the business case should outline how the investment will be returned, and, possibly, even returned with interest. This new marketing strategy may tap into a new market, increase traffic to the website, or create a higher rate of customer retention, for example.

Cost-benefit analysis   

This section specifically targets the decision-makers that will approve the funding. It includes a comparison of projected costs (including associated costs) against the benefits that it will bring.

The analysis will need to include an objective evaluation of the following:

  • The cost of installation
  • The cost of operator training
  • Incremental energy costs, as opposed to the projected benefits
  • Increased capacity, efficiencies, additional revenue, margin improvement, and cost avoidance.

In addition to this, a sensitivity analysis will cover potential risks when implementing the plan, and allows the project accountant to look at alternative outcomes, if there is uncertainty.

3. Project definition 

The project definition represents the largest section in the business case document. At this point, you should cover the majority of the details about your project proposal, answering all of the questions that the investor is likely to ask.

Project definition - business case template

Background information  

Open with an introduction of the project, which explains how the idea was first devised. You should briefly outline the circumstances, opportunity, or problem identified, which made you begin to create a solution (i.e. the project). 

For example, you may have noticed that your business Instagram page has a significant number of followers, but has a very small level of post engagement, or click-through rate. As a result, you identified that the company is not sufficiently utilizing this potential marketing channel. So, you have devised a project that will increase these key metrics and so open up a new opportunity for B2C marketing. 

Business objective  

In this section, you will need to explain why you think that the project is worth doing. In short, explain the objective in a way that can highlight its benefits as much as possible. 

To do this, answer these key questions in the section:

  • What do you intend to achieve by initiating your solution, both quantitatively and qualitatively? 
  • What are the project’s goals? Be specific about this, break down the benefits, goals, targets, and objectives in as much objective detail as possible. 
  • What will you need in order to achieve this goal? 
  • How can the proposed project advance the business as a whole?  
  • Will your course of action support the corporate strategy, goals, and culture? 

Benefits and constraints  

As with any project, there will be both benefits and constraints that may be brought about. So, in order to decide whether it’s worth investing in the idea, these will need to be weighed against each other. 

Rather than waiting for the manager to identify the risks for themselves, it’s far better to identify them here — that way, you get the chance to explain why they are outweighed by the benefits. 

The benefits that you list in this section should cover both financial and non-financial points. These could include (depending on the nature of the project): 

  • Saving costs
  • Increasing revenue 
  • Improving customer service
  • Achieving a higher quality service
  • Improving your position in the marketplace 
  • Matching (or beating) the service of your competitors
  • Achieving better communication with your target market 

Alternative analysis  

As we mentioned earlier, there will have been a number of alternative options that you could have potentially taken to meet these objectives. So, in this section, you will need to identify, analyze, and evaluate those alternatives.

State the alternative options that you identified, detail what they would have included, then evaluate how successful they would be in your particular business context. Specify their strengths and weaknesses, then conclude by explaining why the project you have chosen is the one that promises the best results. 

This list will, most likely, include a long list of options, some of which were quickly rejected. Then, it should end on a handful of strong options, which require a more detailed explanation of their rejection.

Note: these concepts may be complex and difficult to understand. If this is the case (for example, if you’re proposing the introduction of a new piece of technology) then it may be worth including a glossary, to ensure the reader understands all of the terminologies that you use here. 

Strategic alignment

In a similar fashion to the section above, you will then need to explain how your project would position your business amongst your competitors. 

Ask yourself the following questions: 

  • Do any of your competitors offer this? If so, how is your version of the project better than what they offer? 
  • What advantages will this project provide to your company that your competitors do not have? 
  • How will this project make your business stand out in the marketplace? 
  • Will the project make your customers more likely to choose you over a competitor? 
  • Will it make your services unique? 
  • Does it tap into key consumer requirements, or provide a better customer experience? 

Project plan  

This outline summarizes the plan that you will follow if the business case is successfully accepted. 

As such, it will need to list a number of key actionable details, to show the manager that you have thought the whole project through, and are ready to get things moving. 

This section should include details surrounding the following: 

  • The planned activities 
  • Detailed timelines
  • A breakdown of the work that’s required
  • The departments that will be involved
  • The individuals that will perform each task
  • A timescale of the entire project 
  • The key stages that the project will go through
  • The project’s main deliverables  

Project plan - business case template

Market assessment  

This section provides a thorough assessment of the environment that your business operates. It should evidence your business’s current place within the market, detail any significant shifts within the market, and outline how the work of this proposal will unlock a better market position for your company.

To achieve this, ask yourself these questions: 

  • How is the market trending? 
  • Is your market share expanding or contracting? 
  • Have there been any major market disruptions?
  • How has the competition changed? 
  • Is there new technology being introduced to the market? 
  • Are there new competitors? 
  • Do you anticipate any drastic changes to operating margins, due to increases in the costs of materials or transportation?

In short, include all of the factors that are currently influencing your business today, and any new factors that you predict will impact your company over the period covered by your proposed projects.

