How To Write the Perfect Business Case

How to write a business case

Why do too many projects fail to deliver their objectives even though project management best practices appear to be used? Project management is naturally complicated, but it can be disastrous if you don’t have sufficient buy-in from the right parties. Writing a strong and complete business case can make all the difference.

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In this how-to guide you will discover,

  • What is a business case?

Why you need a business case

  • Is the project worth doing?

When to use a business case

How to write a business case, the business case template, a business case example, 1. the executive summary, 2. the finance section, 3. the project definition, 4. project organization, managing the business case, making the case, frequently asked questions, what is a business case.

A business case is developed during the early stages of a project and outlines the why, what, how, and who necessary to decide if it is worthwhile continuing a project. One of the first things you need to know when starting a new project are the benefits of the proposed business change and how to communicate those benefits to the business.

While the project proposal focuses on why you want a project, it will only contain an outline of the project:

  • business vision
  • business need
  • expected benefits
  • strategic fit
  • products produced
  • broad estimates of time and cost
  • and impact on the organization

In contrast, the business case, which is first developed during the project initiation phase , contains much more detail. It should be reviewed by the project sponsor and key stakeholders before being accepted, rejected, canceled, deferred, or revised.

Depending on the scale of the business change, the business case may need further development as part of a detailed investigation. Therefore, it should be developed incrementally so that time and resources aren’t unnecessarily wasted on the impractical.

Preparing the business case involves an assessment of:

  • Business problem or opportunity
  • Costs including investment appraisal
  • Technical solutions
  • Impact on operations
  • Organizational capability to deliver the project outcomes

These project issues are an important part of the business case. They express the problems with the current situation and demonstrate the benefits of the new business vision.

The business case brings together the benefits, disadvantages, costs , and risks of the current situation and future vision so that executive management can decide if the project should go ahead.

Many projects start life as a walk in the fog, which is fine in itself, but never see the light of day or stumble along aimlessly for too long because the clarity of scope , time-scale, cost, and benefits are not defined adequately during the first stages of the project.

Is the project worth doing

Why are you starting a project? Chances are you’re doing it because you need to solve a problem.

Usually, the problem is something that gets in the way of achieving your goals . So, it seems a project is about achieving goals and your goals won’t be realized unless you deal with the problem (or opportunity or circumstance.)

If a project is worth doing you need to answer 4 simple questions:

  • What is your goal?
  • What’s stopping you from reaching the goal?
  • How much change is needed to overcome the problem?
  • Are you certain this will solve the problem?

Can you answer these questions quickly? Do you have evidence to support or refute your assumptions?

If not, it may not be worth starting a project.

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The business case is needed when resources or expenditure on a project has to be justified. Approval is usually sought from the project sponsor and other interested parties. For instance, the finance function may authorize funds and the IT department provide resources.

The purpose of the business case is communication. Therefore, each section should be written in the parlance of the intended audience.

Moreover, it should only contain enough information to help decision making. When writing a business case keep the following in mind:

  • Be brief and convey only the essentials.
  • Make it interesting, clear, and concise.
  • Eliminate conjecture and minimize jargon.
  • Describe your vision of the future.
  • Demonstrate the value and benefits the project brings to the business.
  • Ensure consistent style and readability.

The project sponsor is responsible for preparing the business case. However, all appropriate team members should contribute to its development. Likewise, subject matter experts from other functions ― finance, HR, IT, service delivery, and so on ― can provide specialist information.

Those writing the business case should have a thorough understanding of the project’s aims and be able to merge the varied and potentially complex plans into one document using the following business case template.

What follows are the four steps to writing a business case template for your project. It includes the following four sections:

  • Executive Summary
  • Project Definition
  • Project Organization

This example of a business case is a simplified version for a small company with few staff. The bigger the project, the bigger the risk, which means the more detail you will need to provide for your investors and stakeholders.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2021, retail e-Commerce revenue reached 768 billion US dollars. People are expecting more digital experiences and want to interact and purchase what they need online.

Our current website is just a static page with no interaction available to possible customers. With a website upgrade to incorporate an e-Commerce store, we can entice users to purchase all their training online, in return increasing productivity and efficiency within the office. An estimated $25,000 could be saved a year through this upgrade.

1.1 Financial Appraisal

The expected cost of the new website is $15,000 with a $500 annual maintenance fee.

The training costs of the staff is estimated at $2,000, but the reduction of administration and manual handling of orders is estimated to save $25,000 annually.

1.2 Sensitivity Analysis

The alternatives include:

  • Maintaining the current system, which costs $25,000 annually to maintain and run.
  • Upgrading the website, but not including an e-Commerce store. This would cost $6,000, but the cost of processing the orders is still $25,000.
  • Outsourcing the training purchases to a third-party site, which would cost between $49.99 - $100 per month. In the long run this would cost more and offer less development scope.

2. PROJECT DEFINITION

2.1 Background information

The World is digitizing and we, as a business, must keep up with consumer demand if we are to remain one of the most sought-after training providers.

Since 2020 and the outbreak of Covid-19, many more people have been working remotely and wish to access their training requirements online. We need to update our systems to provide our customers with a purely online system that can provide them with their required training courses in a virtual environment, from purchase through to attendance. This new e-Commerce website is the first step in this process.

2.2 Business Objective

The goal is to provide an online platform where customers can purchase their training requirements.

The solution is to build an e-Commerce website.

This syncs with the business strategy, as it will increase efficiency and profits.

2.3 Benefits and Limitations

The benefits of this project far out-weigh the negatives. They include:

  • Improvement in the quality of customer service and user journey
  • Increased conversion rate through streamlined processes
  • Cost savings through efficiencies
  • Reduced working capital
  • Increase in revenue generated
  • Remain competitive in a digital world.

The limitations of this project remain with staffing, as we do not have a web designer or developer within our company, meaning this will still have to be outsourced if anything arises at a future date.

2.4 Option Identification & Selection

Options for the e-Commerce site include the following:

  • WordPress website with WooCommerce store
  • All-in-one website hosted on e-Commerce platform such as Shopify
  • Use of third-party payment system, such as Stripe, PayPal, or Worldpay
  • Ability to take payments directly through the website and acting as controller and processor of user’s sensitive data
  • Inclusion of a blog
  • Integration of CRM platform.

2.5 Scope, Impact, and interdependencies

The website will be built independently from the current site, so will not affect any current processes or user experience.

2.6 Outline Plan

The website will be built by an external agency and will take around 6 months to complete and push live.

One month before going live the staff will undertake essential training.

2.7 Market Assessment

Since retail e-Commerce has risen to $768 billion US Dollars, it’s time we also made the move to online sales.

2.8 Risk Assessment

The project will be completed out of house.

2.9 Project Approach

The project will be managed out of house.

2.10 Purchasing Strategy

We will enter a contractual agreement with the creative agency. Attached is a copy of the proposed contract.

3. PROJECT ORGANIZATION

3.1 Project Governance

Project will be managed by the agency and in-house by the Centre Executive.

3.2 Progress Reporting

The agency will report to the Centre Executive.

Depending on the length of the business case you may want to include a high-level summary of the project.

The executive summary is the first section of the business case and the last written. It is a short summary of the entire business case. It succinctly conveys vital information about the project and communicates the entire story to the reader.

First impressions are important. Get this right!

The finance section of an effective business case is primarily for those who approve funding. The finance function will be interested in this plus the first half of the project definition.

Financial appraisal.

When you prepare the financial appraisal seek advice on content and presentation from the finance function. In the case of capital developments, consult subject matter experts.

The purpose of a financial appraisal is to:

  • Identify the financial implications for the project
  • Compare project costs against the forecast benefits
  • Ensure the project is affordable
  • Assess value for money
  • Predict cash flow.

Sensitivity analysis.

Sensitivity analysis concerns project risk and looks at alternative futures by measuring the impact on project outcomes or assumptions of changing values in which there is uncertainty.

In effect, sensitivity analysis lets the project accountant experiment with possible scenarios.

This is the largest part of the business case and is for the project sponsor, stakeholders, and project team. It answers most of the why, what, and how questions about your project.

Background information.

The purpose of this section is to give a clear introduction to the business case and project. It should contain a brief overview of the reasons why the project or business change has come about: the problem, opportunity, or change of circumstances.

If necessary, refer to related programs, projects, studies, or business plans.

Business objective.

This part describes why you are doing the project. The business objective answers the following questions:

  • What is needed to overcome the problem?
  • How will the project support the business strategy?

Benefits and limitations.

The benefits and limitations section describes the financial and non-financial benefits in turn. The purpose is to explain why you need a project.

For instance, to:

  • Improve quality
  • Save costs through efficiencies
  • Reduce working capital
  • Generate revenue
  • Remain competitive
  • Improve customer service
  • Align to corporate strategy

The business case should also include any limitations since these present potential risk to the project.

Option identification and selection.

Identify the potential solutions to the problem and describe them in enough detail for the reader to understand.

For instance, if the business case and proposed solution makes use of technology, make sure to explain how the technology is used and define the terms used in a glossary. Since most problems have multiple solutions an option appraisal is often needed. This will explore the potential solutions and recommend the best option.

When writing the initial business case, the option appraisal is likely to contain a long list of options and will cover many possibilities. As the project continues a few options will be rejected. The final business case may contain three to five options ― the short list ― that includes a do nothing or benchmark option.

Scope, impact, and interdependencies.

This section of the business case template describes the work needed to deliver the business objective and identifies those business functions affected by the project.

Moreover, the project scope, impact, and interdependencies section should state the project’s scope and boundaries. It describes what is included and what is excluded plus the key interdependencies with other projects. It is important for the business case to consider the failure of other interrelated projects and show how such dependencies make impact benefits.

Outline plan.

The outline plan provides a summary of the main activities and overall timescale ― project schedule ― for the project.

A project should be divided into stages with the decisions to make preceding each stage. Use this section to answer the following questions:

  • What is required?
  • How is it done?
  • Who does what?
  • When will things happen?

This outline plan lists the major deliverables and includes a brief project description plus accountabilities for each activity.

Market assessment.

