Business Case

Business Case: a practical way to get decisions made (and funded) faster

If you’ve ever heard “sounds good, but what’s the ROI?” or “we need more clarity before we commit,” you already know why a Business Case matters. It turns an idea into a decision-ready plan—complete with costs, benefits, risks, and a clear recommendation.

In this guide, we’ll break down what a Business Case is, when you need one, what to include, and how to write it so stakeholders can say “yes” with confidence.

What a Business Case is (and what it isn’t)

A Business Case is a structured argument for investing time, money, or resources into a specific initiative. It explains why you should do it, what it will deliver, and how success will be measured.

• It is: a decision document that compares options, quantifies value, and clarifies trade-offs.
• It isn’t: a project plan (how you’ll execute) or a pitch deck (high-level persuasion without the operational detail).

When you should create a Business Case

You don’t need a Business Case for every small change. You do need one when a decision affects budgets, priorities, or risk exposure.

• Launching a new product, service, or market expansion
• Buying software or equipment above a set cost threshold
• Hiring a team, outsourcing, or changing organizational structure
• Making process changes that impact compliance, security, or customer experience
• Prioritizing between competing initiatives

What to include in a strong Business Case

The best Business Case documents are simple enough to scan, but detailed enough to withstand scrutiny. These are the sections most stakeholders expect.

• Executive summary: the problem, the recommendation, and the expected payoff.
• Problem statement: what’s happening now, who it impacts, and why it matters.
• Objectives and scope: what success looks like, plus what’s explicitly out of scope.
• Options considered: including “do nothing,” with a clear comparison.
• Cost breakdown: one-time costs, recurring costs, and hidden operational costs.
• Benefits: revenue gains, cost savings, risk reduction, customer impact, and productivity improvements.
• Financials: ROI, payback period, and/or NPV (use whichever your organization prefers).
• Risks and assumptions: key dependencies, uncertainties, and mitigation plans.
• Implementation overview: high-level timeline, owners, and milestones.
• KPIs and measurement plan: how you’ll track results after launch.

How to write a Business Case that stakeholders actually read

Busy decision-makers don’t want a novel. They want clarity. Here’s how to make your Business Case skimmable and persuasive.

• Lead with the decision: state what you’re asking for and what it unlocks.
• Quantify value early: even a rough range is better than vague claims.
• Use comparisons: show why your recommended option beats alternatives.
• Make assumptions explicit: it builds trust and speeds up approvals.
• Address objections upfront: cost, risk, timing, and resourcing are the usual blockers.

Business Case benefits (for teams and leadership)

A Business Case isn’t just paperwork. Done well, it improves alignment and reduces rework.

• Faster decisions: fewer meetings to “get on the same page.”
• Clear prioritization: initiatives compete on value, not volume.
• Better budgeting: costs are visible and defensible.
• Reduced risk: dependencies and unknowns are surfaced earlier.
• Accountability: KPIs create follow-through after approval.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most Business Case failures come from being either too optimistic or too vague.

• Overpromising benefits: stakeholders will discount everything if one number feels inflated.
• Ignoring “do nothing”: it’s always an option, and it’s often the baseline.
• Missing total cost of ownership: include training, maintenance, support, and change management.
• No measurement plan: if you can’t measure outcomes, you can’t prove value.
• Too much detail too soon: keep implementation high-level unless asked for a full plan.

Conclusion

A solid Business Case makes it easier to fund the right work, align stakeholders, and deliver outcomes that can be measured. If you keep it focused on the decision, compare options honestly, and back claims with realistic numbers, you’ll turn “interesting idea” into “approved and underway.”