Risk analysis  

This section summarizes the risks and opportunities that are inherent to the action. 

There will, inevitably, be risks involved with the project. The goal here is not to minimize or deny them (because the reviewer will certainly be aware of them), but to outline either how you will overcome them, or how the rewards make the risks worth taking. 

In this section, you will need to thoughtfully answer key risk management questions: 

  • What risks or potential consequences are involved? 
  • What opportunities does the project promise? How do these outweigh the risks? 
  • How will the risks be managed? 

Then, to close the section, quantify the impact of the risks as much as possible.

Project approach  

In this section, you will need to outline how you intend to complete the project. 

Detail the methods that you will use to complete the work, adhere to the project’s timeframe, consistently meet the key deliverables, and deliver the project to the highest possible standard. 

For example, is your project going to be completed entirely in-house? If so, what team members will be involved at which step? 

Or, if you’re enlisting the help of any external contractors or freelancers, detail the stages at which they will be involved, and how you intend to ensure a successful collaborative effort. 

A great point to include in this section would be, for example, how you propose to use an online collaboration software like Filestage to help all collaborators seamlessly work together.  

Purchasing strategy  

In a business case, it’s vital that you cover every single detail about its finances. 

So, an important point to cover is how exactly the work will be financed. This section will need to outline whether the company will be buying a new tool, whether it will need to fund the leasing of the tool (and if so, how long for), or if the organization will be outsourcing parts of the project to another company. 

If any of the above applies, then details will need to be provided regarding the costs of these. Furthermore, if you intend to use a procurement process for these elements, outline the steps that this will involve. 

4. Project organization 

This is the final section of the business case document. In it, the proposer of the project provides a highly detailed breakdown of how the project will be organized within the company’s specific context.

Project governance 

As with any good project, you will need to enlist project managers and governors to oversee its progress, ensure everything is running on time, and provide reviews at key stages. 

In this section, you will outline the specifics of the project governance, including: 

  • What the decision-making process will look like 
  • Who the reviewers will be 
  • Who will be given the authority to request changes or grant approval
  • When reviews will be undertaken
  • The frequency of check-ins
  • The roles and responsibilities of your creative team

This section will clearly specify which of the company’s senior managers will be involved in the project development process, and what exactly is required of them. 

Tip: Filestage streamlines the review and approval process of any file type. Just upload your files, invite your reviewers, and get clear feedback to ensure all your content meets compliance regulations.   

Project Organization - business case template

Progress reporting 

Building on the details provided above, this section sets up formal progress updates at regular intervals. 

To ensure that these progress updates achieve the best possible benefits for the project, you will need to specify the points that each review will need to cover. 

These could be asking, for example: 

  • Did you meet the agreed-upon benefits? 
  • Did the benefits deliver the promised value to the organization? 
  • If these values have not been achieved yet, why not? 
  • Moving forward, what can be done to ensure better project execution?

These learnings inform future projects and provide for continuous improvements while executing strategies.

Furthermore, reporting also encompasses a retrospective post mortem to determine the project’s effectiveness. This way, you can minimize the likelihood of repeating any mistakes later on.

Examples of a business case template 

Now, this may all sound like an awful lot of work, but don’t fret! With the help of a business case template, you can massively cut down the time spent on this task, while ensuring your proposition hits all the right notes.

Find our picks for the best project management tools to assist with business case development below.

Business case template by Filestage

Do you want to write your own business case but aren’t sure about the business case format? You don’t need to start from scratch. We’ve created the following simple business case template for you. If you want to use the Google Doc or Word version, all you need to do is fill out this form:

Get the free business case template

Business case workbook – pdf.

Business case workbook - business case template

This handy business case workbook, created by CFDG, is available for download through the Academia website . The free business case template PDF provides a breakdown of each step in the business case creation process, for users to work their way through. It’s a great resource for anyone that’s new to the process. 

Financial analysis templates – Excel

Financial analysis template - business case

This financial analysis template comes in Microsoft Excel format, and it’s available for download via the Engineering Management website . The business case template provides all of the entry points that you need to input key data and create a clear financial summary to support your business case document.  

Business case planning templates – Excel

Business case planning templates

Vertex42 has created a detailed business case planning template , which is available to download as either a Microsoft Word or Excel document, providing a good starting point to write a business case. The business case template has a number of features, including editable sample questions, tables to present data, and a customizable table of contents. With this easily editable template, users can create a comprehensive business case plan, which achieves complete clarity and a high level of professionalism. 

Risk management templates – Excel

Risk management templates - business case

The Engineering Management website has also created a risk management template document. This simple business case template is available to download in an Excel format, making it easy to use for business case writers of any experience level. It contains spaces for risk identification, a qualitative analysis, and the chance to include a risk-response strategy, plus monitoring and control strategies, in your business case. 