It is important that the business case provides its readers with a thorough assessment of the business context ― the market assessment. In other words, make the underlying business interests explicit.

Therefore, the market assessment should show a complete understanding of the marketplace in which your business operates.

A good starting point is the inclusions of a PESTLE ― political, economic, sociological, technological, legal, and environmental ― analysis.

Risk assessment.

The risk assessment summarizes the significant project risks and opportunities and how they are managed. Include any risks that could arise from your project, as well as the organization’s ability to deliver change.

This section answers the following questions:

  • What risks are involved?
  • What are the consequences of a risk happening?
  • What opportunities may emerge?
  • What plans are in place to deal with the risks?
  • Every project should include a risk log

When writing a business case, make sure this is included as it explains how risk and opportunity are managed.

Project approach.

The project approach describes how the project is tackled. That is, the way in which work is done to deliver the project.

For instance, a project with much of the work contracted out is likely to take a different approach to a project that develops an in-house solution.

Purchasing strategy.

This section describes how a project is to be financed and whether a decision to buy, lease, or outsource should be taken by the organization before purchasing.

Moreover, the purchasing strategy should describe the purchasing process used. A formal procurement process may save time and money and reduce project risk.

The last section of the business case template is of most interest to the project manager, project team, and managers responsible for delivering work to the project. This project organization section describes how the project is set up.

Project governance.

This section of the business case template shows the reader how the project is structured and the different levels of decision-making. Usually, a business will already have implemented a project governance framework that will support the project through each stage.

If your organization does not use a structured project management process framework use this section to include:

  • Roles and responsibilities (RACI Chart)
  • Project tolerances
  • Project standards
  • Review points
  • How decisions are made.

Progress reporting.

Finally, the business case should define how project progress is recorded and the project board updated on project performance. Usually, the project manager does this by preparing a concise progress report or highlight report at regular intervals.

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The completed business case provides structure for the project and project organization throughout the project lifecycle . Therefore, it should be used routinely for reference and not consigned to the shelf.

Accordingly, the project sponsor and project board should review and update the business case at key stages to check that the project remains viable and the reasons for doing it are still valid. Ideally, the review should take place before starting a new stage to avoid unnecessary investment in time and money.

In this article we showed you how to write a business case. We covered a lot of ground and may give the impression that the resulting business case is a large and unwieldy document.

This is not the case.

A business case should be concise and to the point. For small projects it may run to a few pages. For larger projects and complex business change endeavors the document will be large.

Therefore, be sure to keep the intended audience in mind when preparing each section and include supporting information in an appendix.

For instance, the option appraisal section may summarize each option with the details contained elsewhere for reference.

To conclude, the purpose of a business case is to outline the business rationale for undertaking a project and to provide a means to continually assess and evaluate project progress.

What is the difference between a business case and a business plan?

The focus of the business case is an action, which is usually the purchase of capital equipment or a service. In comparison, the focus of the business plan is to outline the future of a business proposal, it’s margins, revenue growth over several years and what the business goals and strategies will encompass.

What should be included in a business case?

Writing a business case can seem like a daunting task, which is why we have provided you with a business case template and example to help you make a start.

The four sections include:

What is a business case template?

A business case template provides you with a structure and format to present your case to relevant stakeholders and investors. It’s essential that this document communicate the essence of your project’s goals and benefits, while aligning with the company’s strategies and objectives.

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  • The beginner’s guide to writing an effe ...

The beginner’s guide to writing an effective business case

Julia Martins contributor headshot

Nearly every project needs to be approved—whether that means getting the simple go-ahead from your team or gaining the support of an executive stakeholder. You may be familiar with using a project plan or project charter to propose a new initiative and get the green light for a project. But if your proposed project represents a significant business investment, you may need to build a business case.

If you’ve never written a business case, we’re here to help. With a few resources and a little planning, you can write a business case that will help you get the resources and support you need to manage a successful project.

What is a business case?

A business case is a document that explains the value or benefits your company will gain if you pursue a significant business investment or initiative. This initiative can be anything from the messaging for a new product or feature launch, a proposal to increase spend on a current initiative, or a significant investment with a new agency or contractor—to name a few. A compelling business case will outline the expected benefits of this significant investment decision. Key stakeholders will use the business case you provide to determine whether or not to move forward with an initiative.

If you’ve never created a business case, it may sound similar to other early project planning documentation. Here’s how it stacks up:

The difference between a business case and business plan

A  business case  is a proposal for a new strategy or large initiative. It should outline the business needs and benefits your company will receive from pursuing this opportunity.

A  business plan , on the other hand, is an outline for a totally new business. Typically, you’d draft a business plan to map out your business strategy, your mission and vision statements, and how you’re planning on getting there. There may be a case where you create a business plan for an already-existing business, but you’d only do so if you’re trying to take your business in a significantly new direction.

Business case vs. executive summary

Business case vs. project charter.

If you need to create an elevator pitch for your project but you don’t quite need the full business case treatment, you might need a project charter. Much like a business case, a project charter outlines key details of an initiative. Specifically, a project charter will cover three main elements of your project: project objectives, project scope, and key project stakeholders. Your management team will then use the project charter to approve further project development.

Do you need a business case?

Not every project needs a business case—or even a project charter. Plan to build a business case only for initiatives or investments that will require significant business resources. If you’re working on a smaller initiative, consider creating a project charter to pitch your project idea to relevant stakeholders.

Even if you don’t need to pitch your project to any stakeholders, you should be ready to answer basic questions about your proposed project, like:

What is this project’s purpose?

Why are we working on this project?

How does this project connect to organizational goals and objectives?

Which metrics will we use to measure the success of the project ?

Who is working on this project?

When is this project going to be completed?

5 steps for creating and pitching a business case

Your business case shouldn’t just include key facts and figures—it should also tell a story of why pursuing a particular investment or initiative is a good idea for your business. When in doubt, avoid jargon and be brief—but always focus on communicating the value of the project. If this is your first time creating a business case, don’t worry. Follow these five steps to create a solid one.

1. Gather input

You don’t have to write a business case on your own. Instead, make sure appropriate team members and stakeholders are contributing to the relevant sections. For example, the IT team should be involved in any tooling and timeline decisions, while the finance team should review any budget and risk management sections. If you’re creating a business case to propose a new initiative, product line, or customer persona, make sure you also consult subject matter experts.

2. Plan to write your business case out of order

Some of the first things that appear in your business case—like your executive summary—should actually be drafted last, when you have all of the resources and information to make an informed suggestion. Your executive summary will present all of your findings and make a recommendation for the business based on a variety of factors. By gathering all of those details first—like project purpose, financial information, and project risk—you can ensure your executive summary has all of the relevant information.

3. Build your business case incrementally

A business case describes a significant investment for your company. Similarly, simply writing a business case is a significant investment of your time. Not every initiative is right for your business—so make sure you’re checking your work with stakeholders as you go. You don’t want to sink hours and weeks into this document only for it to be rejected by executive stakeholders right off the bat.

Consider doing a “soft launch” with an outline of your business case to your project sponsor or an executive stakeholder you have a good relationship with to confirm this initiative is something you should pursue. Then, as you build the different sections of your business case, check back in with your key stakeholders to confirm there are no deal-breakers.

4. Refine the document

As you create sections of your business case, you may need to go back and refine other sections. For example, once you’ve finished doing a cost-benefit analysis with your financial team, make sure you update any budget-related project risks.

Before presenting your business case, do a final read through with key stakeholders to look for any sections that can be further refined. At this stage, you’ll also want to write the executive summary that goes at the top of the document. Depending on the length of your business case, your executive summary should be one to two pages long.

5. Present the business case

The final step is to actually present your business case. Start with a quick elevator pitch that answers the what, why, and how of your proposal. Think of this presentation as your chance to explain the current business need, how your proposal addresses the need, and what the business benefits are. Make sure to address any risks or concerns you think your audience would have.

Don’t go through your business case page by page. Instead, share the document with stakeholders before the presentation so they have a chance to read through it ahead of time. Then, after your presentation, share the document again so stakeholders can dig into details.

A business case checklist

Start with the why.

The first section of the business case is your chance to make a compelling argument about the new project. Make sure you draft an argument that appeals to your audience’s interests and needs. Despite being the first section in your business case, this should be the last section you write. In addition to including the  traditional elements of an executive summary , make sure you answer:

What business problem is your project solving?  This is your chance to explain why your project is important and why executive stakeholders should consider pursuing this opportunity.

What is your business objective ?  What happens at the end of a successful project? How will you measure success—and what does a successful project mean for your business?

How does this business case fit into your overall company business strategy plan?  Make sure your proposed business case is connected to important  company goals . The initiative proposed in your business case should move the needle towards your company's  vision statement .

Outline financials and the return on investment

At this point in your business case, you should outline the project finance fundamentals. Don’t expect to create this section on your own—you should draft this in partnership with your company’s finance team. In particular, this section should answer:

How much will this project cost?  Even if the initiative is completely new to your company, do some research to estimate the project costs.

What does each individual component of the project cost?  In addition to estimating the total overall cost, break down the different project costs. For example, you might have project costs for new tools and resources, competitive intelligence resourcing, agency costs, etc.

What is the expected return on investment (ROI)?  You’ve talked about the costs—now talk about how your company will benefit from this initiative. Make sure to explain how you calculated the ROI, too.

How will this project impact cash flow?  Cash flow is the amount of money being transferred into and out of your business. Significant investments are going to cost a lot of money, so they’ll negatively impact cash flow—but you should also expect a high ROI, which will positively impact cash flow.

What is the sensitivity analysis?  Sensitivity analysis is a summary of how uncertain your numbers are. There will be a variety of variables that impact your business case. Make sure to explain what those variables are, and how that could impact your projections.

Preview project details

Your business case is proposing a new initiative. In addition to the financial risks, take some time to preview project details. For example, your business case should include:

Your  project objectives  and  key project deliverables .  What will happen at the end of the project? What are you expecting to create or deliver once the project is over?

Your  project plan .  A project plan is a blueprint of the key elements your team needs to accomplish in order to successfully achieve your project goals.

