CDEV058 - Building a Business Case

Course Description

In this course, you will learn to transform your ideas from conceptualization to actualization by developing and presenting a compelling business case. You will master the language needed to convey the depth of your belief in your initiative and its merits, while effectively addressing potential challenges and risks.

By the end of the course, you will have produced a full draft of a business case and practiced presenting it to decision-makers.

Course Outline

In this course, you will:

• Understand why and when to write a business case
• Learn the essential elements of a business case and use a generic business case template
• Explore costing, ROI, and the Triple Bottom Line
• Craft an Executive Summary
• Recruit and lead your business case project team
• Prepare to present your business case effectively
• Practice rehearsing your presentation
• Create simple presentations using slide decks
• Make effective use of the Q&A session
• Learn how to close the sale

Learner Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define the business case subject, concretely and completely describing what the case is about and how it aligns with the strategic direction of the organization
• State the purpose of the case, answering the questions: “What decisions or actions will be taken based on this business case result?”, “By whom?”, and “By when?”
• Recruit and lead the case development project team, coordinating the team’s activities throughout the development of the case
• Plan the case development process, determining what information, including financial analysis, is necessary for accomplishing the case purpose
• Develop the business case by writing a clear, succinct goal or issue statement
• Conduct a thorough situation assessment
• Assess all potentially viable alternative initiatives and propose the most feasible, value-added alternative
• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed initiative/project
• Conduct a risk analysis of the proposed initiative/project
• Assess the impact on and involvement of other internal and external partners/stakeholders/constituencies
• Develop a project plan, including a timeline, implementation steps, resources required, and factors affecting timelines
• Articulate critical assumptions
• Summarize conclusions and recommendations, and align them with the strategic themes of the organization
• Present the business case in a convincing manner