Four important tips to create a convincing business case 

The secret to a successful business case all lies in how convincing it is. Remember, the purpose of this document is not only to detail the required information in a clear way but also to present it in a flattering light, which emphasizes all the remarkable benefits that it can unlock for the company. 

To write a business case that gets your business case projects noticed, make sure you follow these four tips for compelling case writing. 

Be brief and include only essential information 

Although detail is important, there’s no need to go overboard. If your business case is too long, then it’s highly unlikely that your manager will have the time to read it all. In fact, if anything, they’ll probably be deterred from reading it at all. So, make sure that everything that you include is relevant and has a clear purpose — that way, every single sentence will give extra weight to your case.

Outline data clearly and concisely 

If you have strong data to back up your case, don’t be afraid to let it do the talking. 

Make sure that your data is clearly laid out and that it’s easy to follow, as this will play a huge role in convincing the reader to support your proposal. Using tables, bullet points, or even graphs are all great ways to emphasize the trends shown in the data. 

Highlight values and benefits 

When you write a business case, highlighting the values and benefits is the best way to convince the manager to grant their support to the new project. 

These could be project yields, an improvement to the customer service, financial benefits, or personal benefits that are unlocked for the team — either way, make sure that they don’t go unnoticed!

Align the project with organizational goals 

Show the reader that you have considered how the project fits within the goals of the organization as a whole. For instance, if one of your business objectives is to reach a new target audience aged between 18-25, then clearly state how your project will help this business objective to be met. This is a great way to convince the reader of your project’s value.

Business case FAQs 

Do you still have some questions? Don’t worry, they will most likely be answered in our business case FAQ section. 

Who needs a business case?

Business cases are used by companies across a huge variety of sectors. They can be used in a wide variety of ways, and so, they are valued by people across all areas of your company. 

These include the project manager, sponsors, stakeholders, and even members of the public. In essence, anyone who would be affected by a business change or new project may ask for a business case before they would be happy to approve the change. 

Who is responsible for creating a business case?

Typically, the project manager, project executive, or business analyst would be responsible for writing a business case. This is because they would be the ones most heavily involved in the project’s development, but do not have the authority to grant its funding.

What is a standard business case template?

Standard business case templates are fantastic project management tools that allow users to write a business case without having to start from scratch. They can use different business case templates and then fill in the details for their specific project, to put forward a proposed business change quickly and yet thoroughly. 

How long is a good business case?

This depends on the nature of the new project. It will need to be long enough to answer all of the key fields, but the creator shouldn’t be padding out the document with unnecessary descriptions that make the document longer than it needs to be.

Who approves a business case?

A business case is approved by either an investor or a sponsor. Who this is, depends on the nature of the company. In some cases, a business case will be approved by a senior member of the company, such as the CEO or CFO. 

What makes a good business case? 

To write a business case effectively, you will need to: 

  • Use a business case template
  • Include a detailed project plan
  • Clearly list the expected benefits
  • Write a detailed and clear project description
  • Make the project schedule realistic and context-specific
  • Thoroughly complete relevant research
  • Specify any major risks
  • Realize benefits, including project yields and financial benefits
  • Effectively manage any of the risks, and write this alongside a cost-benefit analysis
  • Ensure the project aligns with company objectives

Conclusion 

The development of a business case is both a process and a skill. Keeping these components in mind, you can create a compelling case for almost any business initiative. You can practice by developing business cases for smaller issues, so you can gain expertise and hone your creative skills.

The above templates and examples are designed to inspire business cases for your projects. You always need to consider the specific informational requirements of your decision-makers. Use this template, adapt the elements as necessary, and make it yours.

Remember that the keys to project success are setting deadlines, staying within the budget, and producing the projected benefits. Focus on the value your benefits deliver to the organization. Ensure that the expended time and resources are warranted by the value creation.

Muriel Skusa

Muriel Skusa

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The Plain English Guide to Writing a Business Case

Rebecca Riserbato

Published: April 01, 2021

Have you ever heard the age-old classic story of a company that got its start from a back-of-the-napkin idea? Or about the start-ups that started in someone's garage?

business case template for new tool

While all those stories are, of course, inspirational, a huge element that they leave out is that every business started because someone felt the project justified spending time and money on it.

That's why some projects require you to write a business case. Whether you want to start a company, pitch a new product, or perhaps you just want your business to use a new project management tool. Either way, a project that requires time and resources will also require justifying those expenses in the form of a business case.

Below, let's review what a business case is, plus an example and template to inspire your own business case.

→ Download Now: Free Business Plan Template

What is a business case?

A business case is a document that evaluates whether a project or task makes sense to complete. It will present the reasoning for taking on a project, such as benefits, cost, risk, etc. Essentially, this document makes a case that a project makes business sense to do.

In a business case, you might include the background on a project, expected benefits, costs, risks, and opportunities. This document will justify taking on a certain project. So, how do you develop a business case? Let's dive in below.

