Artifact: Business Case |
This artifact provides the rationale for initiating or continuing investment in a particular product or project.
Domains: Portfolio Management Work Products
Relationships
Contained Artifacts | Business Justification
Roles | Responsible: Product Manager | Modified By: Portfolio Analyst
Tasks | Input To: Prioritize Components | Output From: Select Components
Description
Main Description | The business case provides an overview of the proposed activities and deliverables, an assessment of the problem to be addressed, and the cost-benefit analysis for making the investment. It may evolve over time, with additional content and detail added at different steps of the process. You might also choose to have business cases at different levels of granularity. For example, it may make sense to have a business case for particular aspects of a project, or specific product capabilities. Update the business case as needed to reflect changes in business environment, strategy, implementation, and so on to provide an accurate assessment of project costs and benefits to support informed decision-making.
Brief Outline | Executive summary: What, why, when, who, and how What is being proposed Objective Primary deliverables and work effort Why it is being proposed Business needs and problem assessment Timeline High-level cost and benefits Resources and organization General approach Background Problem or opportunity to be addressed Impact of addressing or not addressing Current environment or situation Additional considerations, for example: legal or regulatory requirements Project Description Objectives (short- and long-term) Vision of expected outcomes (“to-be” situation) Expected benefits (tangible or intangible) Strategic alignment Deliverables Measures Scope and not in scope Alternative solutions considered and why this one won Cost-benefit analysis Quantitative All costs (direct, indirect, initial, ongoing, and capital) and who incurs them, along with time-frame All quantifiable benefits - when they will be achieved, who will benefit, level of certainty Qualitative For example: morale, service times, etc. (made quantifiable if possible) Market and competitor analysis Market segments we are targeting Market problems we are trying to solve What competitors are also aiming for the same market segments Resources and organization structure Stakeholders Project team resources required, including skill sets Organization(s) to provide the resources Business partners or other external participants Implementation strategy or work plan It may include change management, transition, communication plans, and so on Governance Financial, funding, budget Business and operational impacts For example: changes in services and products; organizational changes; training required Assumptions, risks, and dependencies It includes risks associated with not proceeding Conclusions and recommendations
Tailoring
Representation Options | The exact content and level of detail in a business case may vary depending on the formality of process or scale of the project or product. For example, new offerings may require more details than maintenance releases do. Within a given portfolio or portfolio subset, having consistent business case content and representation makes it easier for prioritization and funding decisions across like elements to be made.
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