The  project scope .  What are the boundaries of your project? What exact goals, deliverables, and deadlines will you be working towards?

A list of relevant  project stakeholders .  Who are the important project stakeholders and key decision makers for this work? This can include the members of the project team that would be working on this initiative, executive stakeholders who would sponsor the project, and any external stakeholders who might be involved.

A general  project roadmap  in a Gantt-chart like view.  At this stage in the process, you don’t need to provide a detailed project timeline, but you should outline a general sense of when each project stage will happen in relation to the others. To do this, create a project roadmap in  Gantt-chart like software . Make sure to include any important  project milestones  in your roadmap as well.

Any important project dependencies.  Is there anything that would get in the way of this project getting started? Does this work rely on any other work that’s currently in flight?

Discuss project risks

Once you’ve outlined the financial impact and important project details, make sure you include any potential project risks. If you haven’t already, create a  project risk management plan  for your business case. Project risk management isn’t the process of eliminating risk—instead, it’s about identifying, analyzing, and proactively responding to any potential project risks. Clearly defining each project risk and how that risk might impact your project can best equip you and the project team to manage and avoid those risks.

In the risk section of your business case, include:

A risk analysis of any potential project risks.  What is the risk? How likely is it to happen? What is the priority level of this risk?

What, if any, assumptions you are making.  In project risk management, assumptions are anything you think will be true about the project, without those details being guaranteed facts. Basing project decisions around an assumption can open your project up to risk. Make sure you ratify every project assumption to avoid jeopardizing project success.

Any comparable alternatives in the market.  If you’re writing a business case to pitch a new product or angle in the market, evaluate anything that already exists. Could the alternative impact your financial assessment or project success?

Develop an action plan

In the final section of your business case, outline how you will turn this business case into an actionable project. This section should answer questions like:

How will decisions be made?  Who is responsible for the project? Who is the project sponsor? If you haven’t already, consider creating a  RACI chart  to outline project responsibilities.

How will progress be measured and reported?  Not every project stakeholder needs to be notified of every project change. Outline key parts of your project communication plan , as well as how you’ll communicate  project status updates .

What is the next course of action?  If the management team ratifies this business case, what next steps will you take to put this into action?

Bring your business case to life

You’ve built a solid business case and it’s been ratified—congratulations! The next step is to bring your business case to life. It can be intimidating to  initiate large-scale change , and implementing your business case is no exception.

If you haven’t already, make sure you have a  project management tool  in place to manage and organize your new initiative. With a central source of truth to track who’s doing what by when, share status updates, and keep project stakeholders in the loop, you can turn a great business case into a successful project.

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10 Free Business Case Templates in PowerPoint & ClickUp

ClickUp Contributor

February 13, 2024

clickup.com/templates/case-study-design-t-182377258(opens in a new tab)

Every great project kicks off with a solid plan. But before diving into that plan, you need a clear and concise business case to back it up.

Here’s some good news—we’ve got you covered with top-tier business case templates you can use in ClickUp and Word.

What is a Business Case Template?

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Think of a business case template as your project’s passport. A business case template details the “why’s” and “how’s” of a project or proposed business change—its benefits, cost, risks, objectives, and more.

Whether pitching an idea or seeking approval, a business case template provides the structure you need.

A compelling business case template isn’t just about numbers; it paints a clear picture. It showcases benefits, draws attention to potential risks, and defines clear objectives.

Moreover, a solid business case template is versatile, user-friendly, and adaptable to various business needs. In fact, several business case templates use a similar structure to answer or address these areas:

  • Executive Summary : It gives a brief overview of the project, the overall objectives, and expected outcomes
  • Problem Statement : Clearly defines the problem you’re facing and what needs to be solved
  • Proposed Solution : This outlines your proposed solution in detail and includes how it will solve the problem
  • Cost Benefit Analysis : This provides a detailed breakdown of the associated costs with the solution and the potential financial benefits
  • Project Timeline : Outline the timeline for implementing the solution, including key milestones—basically anything that will help the project manager keep things on track
  • Risk Analysis : Identify potential risks and how they will be mitigated
  • Conclusion : Summarize why the proposed solution is the best choice for the business

10 Business Case Templates to Use in 2024:

Below are our favorite business case templates on the market today.

ClickUp Business Case Analysis Template

Diving into a new project demands a solid foundation. And what better way to lay it than with a well-structured business case? But crafting such a document can be challenging. Enter ClickUp’s Business Case Analysis Template : your ultimate solution!

This business case template is your assistant to visualizing and comparing different approaches to a business problem swiftly, determining the viability of your project with a cost-benefit analysis, and pinpointing key factors to the success of your business case.

Use our business case template’s custom statuses to monitor the progress of your business case analysis, and create custom fields so you can approach that business case analysis systematically. You can view different facets of the business case analysis as a Doc View, a Gantt chart, a Calendar View, or simply a list of tasks.

Bring ClickUp’s full suite of project management tools to bear as you map task dependencies to feasible due dates, then track business case progress automatically using AI-powered automations. These features are part of what makes ClickUp some of the best operations management software available.

This business case template allows you to identify your business problem and outline your business objective in ClickUp Tasks. Then, brainstorm together in ClickUp Docs to identify potential solutions for your business case. 

Finally, design your roadmap and assign tasks to the team. You can automatically monitor the progress on your business case with your custom statuses and set up regular check-ins on the project calendar.

Are you embarking on a new business case? Navigate seamlessly with ClickUp’s Business Case Analysis Template.

ClickUp Business Plan Template

Every flourishing venture begins with a robust business plan. It’s not just about having an idea but charting a clear course to bring it to fruition. ClickUp’s Business Plan Template simplifies this journey, providing you an efficient route to outline:

  • Crystal clear goals and mission
  • Comprehensive strategy, along with an execution timeline
  • Performance checkpoints, risk alerts, and success metrics

Envision it, and ClickUp’s template will guide you to actualize it!

Why is a Business Plan Template essential? With ClickUp’s Business Plan Template, you can:

  • Zero in on your precise objectives and aspirations
  • Profile your target audience and their sectors
  • Highlight your edge over competitors
  • Craft a strategy aimed at exponential growth
  • Write an executive summary to give investors a high-level overview of all your research

This meticulously designed business case document uses custom statuses so you can navigate from in progress through the revisions stage and finally mark each task as “complete!”

Organize your tasks with custom fields, and switch between views to emphasize different information based on your priorities.

ClickUp’s robust project management package lets you tag multiple teammates, nest subtasks in larger tasks, and set priority indicators.

This business plan template is set up so you can brainstorm your objectives with your team in ClickUp Docs and then itemize your product’s unique selling point in ClickUp Tasks. Execute your objectives on time and budget with the help of ClickUp’s Gantt charts. At the end of your proposed project, revisit your accomplishments with ClickUp Goals to see where you hit the target and where you may need to revise your approach.

If business success is your destination, ClickUp’s Business Plan Template is your map.

ClickUp Business Plan Document Template

Crafting an impeccable business plan can be an intricate journey, given its importance in rallying investors and stakeholders. But what if there was a tool to simplify and enrich this journey?

Meet ClickUp’s Business Plan Document Template , your ally in:

  • Unifying your team towards a shared vision
  • Amassing all critical data for an in-depth blueprint
  • Centralizing materials for seamless accessibility

Embark on fresh undertakings or rejuvenate current ones; this free business case template molds your aspirations into executable steps. Begin your ascent towards achievement today!

This ClickUp template equips you with:

  • Your project scope and a charted path laden with quantifiable goals
  • Resource management tools to accomplish tasks for task accomplishment
  • Proactive risk anticipation and mitigation strategies
  • Instant, precise data retrieval and modification

Naturally, this template includes a Doc View, but as a project manager, you have options like Gantt charts, Workload Views, and Calendar Views to help you see at a glance the information that matters most to you.

Keep a tight grip on your project with advanced comment tracking and AI automations that make your workflow run smoothly in the background while you get more work done.

To get the most out of this template, start by gathering your business objectives, audience research, product offerings, and financial picture. You can use research management software to help with this stage. Then, you can use ClickUp’s Table View to lay out a clean, easy-to-read executive summary and your market assessment and financial appraisal for investors.

ClickUp Lean Business Plan Template

Aspiring to propel your business idea into reality but are hindered by the extensive demands of traditional planning? ClickUp’s Lean Business Plan Template is your savior.

Forge an efficient, succinct business strategy, offering:

  • A bird’s-eye view of your enterprise
  • Intuitive blueprints for devising a cogent business plan
  • Incremental assistance for fleshing out each plan segment

Elevate your business cases quickly and affordably with ClickUp’s streamlined approach.

The template allows you to define your business, describe your target market, set budgets, and create goals.

Once that’s done, use custom statuses to monitor your progress toward achieving your goals. You can set reminders to check in on different areas of your business and use different views to check on your priorities, brainstorm additions to your business plan, or see a timeline of the tasks to be completed.

With ClickUp, turning your vision into a viable venture has never been more accessible. Simplify, strategize, and succeed.

ClickUp Case Study Template

Crafting an influential case study is an art of strategic organization and detailed execution. Enter ClickUp’s Case Study Template , your ultimate companion to orchestrate, frame, and present your research seamlessly.

Use this simple business case template to gather and consolidate data to support your case study and extract meaningful conclusions and takeaways from that information.

This approach to case studies gives you space to weave a real-world, impactful narrative that resonates with your audience. These stories are an important way to validate your sales propositions with concrete results. Telling others about your clients’ successes also builds trust with prospects.

You can brainstorm potential stories with ClickUp Whiteboards, then put your plan to paper with ClickUp Docs. After that, organize your writing process with an actionable task list. 

The ClickUp AI writing assistant can help you turn your ideas into a cohesive story. Then, use ClickUp’s integrated email and collaborative editing tools to get final approval from the client.

A great case study stands tall in the realm of effective enterprise marketing tools . Let ClickUp be the wind beneath its wings.

ClickUp Case Study Design Template

Harness the power of compelling narratives with ClickUp’s Case Study Design Template , tailored for businesses keen on weaving success tales—a well-crafted case study not only shares successes but bolsters your brand credibility.