Business Case Development

To develop a business case, you'll need to write several key components, including a proposal, strategy, budget, SWOT analysis, and project plan. With these documents, you should be able to prove that the project you're pitching is worth doing.

Let's dive into the steps for how you'll develop a business case below:

1. Research

Before you can write a business case, you need to do your research. First, you should have a goal in mind for your project, whether it's to create a new product, help drive more traffic/leads, or improve user experience.

Write down your goal and then conduct research to prove that your project is the way to achieve your goal.

You can begin by researching what competitors are doing and look for gaps that your project solves.

Start to brainstorm what this project's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are. Additionally, you'll want to learn about your market -- whoever will be the consumer of the project, even if that's your own team.

Finally, you should start to look into what a budget would look like for your proposed solution.

2. Focus on one component at a time.

A business case will usually include several documents. Focus on one at a time, while keeping your notes organized.

Start with your proposal, then move on to your SWOT analysis, the competitive analysis, the project plan, overall strategy, and then the budget. It can be easy to get lost in just one of these tasks, so focus on one thing at a time to complete the bigger picture business case.

3. Write an implementation plan.

Once you've gathered your research and you're working through each component, it's time to start thinking about implementation.

How will you implement your project? Once you've made the business case that your project should be done, stakeholders will wonder how you'll execute it.

To do this, write an implementation plan that discusses how you'd complete the project and metrics that you'd track to measure success.

Once you're done writing your business case, look at the whole document and ask yourself whether it's comprehensive, measurable, and adaptable.

A business case doesn't need to be an entire business plan for a new product. Sometimes it will be less formal due to the size of the project. Either way, you want to make a strong case for your project, so it should be easy to understand and implement.

Now, let's look at an example of what a business case might look like.

Business Case Example

Now that you've seen what it takes to write a business case and what the process looks like, let's look at an example for inspiration.

In the example below, the project is about getting a new phone system to help the sales staff. Because this is a fairly small project, the business case isn't several pages long with exhaustive research.

However, it's important to keep in mind that while your business case might look something like this for a small scale project, it might include several pages of information if you're pitching something like a new product or a new UI to improve user experience.

The point in the business case is that it's adaptable to be whatever you need. However, the components of the business case will be the same regardless of how long it is. Every business case should include why a project should be done, the benefits, costs, risks, and budget.

A business case example.

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2 Essential Templates For Starting Your Business

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

Business Case Template - Excel

Present your business plan to stakeholders and investors through a detailed yet simple document that showcases your plan, how it will benefit the company, and whether it's possible or not.

business case template for new tool

  • The template keeps a strict separation between input and output data.
  • Forecast values can be replaced by actuals without the need to overwrite any cells.
  • The model is built bottom-up, allowing you (and your colleagues) to reconcile the values of every single item in the P&L.

We've seen hundreds of startup business cases or financial models over the past few years and worked intensively with some of them. Even though every company is different and has specific requirements for its case or model, there are known good and bad practices to consider.

Almost every startup faces the following challenges:

  • What is the right level of detail, and where do I get the relevant data?
  • How can I keep my model up-to-date with as little effort as possible?
  • What is the best way to keep input data (assumptions or actuals) and output data separately?
  • How to ensure that my model does not break and thus cause (potentially unidentified) errors?
  • This is intended as a starting point for your financial planning. It is based on a SaaS model, but we tried to keep it as generic and simple as possible. It should, therefore, have broad applicability.

What Is a Business Case?

A Business Case is a document used to justify a proposed business venture or investment. It is typically used by organizations to determine whether or not a particular project or initiative is worth pursuing.

Which Information Is Included in a Business Case?

The Business Case usually contains a cost-benefit analysis, which looks at the expected costs and benefits of the proposed venture to determine whether it is viable. Other elements that may be included in a Business Case are an executive summary, market analysis, risk assessment, and return on investment (ROI) calculation.

Organizations will often use different types of Business Cases for different purposes. For example, a strategic Business Case may be used to justify a long-term investment, while an operational Business Case may be used to justify a smaller, more specific project.

Why Is a Business Case Important?

The Business Case is an essential tool for decision-makers, as it allows them to weigh the costs and benefits of a proposed venture before making a commitment. It is also a valuable communication tool, as it can help to ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page concerning the goals and objectives of the project.

If you are involved in a business venture or investment that requires a Business Case, there are a few things to keep in mind.

  • First, make sure that your document is clear and concise.
  • Second, focus on the key elements most important to decision-makers, such as the cost-benefit analysis and ROI calculation.
  • Finally, remember that the Business Case is just one tool that can be used to make a decision – it is important to consider all the factors involved before making a final decision.

How to Write a Business Case?

In a nutshell, the process of writing a business case is as follows:

  • 1. Understand the purpose of the business case.
  • 2. Define the problem or opportunity.
  • 3. Outline the proposed solution.
  • 4. Describe the expected benefits of the solution.
  • 5. List the costs of implementing the solution.
  • 6. Assess the risks associated with the project.
  • 7. Calculate the return on investment (ROI).
  • 8. Write an executive summary.
  • 9. Prepare a detailed document.

