Document: Project Business Case

Document to convince investors to authorize the project 

The Business Case is a document produced to “sell” a project, to present its costs versus benefits, show the economic viability to management or to an investor.

Overview

A Business Case states what is expected from the project in terms of costs and benefits, risks, revenue, functionality required, time-frame and resources required. They are usually motivated by:

• Business Needs
• Market Opportunities
• Customer Pains
• Legal Requirements

Main topics

• justification for the project
• cost versus benefits analysis: do benefits exceed risks?
• economic viability studied in a viability analysis
• scope overview: work to be performed and list of deliverables
• budget and schedule
• timeline for milestones
• risks and opportunities

Tips to prepare a Business Case

• Understand how the project will be assessed before you start writing it, so you can focus on what really matters.
• Build a team to get the best possible contribution from specialists, eg: marketing and Finance should be engaged.
• Explicit risks and benefits
• Identify the target audience and their expectations