With this template, you can:

  • Demonstrate problems your customer encountered and how your offerings emerged as the proposed solution
  • Showcase tangible results, affirming the prowess of your product/service to potential clients
  • Ensure an organized, standardized business process , ensuring brand-consistent design and presentation across all case studies
  • Save precious time with streamlined research, design, and publication processes

Use this template to track the progress of your case study, seamlessly manage and visualize the data that will inform the case study, and incorporate ClickUp’s project management features like nested subtasks, multiple assignees, and priority labeling to make case study creation a breeze.

This template has space for you to define the goal for the case study, choose and describe your subject, collect all your data in a Table View, draft the narrative in ClickUp Docs, and then create a task list for marketing and promoting your case study. A communication plan template can also be a helpful tool for this stage.

With ClickUp’s innovative design template, crafting impactful case studies becomes an organized, efficient endeavor, enhancing your brand’s narrative prowess.

ClickUp Business Analysis Project Plan Template

Embarking on a business analysis project requires meticulous planning, resource utilization , and clear objectives. ClickUp’s Business Analysis Project Plan Template is a tailored solution to navigate these complexities seamlessly.

This template is for you if you need to:

  • Craft a bespoke business analysis plan aligning with your organizational goals
  • Perform a risk assessment and create mitigation strategies
  • Effortlessly adapt to changing scenarios and ensure timely project delivery
  • Equip your project team to dive deep into business nuances, ensuring a holistic understanding of products, clientele, and operational facets

The ClickUp Business Analysis Project Plan Template lets you lay out the scope and objectives of your plan, identify key personnel and their roles, build an action plan, and then assign the necessary resources to achieve your goals on time and on budget.

Use ClickUp to assemble your team and assign them roles. You can document deliverables in ClickUp Docs along the way and tag significant milestones with ClickUp Tasks.

With ClickUp’s template, business analysis project planning is simplified and supercharged for optimal outcomes.

ClickUp Business Development Plan Template

Crafting a robust business plan is the cornerstone of entrepreneurial achievement. With myriad tasks to manage and objectives to meet, a streamlined tool becomes imperative. That tool is ClickUp’s Business Development Plan Template —your ultimate companion in carving out a successful business trajectory.

With this template, you can set precise, achievable targets and track your progress toward achieving them. Document clear blueprints to meet your business aspirations, but use ClickUp’s collaborative tools to edit and iterate on those plans along the way.

The beauty of this template is it ensures all stakeholders are synchronized and aligned because you have defined actionable steps to use your resources effectively.

With ClickUp’s Business Development Plan Template, chart a course toward unparalleled entrepreneurial success!

Powerpoint Business Case Template by SlideModel

Elevate your business presentations with SlideModel’s Free Business Case PowerPoint Template . Tailored for modern professionals, this dynamic template facilitates a comprehensive discourse on new business initiatives, elucidating their relevance, objectives, and potential returns.

This template is ideal for consultants, budding entrepreneurs, and SMEs aiming to pitch their project description or corporate strategy to stakeholders or investors.

It includes an engaging title slide, slides for introduction, problem statement, solution proposal, benefits, implementation, and key takeaways. You’ll enjoy the eye-catching human character vector graphics for sharp visuals, versatile infographic icons, and a wavy timeline chart to illustrate milestones.

The template has full editability across color palettes, backgrounds, and fonts. The template’s adaptability ensures its seamless integration into diverse presentations.

Although optimized for PowerPoint, you can also download versions that cater to Google Slides and Keynote.

In search of an impressive medium to present your business case? SlideModel’s template is a click away. For alternative designs, explore their featured Business Case PowerPoint Template collection. Secure your copy today!

Business Case Presentation Template by 24slides

Introducing the Business Case Presentation Template by 24Slides —a comprehensive toolkit for innovators and visionaries ready to revolutionize their organization. Every groundbreaking idea warrants a robust presentation that encapsulates its essence, both financially and technically.

Crafted with precision, this template offers an array of instrumental slides tailored to articulate your idea seamlessly:

  • Clearly define your vision and the strategic goals you aim to achieve
  • Delve deep into potential challenges, ensuring stakeholders are well informed and prepared
  • Offer a lucid timeline, pinpointing milestones and mapping out your project’s trajectory

Every slide has been meticulously designed to foster clarity, conviction, and comprehensibility. With the 24Slides template, you are empowered to present a holistic overview of your idea, bolstering its feasibility and implementation potential.

For those committed to driving value and championing transformative ideas, this Business Case Presentation Template serves as the ultimate companion. Express, elucidate, and execute your vision with unparalleled finesse.

Why ClickUp Stands Out in the Business Tool Realm

Templates are great, but when combined with an intuitive platform offering robust project management features? It’s a game-changer. 

ClickUp isn’t just a library of versatile business templates. It’s a comprehensive tool designed to streamline your projects, optimize communication, and enhance productivity. 

From setting up workflows to collaborating with your team in real-time, ClickUp seamlessly integrates every aspect of project management. 

So whether you’re drafting a business case, planning a project, or managing day-to-day tasks, ClickUp is your one-stop hub, combining utility with unparalleled efficiency. Dive into ClickUp today and experience the future of business management.

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Business Case Canvas by Steve Lydford

Business Case Template

Impress stakeholders and get buy-in with this complete Business Case Template. Cover all key elements of a business case and ensure your pitch is successful.

Trusted by 65M+ users and leading companies

About the Business Case Template

Steve Lydford , director at Codurance, developed this business case template to enable teams to visualize all the key components of a business case. When advocating for a project or getting stakeholder buy-in, developing a business case that is well articulated and compelling will increase your chances of getting funding and sponsorship.

This business case template is similar to the Business Model Canvas , except it focuses on the business problem and the tactics to solve it. It also shows how to implement your business plan, covering nine key areas.

How to use the business case template

Select the business case template and add it to your board. Once you have the template in place, fulfill each section of the frame, answering the questions for each. The structure of your business case canvas will look like this:

Problem: Identify the core issue your business aims to solve. Be specific and use data to back your claims. This section is your starting point and sets the context for your business case.

Solution: Describe your proposed solution to the identified problem. Ensure it is clear, feasible, and directly addresses the problem you've outlined.

Benefits: Outline the advantages your solution offers. Include both quantitative and qualitative benefits, such as cost savings, efficiency improvements, or customer satisfaction.

Scope: Define the boundaries of your business case. Specify what is included and, importantly, what is not. This clarity will help manage expectations and focus your plan.

Stakeholders: List key people or groups involved or affected by your business case. Understand their interests and how your plan impacts them.

Resources: Detail the resources required for your business case, including human, financial, and technical resources. Be realistic about what's needed to achieve your goals.

Risks: Identify potential challenges and risks associated with your business case. This foresight helps in developing mitigation strategies.

Costs: Provide a clear breakdown of the costs involved in your business case. Transparency here is crucial for gaining trust and approval.

Metrics: Establish metrics to measure the success of your business case. These could be financial metrics, customer satisfaction scores, or other relevant KPIs.

Lead a workshop with your team to map out all these aspects of your business plan. If needed, make more than one business case canvas.

Color-code stickies with common topics that are connected.

If needed, leave comments and other stickies to clarify topics.

Why should you use a business case template?

Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey requires you to pitch your ideas to investors and gain support from others. The business case template provides a detailed analysis of your business and presents the core of your product or service in a clear and concise manner. This format is easy to read and helps stakeholders make informed decisions.

In addition, this template can serve as a visual aid in any presentation or pitch deck you create. It clarifies your business's main objectives and the strategies to achieve them. The business case analysis template can also serve as documentation for your team to refer to once things are up and running.

The purpose of the business case analysis template is to ensure that you have everything in place to establish your business. It also serves as a guide for managers and stakeholders to navigate through the entire business idea. Unlike the traditional business model canvas, which focuses on the strategic and tactical side of the business, the business case canvas is more about the core of the business and the benefits it will bring to the market and customers.

Do I need to make any changes to the template for each individual business case, or can I use it as it is?

While the template can be used as a starting point, it is important to customize it for each business case to ensure that it addresses the unique aspects of the proposed initiative.

Is it possible to add additional sections or information to the template if required?

Yes, you can add sections or information as necessary to meet the specific requirements of your business case. The template is a flexible tool that can be adapted to fit your needs.

Who is the intended audience for the business case template?

The primary audience includes senior management, decision-makers, and stakeholders who need to evaluate, approve, or reject the proposed initiative.

Get started with this template right now.

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Gap Analysis Template

Works best for:.

Marketing, Strategic Planning, Business Management

Consider your team’s or organization’s ideal state. Now compare it to your current real-world situation. Want to identify the gaps or obstacles that stand between your present and future? Then you’re ready to run a gap analysis. This easy-to-customize template will let your team align on what obstacles are preventing you from hitting your goals sooner, collaborate on a plan to achieve those goals, and push your organization toward growth and development. You can focus on specific gap analyses — including for skills, candidates, software, processes, vendors, data, and more.

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BCG Matrix Template

Strategic Planning

Use the BCG matrix template to make informed and strategic decisions about growth opportunities for your business. Assign your portfolio of products to different areas within the matrix (cash cows, dogs, question marks, stars) to prioritize where you should invest your time and money to see the best results.

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Porter's Five Forces Template

Leadership, Strategic Planning, Market Research

Developed by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter, Porter’s Five Forces has become one of the most popular and highly regarded business strategy tools available for teams. Use Porter’s Five Forces to measure the strength of your current competition and decide which markets you might be able to move into. Porter’s Five Forces include: supplier power, buyer power, rivalry among existing competitors, the threat of substitute products or services, the threat of substitute products and services, and the threat of new entrants.

soar-analysis-thumb-web

SOAR Analysis Template

Leadership, Decision Making, Strategic Planning

The SOAR Analysis template prompts you to consider your organization’s strengths and potential to create a shared vision of the future. The SOAR Analysis is unique in that it encourages you to focus on the positive rather than solely identifying areas for growth. SOAR stands for Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results. To use the template, examine each category through a positive lens. Perform a SOAR Analysis whenever you want to bring people together and encourage action.

kaizen-report-thumb-web

Kaizen Report Template

Agile Methodology, Operations, Documentation

What makes a great company great? They know that greatness needs to be fostered and maintained — meaning they never stop working to improve. If you’re one of those companies (or aspire to be), a kaizen report is an ideal tool. It creates a simple visual guide to continuous improvement activities on a team, departmental, and organizational level. Using a kaizen report approach, every employee in an organization audits their own processes and understands what they might have overlooked, making this a powerful tool for increasing accountability at all levels.