What Is a Business Case Template?

A Business Case Template is a pre-formatted document that can be used to create a Business Case. It typically includes placeholder text and formatting that can be customized to suit the user's needs.

Why Use a Business Case Template?

A template can be a valuable tool for creating a Business Case, as it can help ensure that all necessary information is included. It can also save time by providing a starting point for the document, and it can help ensure that the final document is consistent and professional.

If you are considering using a template to create your Business Case, there are a few things to keep in mind.

  • First, make sure that the template you choose is relevant to your particular industry and project.
  • Second, customize the template to fit your specific needs – don't hesitate to add or remove sections as necessary.
  • Finally, remember that a template is only a starting point – you will still need to put in the time and effort to create a well-written and persuasive document.

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How to Build a CRM Business Case: 7 Tips to Help You Succeed + Free Template

Your sales team needs a customer relationship management platform , better known as CRM software. Once you add one of these tools to your organization's tech stack you can manage customer data better, automate sales processes, forecast future results, and a whole lot more.

Unfortunately, you don't hold the purse strings for your company. And convincing company leaders to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year on a new app is tough.

That's why you need to build a CRM business case. Good news: that's exactly what we're going to help you do in this article! Keep reading to learn what a CRM business case is and how to create one. Then download our free template to help you make one in no time.

Note : To successfully build a sales CRM that meets your team's unique needs, you must first understand the key components required. From selecting the right features and integrations to ensuring seamless user adoption, a strategic approach is essential. And that is entirely different from a CRM business case, just so we are clear.

What Is a CRM Business Case, and Why Do You Need One?

Generally speaking, CRM business case documents are created by sales managers for the benefit of their bosses, e.g. their company's VP of Sales, CFO, or CEO. The goal? After reading the document, your bosses will greenlight your desired CRM purchase.

If you believe your sales team needs to invest in a CRM platform—or will in the next six months or so—we suggest you start building your CRM business case right now .

Benefits of Building a Business Case for CRM

We won't lie to you, building a CRM business case will take time and effort—but it will all be worth it. Here are three benefits you'll enjoy by creating this kind of document:

  • A better understanding of your needs: Once you create a CRM business case, you'll understand your sales team's challenges better. This information will allow you to lead your department with clarity—even if you don't get the CRM you want.
  • Clear communication with upper management: Communication is important. If you and your superior aren't on the same page, your company won't be as successful as it could be. A CRM business case will help your bosses understand your position.
  • A greater chance at securing the software you need: Most importantly, a well-crafted CRM business case will help convince your company's leaders to invest in a CRM for your sales team. This is the main reason to create this kind of document.

How to Build a CRM Business Case - Benefits of Building a Business Case for CRM

A CRM Business Case Template You Can Swipe and Customize

You know you need a CRM, but you still need to convince the higher-ups.

Use this Google Slides template to build a solid, irrefutable case for a new CRM system. It's easily adaptable to just about any business case. Simply fill in the right data, present it to your team, and get the budget approval you need to elevate your sales stack.

Just remember: to make your case effectively, you need to present real data that shows how a CRM will alleviate current pain points for your sales team. This template gives you the space to explain the issue, add key information, and prove that a CRM is the ideal solution.

Simply make a copy, replace the current text with your own, and you’re good to go.

Benefits of Using Our CRM Business Case Template

So, what makes this CRM business case template so great? There are three reasons why you should use it to communicate with key stakeholders.

  • A clear structure: The template is easy to follow. It starts with an executive summary, continues with current challenges, and presents a viable solution. So simple.
  • Space to add input: Your company is unique, which means your CRM business case document needs to be unique, too. This template allows you to add and expound upon the specific business challenges that your sales department faces on a daily basis.
  • Fully customizable: Yes, you can add specific business challenges to this template, as described above. But that's not the only way you can customize this document. You can easily change colors, input specific timelines, and more to help get buy-in.

How to Personalize the Business Case Template

To be clear, this is a template . You have to customize it to reflect your specific sales processes before you show it to company leadership. Don't worry. Doing so is a piece of cake:

Make a Copy of This Template

To start, you’ll need to make a copy of this template. Click File > Make a copy > Entire presentation.

This will open a new, customizable version of the CRM business case template

Edit the Colors

You may want to adapt this template to your own brand. To edit the colors, follow these steps:

  • Click View > Theme Builder
  • Select Colors
  • On the right, a menu will appear called Theme Colors
  • Choose a theme color, then edit what color is used for that element of the theme

When you adjust colors this way, they will change across the whole template.

Edit the Projected ROI

In the last slide of this template, you’ll be presenting the final key to your CRM business case: the projected ROI.

