<Project Name>
Business Case
Recommendation
[Insert a new signature line for each additional stakeholder providing approval. The signature of each stakeholder confirms that all impacted business lines are informed and consulted. Approval of the business case provides agreement by stakeholders for shared responsibility of both one-time/ongoing cost and acceptance of project benefits. Delete this comment once completed.]
We recommend approval of this business case for <Project Name> initiative.
I / We concur:
Document History
Table of Contents
2.4. Business Need/Justification
12. Appendix A: Alternative Analysis
13. Appendix B: Roles & Responsibilities
14. Appendix C: Sensitivity Analysis
[This section highlights the key points required to demonstrate the business rational for decision makers. It includes a summary of the current situation (i.e., risks/issues), identifies what needs to be done to remediate this situation, how the solution aligns to business strategies, and high-level illustration of costs and benefits. The executive summary should be no longer than one page in length. Delete this comment once completed.]
The costs and benefits illustrated below are in <specify financial currency >.
* For complete cost/benefit analysis details see NPV (section 10).
[Describe the risk/issues that need to be addressed, reasoning for why the recommended solution needs to be implemented, and implications of not approving the solution. Delete this comment once completed.]
Organizational Focus
[Select one or several of the strategic focus the recommended solution has on the organization. Delete this comment once completed.]
This initiative aligns with the business strategy by:
[Provide justifications, in bullet form, to illustrate the details of how the recommended solution aligns with the selected strategic focus. Specify details of how the solution will be implemented to support business functions throughout the entire organization and enhancements to operational efficiencies. Briefly highlight the impact on business plans, budgets, or forecasts. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Document the objectives for evaluating alternatives specific to the details specified in Section 2.1. If this project is a subset of a larger project, ensure an overview of the larger project is provided. Delete this comment once completed.]
2.4. Business Need/Justification
[Elaborate on details related to the business justifications specified in Section 2.2, including any internal and external considerations that will influence the need for the recommended solution. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Briefly illustrate the advantages/disadvantages of the recommended solution. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Provide advantages, in bullet form, to illustrate positive aspects of implementing the recommended solution. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Provide disadvantages, in bullet form, to illustrate negative aspects of implementing the recommended solution. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Describe the significant events or conditions that, if they occur, will have either positive or negative effects on the objectives specified in Section 2.3. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Describe the circumstances and outcomes that if taken for granted in the absence of concrete information will have either positive or negative effects on the objectives specified in Section 2.3. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Document the recommended and alternative course of action for this project. The last alternative to be specified in this section is Do Nothing. Complete details about the recommended and alternative courses of action can be documented in Appendix A. Delete this comment once completed.]
• Alternative 1: <Summarize the recommended course of action>
• Alternative 2: <Summarize the alternative course of action>
• Alternative 3: Do Nothing
[Include an implementation date for the project. Use multiple rows if the project is being implemented in several phases. Include a high-level schedule of the projected implementation plan as well as critical dates, including additional funding checkpoints and any interdependencies with other initiatives. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Document the controls and mechanisms put in place to ensure compliance with rules and regulations for how the project functions. While the roles included in the governance structure may not initially have names allocated, at a minimum, representation from different levels throughout the organization should be specified: Executive Sponsor, Business Sponsor, Technology Sponsor, and where needed those located in other business areas of the organization such as project management, back offices, and operational support. Complete details about the governance structure can be documented in Appendix B. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Baselines that will be used for measuring the success criteria against each test case, including the criteria for measuring success or failure, the scenario for how the test will be executed, tools or equipment subject to the test, and the business value for conducting the test case. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Details about the type of information to be provided in the above table is provided below:
Objective: description of benefit to be realized (e.g., improved operational efficiencies)
Key Success Metric: the item that will be measured (e.g., reduced work hours)
Target: the target of change, either percentage or actual value, which must be measureable
Baseline: the starting point, either percentage or actual value, used to measure against
Data Source: the origin from which metrics used to measure success will be provided (e.g., reporting system)
Delete this comment once completed.]
[Indicate the funding source(s) that have been allocated and are available within approved budgets. If necessary, provide alternative funding options where funding is not allocated or available. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Specify for each funding year: the year, total $$ amount to be funded, the business area providing funding, and the budget source from which funding is to be drawn. Delete this comment once completed.]
Details of cost/benefit analysis for the project are provided in the NPV schedule found in Appendix C.
[Complete details about the best and worst case scenarios identified through sensitivity analysis can be documented in Appendix C. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Describe assumptions used during the financial analysis, including the drivers costs/benefits, business areas accepting ongoing costs or receiving benefits, justification for making the assumptions, and the effect on the project if the assumptions prove to be false. Complete details about assumptions made during sensitivity analysis can also be documented in Appendix C. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Using the service catalog as the authoritative source, indicate how ongoing funding of the implemented solution will be allocated across business areas sharing the costs. Delete this comment once completed.]
[Describe the cost allocation driver, as documented in the service catalog, used to calculate the business line cost allocations. Delete this comment once completed.]
[List the individuals who should be contacted for questions regarding the content of this document. Complete details about the roles and responsibilities for individuals involved with this project can be documented in Appendix B. Delete this comment once completed.]
In case of any questions, contact the following individuals:
12. Appendix A: Alternative Analysis
[Describe the alternative recommendations that were considered and have been discarded as a final solution. Explain the justifications for why these alternative recommendations were not identified as the final solution. Delete this comment once completed.]
13. Appendix B: Roles & Responsibilities
[Provide detailed contact information for those individuals who are involved in this project as part of either the Governance Structure or a Contact Person. Specify the roles played by the individual, reporting hierarchy, and escalation process. Delete this comment once completed.]
14. Appendix C: Sensitivity Analysis
[Insert a print screen of the NPV. Provide details about the best and worst case scenarios identified during the sensitivity analysis. Delete this comment once completed.]