Lean Canvas-1

Lean Canvas Template

Agile Methodology, Strategic Planning, Agile Workflows

Business opportunities can get dense, cumbersome, and complex, and evaluating them can be a real challenge. Let a lean canvas streamline things and break down your business idea for you and your team. A great tool or entrepreneurs and emerging businesses, this one-page business model gives you an easy, high-level view of your idea — so you can stay focused on overall strategy, identify potential threats and opportunities, and brainstorm the various factors at play in determining your potential profitability in an industry.

The Plain English Guide to Writing a Business Case

Rebecca Riserbato

Published: April 01, 2021

Have you ever heard the age-old classic story of a company that got its start from a back-of-the-napkin idea? Or about the start-ups that started in someone's garage?

simple business case template example

While all those stories are, of course, inspirational, a huge element that they leave out is that every business started because someone felt the project justified spending time and money on it.

That's why some projects require you to write a business case. Whether you want to start a company, pitch a new product, or perhaps you just want your business to use a new project management tool. Either way, a project that requires time and resources will also require justifying those expenses in the form of a business case.

Below, let's review what a business case is, plus an example and template to inspire your own business case.

→ Download Now: Free Business Plan Template

What is a business case?

A business case is a document that evaluates whether a project or task makes sense to complete. It will present the reasoning for taking on a project, such as benefits, cost, risk, etc. Essentially, this document makes a case that a project makes business sense to do.

In a business case, you might include the background on a project, expected benefits, costs, risks, and opportunities. This document will justify taking on a certain project. So, how do you develop a business case? Let's dive in below.

Business Case Development

To develop a business case, you'll need to write several key components, including a proposal, strategy, budget, SWOT analysis, and project plan. With these documents, you should be able to prove that the project you're pitching is worth doing.

Let's dive into the steps for how you'll develop a business case below:

1. Research

Before you can write a business case, you need to do your research. First, you should have a goal in mind for your project, whether it's to create a new product, help drive more traffic/leads, or improve user experience.

Write down your goal and then conduct research to prove that your project is the way to achieve your goal.

You can begin by researching what competitors are doing and look for gaps that your project solves.

Start to brainstorm what this project's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are. Additionally, you'll want to learn about your market -- whoever will be the consumer of the project, even if that's your own team.

Finally, you should start to look into what a budget would look like for your proposed solution.

2. Focus on one component at a time.

A business case will usually include several documents. Focus on one at a time, while keeping your notes organized.

Start with your proposal, then move on to your SWOT analysis, the competitive analysis, the project plan, overall strategy, and then the budget. It can be easy to get lost in just one of these tasks, so focus on one thing at a time to complete the bigger picture business case.

3. Write an implementation plan.

Once you've gathered your research and you're working through each component, it's time to start thinking about implementation.

How will you implement your project? Once you've made the business case that your project should be done, stakeholders will wonder how you'll execute it.

To do this, write an implementation plan that discusses how you'd complete the project and metrics that you'd track to measure success.

Once you're done writing your business case, look at the whole document and ask yourself whether it's comprehensive, measurable, and adaptable.

A business case doesn't need to be an entire business plan for a new product. Sometimes it will be less formal due to the size of the project. Either way, you want to make a strong case for your project, so it should be easy to understand and implement.

Now, let's look at an example of what a business case might look like.

Business Case Example

Now that you've seen what it takes to write a business case and what the process looks like, let's look at an example for inspiration.

In the example below, the project is about getting a new phone system to help the sales staff. Because this is a fairly small project, the business case isn't several pages long with exhaustive research.

However, it's important to keep in mind that while your business case might look something like this for a small scale project, it might include several pages of information if you're pitching something like a new product or a new UI to improve user experience.

The point in the business case is that it's adaptable to be whatever you need. However, the components of the business case will be the same regardless of how long it is. Every business case should include why a project should be done, the benefits, costs, risks, and budget.

A business case example.

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How to Write a Business Case (With Example & Template)

May 19, 2022 - 10 min read

Kat Boogaard

A business plan is a straightforward document. In it, you’ll include market research, your overall goals for the business , and your strategies for achieving those goals. 

But what is a business case and why do you need one if a business plan outlines everything else?

A business case takes a closer look at a specific problem and how you can solve it. Think of a business case as the reason you create a project you’re going to manage in the first place. 

The article provides a step-by-step guide on how to write a successful business case, including a checklist for identifying problems, researching solutions, and presenting to stakeholders. As a bonus, we’ll show you how to use Wrike to manage your product business cases with a requirements management template or implement them with a project scheduling template .

What is a business case?

A business case is a project you’ll assemble for identifying, addressing, and solving a specific business problem. 

The key to a business case is the change it creates in your business. Developing a business case starts with identifying a problem that needs a permanent solution. Without that lasting change, a business case is only an observation about what’s going wrong. A complete business case addresses how a company can alter its strategy to fix that problem.

Front-to-back, a business case is a complete story. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It typically looks like this:

  • Beginning: Someone identifies a problem within the business and presents the business case to the key decision-makers.
  • Middle: With the project go-ahead, the company launches an internal team to address the business case and deliver results.
  • End: The team delivers a presentation on the changes made and their long-term effects.

In short, a business case is the story of a problem that needs solving.

simple business case template example

Examples of business cases

The problem for many companies is that they can turn a blind eye to challenges that are right in front of their faces. This is even the case when the company has a compelling product to sell.

Consider the example of Febreze . In the mid-1990s, a researcher at Procter & Gamble was working with hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin. His wife noticed that his clothes no longer smelled like cigarettes, which was a frequent complaint.

P&G had something of a miracle product on its hands. However, their approach was wrong. They initially marketed Febreze as a way to eliminate embarrassing smells. Predictably, the product flopped. 

But P&G stuck at it. They had a potential business case on their hands: a highly marketable product proved difficult to market. What was going wrong? Working on the business case from beginning to end provided the answer.

After some focus group testing, P&G found out that few consumers recognized the nasty odors they were used to. Instead, they learned to use a different business case for Febreze: it was a cleaning product now, a way to make the house smell nice when the floors are vacuumed and the counters are wiped clean. They gave it its own pleasant smell and fashioned it into a cleaning product. And because it worked so well, so did the campaign. 

That’s an example of a business case overall. But let’s get specific: developing a business case is easier when you have a template to look at. Let’s build an example using a made-up company, ABC Widgets, and a hypothetical business case. Let’s call our business case example “Operation Super Widgets”:

Business Case: ABC Widgets

Section 1: summary.

Briefly describe the problem and the opportunities.  

ABC Widgets’ latest widget, the Super Widget, is suffering from supply issues, requiring higher shipping costs to procure the necessary resources, and eating into profits. We need to switch to a new supplier to restore the viability of the Super Widget.

Section 2: Project Scope

This section should include the following:

  • Financial appraisal of the situation. Super Widgets are now 20% more expensive to produce than in the year prior, resulting in -1% profits with each Super Widget sold.
  • Business objectives. To get revenues back up, we need to restore profit margins on Cost Per Unit Sold for every Super Widget back to 2020 levels. Benefits/limitations. Restoring Cost Per Unit Sold will restore 5% of sagging revenues. However, we are limited to three choices for new Super Widget suppliers.
  • Scope and impact. We will need to involve supply chain managers and Super Widget project management teams, which may temporarily reduce the number of widgets we’re able to produce, potentially resulting in $25,000 in lost revenue.
  • Plan . Project Management Teams A and B will take the next two weeks to get quotes from suppliers and select one while integrating an immediate plan to bring in new Super Widget parts for manufacturing within four weeks.
  • Organization. Team Member Sarah will take the lead on Operation Super Widget Profit. Both teams will report to Sarah.

This is a bare-bones example of what a business case might look like, but it does hit on the key points: what’s the problem, how can you fix it, what’s the plan to fix it, and what will happen if you succeed?

How do you write and develop a business case?

When writing your own business case, the above example is a good guide to follow as you get started with the basics. 

But, once you’re more familiar with the nuts and bolts, it’s also worth being prepared for some potential roadblocks you could face along the way. 

Challenges of writing a good business case

Why don’t more companies create a business case? It might come down to a lack of good communication. Many people don’t even know how to write a business case, let alone present one.

“The idea may be great, but if it’s not communicated well, it won’t get any traction,” said Nancy Duarte , communication and author who wrote The HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations.

The key challenge, notes Duarte, is taking abstract business concepts (like lagging numbers) and turning them into an immediately recognizable problem. After all, if a company already had perfect awareness that it was making a mistake, it likely would find a way to stop the error in its tracks. 

A business case is challenging because it usually means you’ll have to persuade someone that change is needed. And change can be difficult. In a thriving business, it’s especially problematic because it’s easy to point to the bottom line and say that whatever the company is doing is already working.

How do you present a business case?

The tips and examples above give you some nice remedies for creating a business case without the typical problems. But you’ll still want to present a business case with the straightforward proposals and numbers you’d associate with any new project. 

Essentially, it all comes down to how well your business case can persuade the decision-makers. That’s why you shouldn’t just build a case off of raw numbers. The bottom line might be a compelling argument, but it’s not always what “clicks.” 

If you’re presenting a business case, you’re a salesperson. And not every sale is a matter of precise logic. It’s also about emotion—the story of why something’s gone wrong and what needs doing if you’re going to overcome it. 