This chart is linked to a Google Sheet, which you can easily copy and adjust to fit your own projections.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Click on the chart
  • Click the down arrow in the corner of the chart, and select Open source
  • When the Google Sheet opens, Click File > Make a copy
  • Add your projected figures in the copied Sheet
  • Click the three dots in the top right corner of the chart, and select Copy chart
  • In the CRM business case template, delete the sample ROI chart
  • Paste your adjusted chart
  • Select Link to spreadsheet (so new changes will be automatically updated)

7 Components of a CRM Business Case: How to Present Your Findings in the Most Effective Way

What should your CRM business case include, and how do you find the right data to make a convincing argument? That's what we'll talk about in this section.

1. Define the Specific Problems a CRM Can Solve for Your Team

What challenges is your sales team facing right now ?

Maybe your reps miss quota because they can't keep track of the many leads they source on social media sites like LinkedIn. The lead management tools inside CRM software will eliminate this problem, ensuring that more leads are contacted and more deals are closed.

Or maybe your reps don't have enough time to complete their work every week. Because of this, they keep falling farther and farther behind. The automation functionality inside many different CRM solutions will help them boost productivity and get more done in less time.

Close Automation (Workflows)

Whatever your sales team struggles with, add these pain points to the "Current Challenges" page of the template by clicking on the text box and inputting your team’s unique problems.

Then, use the next page to explain briefly how a CRM will solve the challenges you mentioned. (Kind of like we just did in the paragraphs above.)

If possible, give your challenges a specific dollar value. For example, "This lack of productivity costs us $XXX a month." This will make it easier to justify the cost of the new software.

You'll never get approval for a new CRM system if your company's leadership team doesn't understand the problems your sales team is facing. Make sure these problems are clear.

Components of a CRM Business Case - Define the Specific Problems a CRM Can Solve for Your Team

2. Show Proof That the CRM Can Solve These Problems

Telling higher ups about the problems your team struggles with isn't enough. You need to prove to them that your CRM project will solve these problems in a reliable way.

And no, you saying, "I'm pretty sure that once we have access to automation , our team productivity levels will rise" isn't enough. You need cold, hard proof that CRM is the answer.

One of the best ways to prove the value of CRM software is to simply point to other companies who have used this kind of tool to succeed. You can say, "Company XYZ is just like us and they used a CRM to boost individual sales rep productivity by 20%. See? it works!"

So take time to source customer testimonials—preferably ones that relate to the problems your sales team deals with and the specific CRM you're interested in buying. Then add these testimonials to the “What other CRM users say” page of the CRM business case template.

With us so far? Great, now it's time to really hammer home the benefits of CRM .

Add links to full case studies from other CRM customers. This will allow your company's leadership team to read through these experiences on their own time. Better, it will provide irrefutable proof that the CRM you want to invest in will be worth the cost.

Can't find the materials you need? Ask your CRM vendor for social proof. They should know where to look for convincing testimonials and related customer reviews.

3. Set Clear Goals

You've identified the challenges your sales team faces and proven that CRM can help you overcome them. Now what? It's time to set clear goals. What do you want to achieve?

Make your way to the "Goals" page of the CRM business case template. Then insert a few of the goals you want to shoot for. Try to be as specific as you can. Don't say, "We want to increase rep productivity." That's way too vague. As such, it doesn't make a compelling case.

Instead, say something like, "We want to increase rep productivity by 30%" or whatever figure you feel is realistic. Why is this better? By adding "30%" to your business case document, you'll give company leaders a tangible figure to assess the merits of CRM.

This will help them understand just how beneficial your CRM strategy can be.

One more thing: add multiple goals to your document . Boosting rep productivity is great. Boosting rep productivity and customer retention while shortening the sales cycle, is better.

Want to maximize your sales potential? Uncover the game-changing impact of sales productivity tools in our article.

4. Give Them the "Why"

At this point, you've (hopefully!) sold your superiors on the value of CRM software. Now you need to explain why your sales team is ready to invest in this kind of software today .

To explain this, adapt the “Key Benefits” page in the CRM business case template we've provided to summarize three or four main reasons. Here are a few suggestions:

  • To improve rep productivity: With the right CRM, reps can forget about many of the tedious data entry and deal management tasks that plague them. The software will automate follow-up messages, log customer interactions, update records, etc.
  • To increase sales and/or revenue: CRM solutions help users acquire new customers and identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities , too. It can also help provide better customer experiences, which will help boost customer retention metrics.
  • To better prepare for the future: Once your company invests in a reliable CRM, it will be able to access key metrics in real-time. This will help you pivot away from bad sales strategies faster. It will also help you with sales forecasting activities . When you know how much revenue you'll have in the coming months, company leaders can make better decisions. You can also use the figures to benchmark team performance.

Of course, with so many CRM options on the market, you need to justify your choice of CRM . This can be done by editing the text on page eight of the CRM business case template.

Your argument should be based on your chosen CRM's unique value and the specific ways you plan to deploy it for your sales team. With that in mind, give special attention to the features you expect to use most and how they'll help you achieve previously stated goals.

