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Business Case Guides Collection

Business case guides are resources organizations can use to help them develop and evaluate business cases. They typically provide guidance and best practices for conducting market research, financial analysis, risk assessment, and other critical tasks involved in the business case process.

Here are some examples of business case guides:

The Business Case Guide – This guide, developed by the Harvard Business Review, provides a step-by-step framework for developing and evaluating business cases. It includes guidance on identifying the problem or opportunity, defining the objectives and scope, conducting market research, creating financial projections, and evaluating risks and opportunities.
The Better Business Cases Guide – This guide, developed by the UK Government, provides a structured approach for developing and evaluating business cases for public sector projects. It includes guidance on aligning the business case with government policy and priorities, conducting market research, creating financial projections, and assessing risks and benefits.
The Project Management Institute Guide to Business Case Development – This guide, developed by the Project Management Institute, guides on developing and evaluating business cases for projects. It includes information on stakeholder analysis, market research, financial analysis, risk assessment, and benefits realization.
The Small Business Administration Business Case Guide – This guide, developed by the Small Business Administration, guides on developing business cases for small businesses. It includes market research, financial analysis, risk assessment, and strategic planning information.

Business case guides can be valuable for organizations developing or evaluating business cases. Providing a structured framework and guidance on best practices helps organizations ensure that their business cases are developed consistently and effectively, and that crucial information is presented clearly and concisely.

The Business Case Guides category is a comprehensive collection of resources, articles, and documents designed to provide CIOs, IT executives, and decision-makers with step-by-step guidance, best practices, and practical advice for creating, evaluating, and implementing IT-related business cases. This section of our CIO Reference Library focuses on offering insights and tools to help you navigate the complexities of the business case process and develop compelling, data-driven proposals that effectively communicate the value of your technology investments to stakeholders.

A well-crafted business case is essential for making informed decisions about IT projects and initiatives, securing stakeholder buy-in, and driving successful outcomes. The Business Case Guides category aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools to manage each stage of the process effectively, from identifying the problem or opportunity and gathering data to evaluating alternatives and presenting the final business case for approval.

Key topics covered in this category include:

Step-by-step guides for creating IT-related business cases
Best practices and advice for articulating the problem or opportunity addressed by the IT project
Guidelines for gathering and analyzing data to support the business case
Tips for developing and evaluating alternative solutions
Techniques for estimating costs, benefits, and ROI of technology investments
Strategies for assessing and managing risks associated with IT projects
Recommendations for aligning the business case with organizational goals and business strategy
Guidance for presenting the business case for approval and securing stakeholder buy-in
Post-implementation review and continuous improvement using lessons learned from the business case process
Real-world examples and case studies to illustrate successful business case development and execution

The Business Case Guides category is regularly updated with new content, ensuring that it remains a valuable and current resource for CIOs and IT executives as they work to drive their organizations’ digital transformation and achieve success through effective management of the business case process.

Strategic Assessment of Investment Proposal

The Strategic Assessment is intended to provide stakeholders with a high degree of confidence that the investment they are considering aligns with the organizations strategic priorities and responds to a true business need. Stakeholders can consider the rationale for a proposed investment at an early stage, and determine if the proposal warrants the development of a business case.

Benefit Assessment of Investment Proposal

This document discusses benefit assessment of an investment proposal. Benefits management is vital in ensuring that an initiative achieves what it set out to do. It involves articulating what benefits are expected from the initiative, how it will be known that the benefits are achieved, and the assessment of what has eventuated against what was planned. Managing benefits extends beyond the lifecycle of a project or program. It requires a structure that survives long after the project/program team has disbanded.

Creating a Detailed Business Case for an IT Investment

Dive into this comprehensive guide on crafting the definitive business case for your IT investments. Prioritize ROI, secure executive support, and align your tech initiatives with overarching organizational goals.

Strategic Assessment of IT Investment Proposal

This document describes the strategic assessment of an IT investment which answers the simple question: "is there a need?" This is perhaps the first stage in an investment's lifecycle and most critical because this is where one can either save the day or really make a blunder approving a disaster or rejecting a gem!

ICT Business Case Development Guide

This business case development guide describes a best practice based approach to developing investment proposals specific to information technology investments – establish a clear need, define benefits, and explore strategic options. This guide includes things sometimes omitted by others specifically, technology selection, organization readiness, and procurement.

Business Case Guide: Two Step Process

This guide introduces a two step business case preparation and justification process. Pass One is a high level statement of purpose and benefit. If approved, funding is provided for Pass Two which results in a thorough business case which in turn must be approved to receive funding to proceed with

How to Build a Better Business Case

This presentation discusses the key building blocks of a business case and the steps needed to assemble them into a meaningful instrument to communicate the value proposition of an initiative.

How to Write a Good Business Case

This guide to writing good business cases first discusses what is a good business case and then describes the process for creating one with numerous references to resources for creating business cases.

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