The art of a good business case is the art of persuasion. Keep these specific points in mind as you craft one of your own:

  • Point to an example of a bad business case and liken it to the present case . No one likes the idea of watching themselves walk into a mistake. Presenting an example of a business that made the same mistake your company is making and then translating it into the present moment is a compelling way to craft a business case that makes ears perk up.
  • Build a narrative. Nancy Duarte pointed out that in one business case, a client convinced a CEO to follow through with a project by using simple illustrations. It’s not that the idea of adding illustrations to the business case was so great. It’s that the illustrations were able to tell a compelling story about why the case needed to go through.
  • Distill the idea into an elevator pitch. Try this exercise: get your business case down to one sentence. If you can’t explain it any more simply than that, your business case might not be as memorable as it needs to be to sway decision-makers.
  • Use analogies to drive the point home. Let’s say you discovered a problem in a growing business. Overall, revenues are good — but you’ve noticed an associated cost that has the potential to explode in the future and tank the business. But it’s not compelling to use dollars and cents when the business is doing so well. Instead, consider introducing the business case with a simple analogy: “Without repair, every leaky boat eventually sinks.” You now have their attention. Use the numbers to drive the point home, but not to make the point.

If you’re presenting a business case to decision-makers, remember that it’s not only the logic of your argument that will convince people — it’s how persuasive you can be.

Business case checklist

Before you can check “learn how to write a business case” off your list, you have to know the essentials. Make sure you include the following elements in your business case checklist (and, of course, your business case itself):

  • Reasons. This should be the most compelling part of your business case. You can tell a story here. And the most compelling stories start with a loss or a complication of some sort. What is the threat to the business that needs remedy? What are the reasons for moving forward?
  • Potential courses of action. It’s not a complete story until we know the next chapter. A business case isn’t just about the problem — it’s about rectifying a problem through the solution. Recommend a few specific courses of action to help spur discussion about what to do next.
  • Risks and benefits. Not every solution is going to be perfectly clean. There are going to be solutions with downsides. There are going to be costs along with the benefits. Make sure to include each of these to give a clear and complete picture. This is the time to manage expectations — but also the time to inspire action.
  • Cost. What’s it going to cost to complete the project? The people making the decisions need to know the bottom line figure to assess which business cases to prioritize.
  • Timeline. A good project isn’t only measured in dollars but in days, weeks, and months. What is the expected timeline for the business case? How quickly can the problem meet its solution? 

With every business case, specificity is key. A vague timeline won’t help — a timeline with specific weekly milestones looks more achievable. To make your business case more compelling, always look for the specific details that tie your story together.

simple business case template example

Business case template

A business case template is a document that outlines the key elements of a business case in a structured format. By using a standardized template, companies can ensure that all relevant information is captured and shared in a clear and consistent manner.

Depending on the size of your business and the scope of your project, your business case template can be as detailed or as simple as you like. For a smaller project, you can use a one-pager to get started, detailing the main points of your project, which include:

  • Executive summary: An overview of your project, its goals, and the benefits of completing it for your business
  • Team and stakeholders: A list of the relevant people involved in your project, and their contact information
  • SWOT analysis : An analysis of how your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats weigh up against your competitors
  • Risk analysis: An overview of the kind of risks that are involved with your project and how you may avoid them
  • Budget and financial plan: Details of your budget and where you may secure financing for your project
  • Project plan: A schedule of how you plan to implement your project and what tasks are involved

Let's see what that might look like.

How to write a business case with Wrike

Wrike’s project management software can step in and turn a business case from the seedling of an idea to a full-fledged initiative. 

The requirements management pre-built template can help you document and track project requirements in a structured manner. The template includes sections for capturing stakeholder requirements and business cases, as well as any constraints that may affect the project’s success. By using this template, you can ensure that all necessary requirements are identified and that potential issues are addressed early in the project planning process.

If you want to move from the business case description to the actual implementation faster, consider using the project scheduling template . This template can help you create a detailed project timeline with milestones, identify task dependencies, and assign resources. By utilizing this template, you can ensure that the project is realistically achievable and meets all business needs, giving stakeholders confidence in the project’s success.

Kat Boogaard

Kat Boogaard

Kat is a Midwest-based contributing writer. She covers topics related to careers, self-development, and the freelance life. She is also a columnist for Inc., writes for The Muse, is Career Editor for The Everygirl, and a contributor all over the web.

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What Is a Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)?

What Is a Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)?

A requirements traceability matrix is an integral part of an embedded system's life cycle. It helps organizations ensure that their products are safe and are meeting their intended standards.  This is especially important for the medical, technology, and engineering industries. But any business that has a set of goals and standards to uphold can benefit from this proven requirements analysis tool.  Here’s how to make an effective requirements traceability matrix and why you should start one today.  What is a traceability matrix? A traceability matrix is a document that details the technical requirements for a given test scenario and its current state. It helps the testing team understand the level of testing that is done for a given product.  The traceability process itself is used to review the test cases that were defined for any requirement. It helps users identify which requirements produced the most number of defects during a testing cycle.  Not only does this show areas in need of improvement, but it also helps mitigate future roadblocks and identify process weaknesses.  What is a requirements traceability matrix? A requirements traceability matrix (RTM) is a tool that helps identify and maintain the status of the project’s requirements and deliverables. It does so by establishing a thread for each component. It also manages the overall project requirements. This method is straightforward and can be easily done by anyone.  There are many kinds of RTMs. For example, a test matrix is used to prove that tests were conducted. It can also be used to identify issues and requirements during the development of software. What are the benefits of a requirements traceability matrix? An RTM ensures that projects do everything they set out to do. This step-by-step process helps identify the requirements and the products that are required to be tested successfully. It also helps in determining the project's direction and timeline.  First, it will support the identification of all requirements in a work product. Then, it will check to make sure there is coverage of all the requirements throughout the project’s lifetime.  The RTM will show the requirements coverage in terms of the number of test cases, design status, and execution status. It will also show the UAT status for a specific test case. With all this information at your fingertips, your team will be able to analyze changes in requirements and make informed product development decisions on the fly.  And because traceability links artifacts across the development lifecycle, it helps teams identify and resolve issues before they become problems. It can also help avoid the pressure of an audit. And if you do get audited, having an RTM will make it easier to demonstrate that you have complied with regulations which means you can avoid additional expenses or delays the audit may cause.  You can even use it to track requirements from compliance regulations in a compliance matrix. That will help you understand what you need to test and develop before the work is finalized.  In a nutshell: a requirements traceability matrix makes it easier to meet goals and manage projects.  What do you include in a requirements traceability matrix? Create a simple chart with the following columns:  Requirements: Add sub-columns for marketing requirements, product requirements, and system-level specifications (if applicable). Testing: Add a sub column for test cases and test runs. Deviation: Add a sub-column for any issues.  Requirements traceability matrix example Here is a basic requirements traceability matrix example, including a description of the requirements, their business justification, and the status of the task.   How to create a requirements traceability matrix in Wrike The matrix should be created early in the project life cycle to ensure it is up-to-date and incorporates all the details necessary for the project to be successful. A project management tool like Wrike is perfect for tracking, organizing, and assessing every last rule.  First, gather your requirements list. Add them as individual projects in Wrike. Assign a due date, priority level, and set of corresponding tasks needed to achieve compliance to each one.  Next, each requirement must have a unique and clearly defined purpose. Add these details to the project or corresponding task description so that the assignee fully understands what they are trying to achieve.  Then, you can also use Wrike to securely plan for and store related materials. Supporting documents such as test scripts should be prepared ahead of the actual testing process. Simply create a task, set an approver, and add the final product to your Wrike files. Control who sees it with secure sharing.  Finally, identify gaps in coverage. If any defects are found during the test cases, then they can be listed and mapped with business requirements and test scenarios. In Wrike, you can assign each one to an individual or team. You can also add an Approver who will sign off on the task once it’s complete.  If there are any questions or comments, the collaborators can discuss them right within the task themselves, looping in colleagues using @mentions whenever another POV is needed. If a change request is made, you can view your existing project plans and give an informed evaluation of whether or not it can be done. If the answer is yes, you can then drag and drop project components for a new and accurate timeline. In Wrike, projects with tasks marked as dependent on one another will maintain these connections, so when you move them, you’ll still have all of your necessary components tied together, working uninterrupted.  Once your RTM is complete, you can duplicate your processes and workflows in Wrike by creating a template for the ones you plan to repeat. This saves time and adds a layer of standardization that is crucial for meeting requirements. And because the testing process should be clearly defined to avoid any confusion, using Wrike to do so will ensure that it is carried out according to the requirements and time constraints. Wrike provides a secure collaborative workspace to organize, test, and bring all your projects up to speed with your RTM. Ready to streamline your product development compliance? Start today with a two-week free trial of Wrike. 

Best Project Management Software for a Small Business: Ultimate Guide

Best Project Management Software for a Small Business: Ultimate Guide

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What Is Cost Overrun? How to Prevent It

Struggling with project cost overrun? Find out how to prevent cost overrun in project management with actionable tips, tools, and strategies.

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Business Case Template

Use this free Business Case Template for Word to manage your projects better.

simple business case template example

A business case template is a document that helps sell your project. It collects the main points of a project and delivers them in a clear and concise manner. Our free business case template for Word is a great tool to help you gather that important data during the project initiation phase and show the project stakeholders the value and validity of the project.

What Is a Business Case?

The business case is a document used in project management to show that the costs related to the project are worthwhile and there will be a strong return on investment. These documents summarize various aspects of the project including its objective in addition to the costs and benefits that the project will deliver to its stakeholders.

You can think of a business case as the pitch you make to win over the client, customer or stakeholder. It justifies the project by evaluating the benefits, costs and risks while showing why this project’s path is the preferred solution to whatever problem the project is solving or the need it’s addressing. This buy-in is essential for any project to meet its objectives.

A business case provides details that are only outlined in the project proposal of the project. Unlike a project charter , which is a high-level description of the project and its deliverables, the business case is more focused on return on investment and future opportunities. The project charter details the actual project more than the business case, which is about justifying a company’s decision on taking on the project.

free business case template for Word

Why You Need a Business Case Template

The main reason why a business case template is so important is that it does the due diligence for stakeholders and proves that the expense is worth the return on their investment. There are many projects that might be in a company’s pipeline with only so many resources to deliver them. It’s crucial to know which project is going to be worthwhile from a financial viewpoint.