5. Set a Timeline for Implementation, Data Migration, and Adoption Across the Team

Next, you need to explain when you plan to purchase your CRM, how long it will take to implement it, and when your team will be ready to use it on the regular.

In other words, you need to set a realistic timeline for CRM implementation .

Don't skip this step! You might not think it's that important, but your superiors definitely will. So, make it clear when your company will start to reap the benefits of this purchase.

In the CRM business case template that we've created for you, there's a simplified timeline graphic based on our experience helping teams get started with Close. If you choose to use a different tool, you'll need to outline a different CRM process with a different timeline.

Fortunately, this is easy to do. Simply add more points along the line. Everything from "migrate data from Excel" to "train reps to use the platform" should be included.

6. Know Your Goal Metrics and Be Prepared to Report on Them Later

How will you (or, perhaps more importantly, your boss ) know whether the CRM you've chosen has been worth the cost? You have to measure the value it brings your company, of course.

The "Measuring Success" page of the CRM business case template will help you outline the metrics you plan to track and present them to key decision makers.

Your superiors will be grateful for this information because it will give them an out. They can say, "Okay, I'll greenlight this purchase. But if I don't like what I see, I can pull the plug."

So, include the key sales KPIs that you want to track. Then track them after your initial rollout so that you're always ready to report on the success of your CRM implementation efforts.

7. End with Cost and ROI

To create a solid business case for new software, you have to include pricing information.

Don’t beat around the bush or try to hide the full cost of your chosen solution. But do present your case and explain why the CRM you want is worth its price tag.

Start by adding the total cost in simple terms, with either monthly or annual expense details for every potential user. Then, directly after a clear explanation of the pricing, add a few sentences about why the CRM solution in question is worth it.

You can easily do this on the “Projected ROI” page of the CRM business case template.

To be clear, the information you include in the ROI portion of your document should be more than mere guesswork. Use your key metrics and "goals for improvement" data to calculate the increase you’ll see in sales after you start using your new CRM.

Close More Deals with the CRM Built for Closers

A CRM will help your sales team speed up sales cycles and close more deals.

But you can't expect your company's leadership team to purchase a CRM for you without proof that it will bank positive ROI. That's why it's so important to build a convincing CRM business case. The good news is, this is easy to create with our free template!

And since we're on the topic? Have you considered investing in Close yet?

Our sales-oriented CRM is perfect for startups and small businesses. Why? Because it has all of the features you need, including lead management tools, power and predictive Dialers, a full communication sequencing suite, and integrations with just about every other app you have. Plus, it's super easy to use—even if you're brand new to the world of CRM.

Start your free 14-day trial of Close today to see if it's the right CRM for your sales team. We're confident you'll love our platform's ease of use and quota-crushing features!

START YOUR FREE TRIAL→

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business case template for new tool

Create a form in Word that users can complete or print

In Word, you can create a form that others can fill out and save or print.  To do this, you will start with baseline content in a document, potentially via a form template.  Then you can add content controls for elements such as check boxes, text boxes, date pickers, and drop-down lists. Optionally, these content controls can be linked to database information.  Following are the recommended action steps in sequence.  

Show the Developer tab

In Word, be sure you have the Developer tab displayed in the ribbon.  (See how here:  Show the developer tab .)

Open a template or a blank document on which to base the form

You can start with a template or just start from scratch with a blank document.

Start with a form template

Go to File > New .

In the  Search for online templates  field, type  Forms or the kind of form you want. Then press Enter .

In the displayed results, right-click any item, then select  Create. 

Start with a blank document 

Select Blank document .

Add content to the form

Go to the  Developer  tab Controls section where you can choose controls to add to your document or form. Hover over any icon therein to see what control type it represents. The various control types are described below. You can set properties on a control once it has been inserted.

To delete a content control, right-click it, then select Remove content control  in the pop-up menu. 

Note:  You can print a form that was created via content controls. However, the boxes around the content controls will not print.

Insert a text control

The rich text content control enables users to format text (e.g., bold, italic) and type multiple paragraphs. To limit these capabilities, use the plain text content control . 

Click or tap where you want to insert the control.

Rich text control button

To learn about setting specific properties on these controls, see Set or change properties for content controls .

Insert a picture control

A picture control is most often used for templates, but you can also add a picture control to a form.

Picture control button

Insert a building block control

Use a building block control  when you want users to choose a specific block of text. These are helpful when you need to add different boilerplate text depending on the document's specific purpose. You can create rich text content controls for each version of the boilerplate text, and then use a building block control as the container for the rich text content controls.

building block gallery control

Select Developer and content controls for the building block.

Developer tab showing content controls

Insert a combo box or a drop-down list

In a combo box, users can select from a list of choices that you provide or they can type in their own information. In a drop-down list, users can only select from the list of choices.

combo box button

Select the content control, and then select Properties .

To create a list of choices, select Add under Drop-Down List Properties .

Type a choice in Display Name , such as Yes , No , or Maybe .

