Generic Outline for Constructing a Business Case

adapted from "The Project Manager's MBA" by D.J.Cohen and R.J.Graham

Executive Summary

• Description of the project

• Market, customer, and competition

• Cost-benefit analysis

• Sensitivity analysis, risk assessment, and contingencies

• Definitions of success and failure

Description of the Project

• Purpose of the investment

• Key reasons for pursuing the project

• Strategic alignment

• The value proposition

• Project requirements

• Project goal, milestones, and major deliverables

Market, Customers, and Competition

• Market analysis

  • Critical success factors

  • Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT analysis)

  • Market size and segmentation

  • Market trends

• Customer and end-user analysis

  • Customer and end-user identification

  • Fulfillment of customer and end-user needs

• Competitive analysis

  • Identification of both direct and indirect competitors

  • Competitors' offerings

  • Competitive advantage to be produced by the project

  • Countermoves competitors might make

  • New competitors

  • Contingency plans

Cost-Benefit Analysis

• Financial model

  • Cash flows in

  • Cash flows out

  • Financial analysis

  • Assumptions

  • Assumption tests

• Non-quantitative factors

  • Opportunity costs

  • Benefits

Sensitivity, Risks, and Contingencies

• Sensitivity analysis

  • Critical assumptions

  • Assumption change

• Risk analysis

  • Identification of risks

  • Quantification of risks

  • Risk management

  • Contingency plan

• Contingencies and dependencies

  • Value chain analysis

  • Responsibility chart

Definitions of Success and Failure

• Metrics

  • Economic factors/measures

  • Strategic factors/measures

• Methods

  • Process

  • Responsibility