A business case acts as a number of different cases. For one, it’s the strategic case, looking to see if the project aligns with the overall company strategy. The economic case explores if the project offers the best value. A commercial case looks at the project through the lens of the market. A financial case sees if the investment is affordable for the company. A management case looks at those who will be involved in the project and whether they can deliver it.

No matter the project, big or small, the business case is a must if only to define the business needs and objectives of the project. Whether you have a long document or capture it all in the span of a single page, the business case template is a great way to align the project team and stakeholders, one of the most important reasons why you need a business case.

How to Use Our Business Case Template for Word

In order to fill in the blanks in our free business case template for Word, you need to start with research. That research will include the market you intend to introduce your project or service to the competitors that are already in that space and any alternatives.

Next, you’re going to compare business and project management approaches, looking for the best fit. The best approaches will be included in your business case template. Then you’ll compile all the data you have and present those strategies, goals and options.

Don’t forget to document everything . Your business case should be to the point but at the same time not skip important details that will sway your stakeholders. In order to do that, you’ll want to have an outline and then fill in each section. That’s where the free business case template for Word comes in—it does it for you.

Elements of Our Business Case Template

Our free business case template lays out all of the areas you’ll need to paint a full picture of the project, its objective, benefits and risks. This picture should be realistic while simultaneously proving the feasibility of the project from the point of view of investment. Our free business case template for Word is broken up into the following categories.

Executive Summary

This is at the top of our template. It’s the elevator pitch, in a sense, as it is a short roundup of all the sections that follow in the free business case template. This will provide your stakeholders with a way to get the gist of the whole document at a glance.

Mission Statement

It doesn’t hurt to have a mission statement , which is different from the above summary. It is a place to define the project’s objectives, purpose and goals. The mission statement is like the North Star in that it will help lead the team as well as help stakeholders understand the project more fully. If the project moves forward, there will be changes along the way and the mission statement will make sure that as you adjust your project plan you always keep the reason for the project in the crosshairs.

Product or Service

In this section, you’ll describe the product or service that is the final deliverable of the project. More than just a description, however, it should explain how it will be competitive, what niche it’s filling, the problem it’s addressing or the need it’s filling.

Project Definition

Here, you’re going to discuss the project itself, such as what its business objectives are and how you’ll achieve them with the project plan outline . This includes the project scope, such as the tasks and deliverables of the project that will allow you to reach your business objectives.

Project Organization

With this section, you’ll get into the style of coordination, communication and management you’ll use in the project. There are four basic project organizations: functional, which is a traditional structure with departments and managers who report to an executive; project, with divisions that focus on a specific project; organic, where the project follows a natural progression that is more flexible; and matrix, which is part function and part project-based.

Financial Appraisal

This is the dollar and cents part, so it’s extra-important as most businesses focus on the bottom line. You’ll need to show the costs of the project, which is the budget estimation , including how much all of the tasks and resources will be, and why that cost is less than the benefits that the project will deliver to the business. This comparison can be done with a sensitivity analysis and cost-benefit analysis.

Market Assessment

Whatever your product or service and however successful you say it will be, you must back up those claims with market research. This means looking at the market you plan to deliver your product or service, defining it, showing the competition and its percentage of that market, plus how you can reach an unserved segment of the market or answer a need that hasn’t yet been served. Not only the opportunities that you see in the market, but you need to also outline any threats to your product or service.

Market Strategy

Once you have done your market research it’s time to develop a strategy to take advantage of the opportunities you see there and avoid the threats. Describe what your distribution channel will be and what you think is a competitive price point for the product or service. Profile your target audience and how you’ll reach these customers and other aspects of your marketing plan.

Risk Assessment

No project is without risk. The best way to prepare for this unknown inevitable is by making a risk assessment of the project. Where are the weak points? Identify potential issues that might arise over the life cycle of the project and develop plans to mitigate or take advantage of these risks, as there are both negative and positive risks in a project.

How ProjectManager Helps Turn a Business Case Into a Project

ProjectManager is project management software that helps you turn a business case into a project. We have the tools you need to plan better and monitor your execution so you deliver your project on time and within budget. A business case is what convinces your stakeholders that the project is worthwhile.

Create Detailed Plans on Robust Gantt

The project plan is how you’re going to get from the idea to the reality. Now that you’ve outlined that path in your business case, use our interactive Gantt chart to stay organized. You can organize tasks, link dependencies to avoid bottlenecks and set milestones to track progress. Our tool goes even further by allowing you to filter for the critical path without time-consuming calculations. Once you set the baseline, you can then generate variance reports to see if your actual progress is aligned with your planned progress.

ProjectManager's Gantt chart

Monitor Progress and Performance With Real-Time Dashboards

In order to meet the expectations set by your business case and keep your stakeholders updated, you need to have an eye on your project to see things as they happen. Our real-time dashboard automatically collects and calculates six project metrics and displays them in colorful graphs that are easy to digest. Unlike lightweight tools, there’s no setup required. We also have real-time reports that dive deeper into the data, which can be filtered to show only what you want to see and shared with stakeholders to manage their expectations.

dashboard showing project metrics in real-time

Other Templates to Help Build a Business Case

The business case template is a powerful tool to win over your stakeholders. ProjectManager is not the software that will make the business case a reality. But we’re also an online hub for all things project management, including dozens of free project management templates you can download as you’re building your business case. Here are a few.

Executive Summary Template

Part of any business case is the executive summary. If you need help composing this overview, our free executive summary template for Word is what you should download. It’s all here, everything you’ll need to collect the main points and write a powerful and direct executive summary to sway your stakeholders.

SWOT Analysis Template

When developing a strategic plan for your business case, our free SWOT analysis template for Word helps you map the internal and external factors of influence. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This free template download can help you see your project in a bigger context.

Estimate Template

Another important part of a business case is the financial appraisal. What you need is to make an accurate forecast of your project’s costs. Our free estimate template for Excel helps you identify all the project costs related to labor, materials and more to show your stakeholders why their investment is going to give them a greater return.

Related Content

ProjectManager is also a great place to read about project management. We publish multiple blogs a week and have hundreds of tutorial videos, guidebooks, white papers and much more. These assets cover every aspect of managing a project, from initiation to close. Here are some related to making a business case.

  • 15 Free Word & Excel Templates for Business
  • How to Write a Business Case
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis for Projects: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • What Is a Project Plan? The Ultimate Guide to Project Planning

ProjectManager is award-winning software that organizes work, monitors progress and reports on performance to keep you productive. Whether you’re managing one project or a program or a portfolio of projects, we have the tools that connect teams across departments or the country. Real-time data helps you make more insightful decisions. Join teams at NASA, Siemens and Nestle who use our tool to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

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Business Case Template | Free Download - for Projects and Programmes

business case template

The Business Case states the justification for a project in terms of measurable benefits versus costs . It should include the reason for the project, the options considered, a cost vs. benefits analysis, key milestones , risks and resourcing requirements. stakeholdermap.com
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Business Case Template contents

Field description and guidance for completion.

  • Problem or opportunity
  • Alignment to the Business Strategy
  • Solution alternatives
  • Recommended Solution
  • Expected costs and benefits
  • Implementation Approach.
  • Business Vision, Strategy or Objectives
  • Business processes or technologies which are not operating efficiently
  • New Competitor products or processes which have been identified
  • New technology trends (or opportunities resulting from new technologies introduced)
  • Commercial or operational trends which are driving changes in the business
  • Changes to Statutory, legislative or other environmental requirements.
  • The reasons why the problem exists.
  • The impact it is having on the business (e.g. financial, cultural, operational)
  • Any time scales within which the problem must be resolved, or key milestones.
  • The impact of doing nothing.
  • Any supporting evidence
  • A time frame within which the opportunity will likely exist
  • The positive impact that realization of the opportunity will have on the business.
Issues are defined as anything which currently impacts the ability of the solution to produce the required outcomes stakeholdermap.com
  • There will be no legislative, business strategy or policy changes during this project as it relates to SaaS software and data security.
  • Prices of subscriptions will not increase during the course of this project.
  • Additional human resource will be available from the business to support this project.
  • Time Management
  • Cost Management
  • Quality Management
  • Change Management
  • Risk Management
  • Issue Management
  • Procurement Management
  • Communications Management
  • Acceptance Management
  • Other artifacts as appropriate for the business case
  • Problem / Opportunity research materials
  • Feasibility Study research materials
  • External quotes or tenders
  • Detailed cost / benefit spreadsheets
  • System requirements (if known)
  • Other relevant information or correspondence.

Business Case template

Word download - business case (doc), word download - business case (docx), pdf download - business case (pdf), project templates to download.

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simple business case template example

Free business case template and guide (with examples)

17 min read

August 24, 2023

business case template

Every organization has finite resources at its disposal, particularly when it comes to finances. 

Even the most financially lucrative businesses can’t afford to simply bankroll every proposed project that comes their way – that’s where business cases come in. 

Business cases help managers decide if company resources should be spent on a project or not. This way, they ensure that the limited funds they have are only awarded to the most lucrative projects. To this end, it’s the job of the project proposer to put forward their case in the best possible light. They need to convince the decision-makers that their project is one worth the investment of time, money, and resources.  

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What is a business case? 

A business case is an instrument used to justify a proposed project that requires some type of capital expenditure. It details the allocation of capital and resources to execute the project plan , as well as the benefits of initiating the project or task. Once the business case receives management approval, it’s maintained as a working document that will be used during and after the project management process.

A well-crafted business case identifies multiple options to address the needs or opportunities of an organization and provides critical data to enable informed decisions by executives.

Business cases can be a comprehensive analysis or a simple, informal presentation. In the following section, we’ll detail the elements of a more highly structured document.

Why you need a business case 

Every organization has goals, needs, problems, and opportunities. You may need to solve specific problems, address certain needs, and exploit different opportunities. The solution may require a new initiative, the expansion of an existing operation, or the correction of poor execution. And as previously mentioned, every organization has finite resources, including a budget.