Repeat this step until all of the choices are in the drop-down list.

Fill in any other properties that you want.

Note:  If you select the Contents cannot be edited check box, users won’t be able to click a choice.

Insert a date picker

Click or tap where you want to insert the date picker control.

Date picker button

Insert a check box

Click or tap where you want to insert the check box control.

Check box button

Use the legacy form controls

Legacy form controls are for compatibility with older versions of Word and consist of legacy form and Active X controls.

Click or tap where you want to insert a legacy control.

Legacy control button

Select the Legacy Form control or Active X Control that you want to include.

Set or change properties for content controls

Each content control has properties that you can set or change. For example, the Date Picker control offers options for the format you want to use to display the date.

Select the content control that you want to change.

Go to Developer > Properties .

Controls Properties  button

Change the properties that you want.

Add protection to a form

If you want to limit how much others can edit or format a form, use the Restrict Editing command:

Open the form that you want to lock or protect.

Select Developer > Restrict Editing .

Restrict editing button

After selecting restrictions, select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection .

Restrict editing panel

Advanced Tip:

If you want to protect only parts of the document, separate the document into sections and only protect the sections you want.

To do this, choose Select Sections in the Restrict Editing panel. For more info on sections, see Insert a section break .

Sections selector on Resrict sections panel

If the developer tab isn't displayed in the ribbon, see Show the Developer tab .

Open a template or use a blank document

To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls. Content controls include things like check boxes, text boxes, and drop-down lists. If you’re familiar with databases, these content controls can even be linked to data.

Go to File > New from Template .

New from template option

In Search, type form .

Double-click the template you want to use.

Select File > Save As , and pick a location to save the form.

In Save As , type a file name and then select Save .

Start with a blank document

Go to File > New Document .

New document option

Go to File > Save As .

Go to Developer , and then choose the controls that you want to add to the document or form. To remove a content control, select the control and press Delete. You can set Options on controls once inserted. From Options, you can add entry and exit macros to run when users interact with the controls, as well as list items for combo boxes, .

Adding content controls to your form

In the document, click or tap where you want to add a content control.

On Developer , select Text Box , Check Box , or Combo Box .

Developer tab with content controls

To set specific properties for the control, select Options , and set .

Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each control that you want to add.

Set options

Options let you set common settings, as well as control specific settings. Select a control and then select Options to set up or make changes.

Set common properties.

Select Macro to Run on lets you choose a recorded or custom macro to run on Entry or Exit from the field.

Bookmark Set a unique name or bookmark for each control.

Calculate on exit This forces Word to run or refresh any calculations, such as total price when the user exits the field.

Add Help Text Give hints or instructions for each field.

OK Saves settings and exits the panel.

Cancel Forgets changes and exits the panel.

Set specific properties for a Text box

Type Select form Regular text, Number, Date, Current Date, Current Time, or Calculation.

Default text sets optional instructional text that's displayed in the text box before the user types in the field. Set Text box enabled to allow the user to enter text into the field.

Maximum length sets the length of text that a user can enter. The default is Unlimited .

Text format can set whether text automatically formats to Uppercase , Lowercase , First capital, or Title case .

Text box enabled Lets the user enter text into a field. If there is default text, user text replaces it.

Set specific properties for a Check box .

Default Value Choose between Not checked or checked as default.

Checkbox size Set a size Exactly or Auto to change size as needed.

Check box enabled Lets the user check or clear the text box.

Set specific properties for a Combo box

Drop-down item Type in strings for the list box items. Press + or Enter to add an item to the list.

Items in drop-down list Shows your current list. Select an item and use the up or down arrows to change the order, Press - to remove a selected item.

Drop-down enabled Lets the user open the combo box and make selections.

Protect the form

Go to Developer > Protect Form .

Protect form button on the Developer tab

Note:  To unprotect the form and continue editing, select Protect Form again.

Save and close the form.

Test the form (optional)

If you want, you can test the form before you distribute it.

Protect the form.

Reopen the form, fill it out as the user would, and then save a copy.

Creating fillable forms isn’t available in Word for the web.

You can create the form with the desktop version of Word with the instructions in Create a fillable form .

When you save the document and reopen it in Word for the web, you’ll see the changes you made.

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    Business Case Template for Word (Free Download) Get your free Business Case Template Use this free Business Case Template for Word to manage your projects better. Download Word File A business case template is a document that helps sell your project. It collects the main points of a project and delivers them in a clear and concise manner.

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    A projection of financial needs. Explain how much money you need and exactly how it will be used. This is one of the most important parts of the business case. A strong recommendation. Explain the project you've chosen to pursue and why you think this is the best solution. You should also address the risks for this recommendation.

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    When the Google Sheet opens, Click File > Make a copy. Add your projected figures in the copied Sheet. Click the three dots in the top right corner of the chart, and select Copy chart. In the CRM business case template, delete the sample ROI chart. Paste your adjusted chart.

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  26. Create a form in Word that users can complete or print

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