A business case identifies the reason for initiating a project or initiative, including its value, benefit, and the business problem it’s designed to solve. It’s designed to ensure that resources are prioritized for the operations and projects that most directly impact the corporation’s greatest priorities.

During this prioritization process, the key element is recognizing the projects that deliver the agreed-upon benefits.

PRINCE2™ is an internationally recognized project management methodology that supports the delivery of benefits. It identifies these key elements of a project:

  • The output, which is any of the project’s technical deliverables (both tangible or intangible)
  • The outcome, which is the result of the change derived from using the project’s deliverables
  • The benefit, which is a measurable improvement resulting from an outcome that’s perceived as an advantage by one or more stakeholders

The purpose of a business case is to both outline the benefits of proposed projects and provide a means for continually assessing and evaluating the progress of the initiative. Therefore, it will become a living document to use before, during, and after the project.

Initially, the business case establishes the rationale for the project and details its benefits. 

Throughout the execution, the business case measures the progress and overall environment of the initiative, in order to determine if course corrections are required. At the conclusion of the project, a post-mortem provides valuable feedback about future executions. This is an essential component of strong business process management . 

Specifically, a post-mortem will determine if the project has met these envisaged benefits:

  • Revenue growth
  • Productivity gains
  • Cost containment
  • New users / improved user experience

It will also identify these slippages:

  • Failure to meet time frames
  • Cost overruns
  • Inefficiencies

Whenever resources are going to be expended, they should support a well-defined business need, with projected benefits that’ll deliver value to the enterprise. The supporting business case may take the form of a comprehensive document, a presentation, or a verbal agreement. 

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Three business case examples 

Business case templates can cover a wide range of project types, including everything from creative projects to HR initiatives. 

To learn more about the cases that your business should be seeing, here are three of the most commonly used business case examples, alongside detailed business case templates.

Client management 

Client Management - business case template

This Customer Relationship Management (CRM) business case template comes from Demand Metrics . It’s designed to help managers decide whether or not to invest in a client management solution. Its key sections include an executive summary, an opportunity overview, key success factors, risks, contingency plans, and a business impact analysis. 

Human resources 

simple business case template example

This human resources business case outline, created by sage , is designed to create the most convincing argument in favor of a human resources initiative. To achieve this aim, it covers key points including defining the business’s needs, outlining how the HR vision fits in with the business strategy, and identifying the key benefits of the investment (from a wellbeing and employee retention perspective). 

Marketing perspective 

Marketing perspective - business case template

This simple marketing business plan from TemplateLAB offers a template that covers all bases. It’s designed to help users create the most convincing business case for their proposed marketing projects, by ensuring that they create a carefully constructed argument, clearly aligning the campaign with the overall business objective.

The four key elements a business case should contain 

Whatever project or idea your business case is for, it should always cover these four key elements. From the perspective of a manager, these factors are a fundamental part of the decision-making process. 

So, you want to be one step ahead, and provide a convincing argument that covers these points before the manager even has to ask the questions. 

Elements a business should contain

Executive summary 

The executive summary is a condensed version of the business case, which is succinctly summarized in a couple of paragraphs. It typically comes at the start of the business case document. It should cover the problem, need, or opportunity that this initiative is reacting to, the proposed solution, the resources required, the planned action, plus a risk assessment, a brief outline of the expected benefits, and the predicted ROI. 

Financial component 

This section will break down all of the finances of the proposed project. It should clearly outline the project costs, what financial funding is required, and where it will be spent. Remember, it’s designed to convince the managers that this is a project worth investing in, so it should also include a strong cost-benefit analysis, building on a risk assessment. The more detailed and accurate this section is, the better.

Project definition 

At this stage in the business case, you will need to provide more detail about the project scope, including the nature of the project, what it will look like, the elements that it includes, and the solutions that it will provide. It should be clear what gap the project intends to fill and the benefits that it will bring to the organization. In short, how will this project contribute to your overall business objective?

Project organization 

In this section, you will need to outline how, if approved, you intend to organize the project development. This should include a timescale, key deadlines, naming the project manager and the project team members who will be involved in this project, and what roles they will be assigned. For the manager reviewing the business case, it should be clear what steps will be taken immediately following their approval. 

How to write a simple business case 

Now that you know all of the key things to include, and how to present your case in the most convincing way possible, it’s time to get started. In this section, we’ll be outlining how to write a simple business case, which covers all of the key points, without forcing you to spend weeks putting it together.

But, before you jump straight into writing it, there are some important steps that you need to take first. 

Before you start writing your business case, a good starting point is to think about how to frame your case and identify some key points that will lay the foundation for your convincing argument. 

The best way to do this is by: 

Researching market competitors 

Find out who else is currently offering a similar concept, and identify any strengths or weaknesses in their version of it. 

Researching alternatives 

Find out what alternative solutions, products, or strategies currently exist, then weigh your suggestion against these. 

Analyzing your findings

Evaluate the current field for this idea, and identify where your version of it stands in the marketplace. Does it do more than your competitors? Or, does it fulfill a particular niche that the others don’t? Or better yet, is there no one else that currently offers this useful initiative? 

Compile your data  

Set it up in a convincing plan outline.

Consider options 

Based on this research, what would be the best direction in which to take your idea? 

Once you have completed these steps, you can start writing your business case. We would recommend that you follow the structure below, in order to create a logically structured and well-thought-out case.

1. Executive summary 

As we mentioned above, this section is the introduction to your business case. It’s designed to open the case with a strong, succinct summary of what your project is, how you intend to undertake it, and the benefits that it will bring. That way, the reader can continue evaluating the rest of the case with a clear knowledge of your proposition.

This high-level, condensed version of the business case includes:

  • The problem, need, or opportunity
  • The options that were considered
  • The required resources
  • The benefits and values to be derived
  • A risk analysis
  • The project scope and predicted project outcome
  • The recommended action
  • An investment appraisal, including the predicted return on investment (Although this section leads the business case, it also needs to be reviewed after all the data has been interpreted.)  

2. Financial component  

This section outlines all of the finances of the project, including the predicted cost of the project, plus a more detailed breakdown of how exactly the budget will be spent.

Financial appraisal 

In essence, a financial appraisal is designed to evaluate a proposed investment, in terms of its financial viability. It assesses the return of investment that it will bring to the investor. Typically, this details the project costs, then covers data like profitability index, a risk analysis, and a ratio analysis, while detailing the scope for financial rewards that the project offers. 

This can be done in a number of ways, depending on the nature of the project. For instance, if it’s a marketing project, then this section of the business case should outline how the investment will be returned, and, possibly, even returned with interest. This new marketing strategy may tap into a new market, increase traffic to the website, or create a higher rate of customer retention, for example.

Cost-benefit analysis   

This section specifically targets the decision-makers that will approve the funding. It includes a comparison of projected costs (including associated costs) against the benefits that it will bring.

The analysis will need to include an objective evaluation of the following:

  • The cost of installation
  • The cost of operator training
  • Incremental energy costs, as opposed to the projected benefits
  • Increased capacity, efficiencies, additional revenue, margin improvement, and cost avoidance.

In addition to this, a sensitivity analysis will cover potential risks when implementing the plan, and allows the project accountant to look at alternative outcomes, if there is uncertainty.

3. Project definition 

The project definition represents the largest section in the business case document. At this point, you should cover the majority of the details about your project proposal, answering all of the questions that the investor is likely to ask.

Project definition - business case template

Background information  

Open with an introduction of the project, which explains how the idea was first devised. You should briefly outline the circumstances, opportunity, or problem identified, which made you begin to create a solution (i.e. the project). 

For example, you may have noticed that your business Instagram page has a significant number of followers, but has a very small level of post engagement, or click-through rate. As a result, you identified that the company is not sufficiently utilizing this potential marketing channel. So, you have devised a project that will increase these key metrics and so open up a new opportunity for B2C marketing. 

Business objective  

In this section, you will need to explain why you think that the project is worth doing. In short, explain the objective in a way that can highlight its benefits as much as possible. 

To do this, answer these key questions in the section:

  • What do you intend to achieve by initiating your solution, both quantitatively and qualitatively? 
  • What are the project’s goals? Be specific about this, break down the benefits, goals, targets, and objectives in as much objective detail as possible. 
  • What will you need in order to achieve this goal? 
  • How can the proposed project advance the business as a whole?  
  • Will your course of action support the corporate strategy, goals, and culture? 

Benefits and constraints  

As with any project, there will be both benefits and constraints that may be brought about. So, in order to decide whether it’s worth investing in the idea, these will need to be weighed against each other. 

Rather than waiting for the manager to identify the risks for themselves, it’s far better to identify them here — that way, you get the chance to explain why they are outweighed by the benefits. 

The benefits that you list in this section should cover both financial and non-financial points. These could include (depending on the nature of the project): 

  • Saving costs
  • Increasing revenue 
  • Improving customer service
  • Achieving a higher quality service
  • Improving your position in the marketplace 
  • Matching (or beating) the service of your competitors
  • Achieving better communication with your target market 

Alternative analysis  

As we mentioned earlier, there will have been a number of alternative options that you could have potentially taken to meet these objectives. So, in this section, you will need to identify, analyze, and evaluate those alternatives.

State the alternative options that you identified, detail what they would have included, then evaluate how successful they would be in your particular business context. Specify their strengths and weaknesses, then conclude by explaining why the project you have chosen is the one that promises the best results. 

This list will, most likely, include a long list of options, some of which were quickly rejected. Then, it should end on a handful of strong options, which require a more detailed explanation of their rejection.

Note: these concepts may be complex and difficult to understand. If this is the case (for example, if you’re proposing the introduction of a new piece of technology) then it may be worth including a glossary, to ensure the reader understands all of the terminologies that you use here. 

Strategic alignment

In a similar fashion to the section above, you will then need to explain how your project would position your business amongst your competitors. 

Ask yourself the following questions: 

  • Do any of your competitors offer this? If so, how is your version of the project better than what they offer? 
  • What advantages will this project provide to your company that your competitors do not have? 
  • How will this project make your business stand out in the marketplace? 
  • Will the project make your customers more likely to choose you over a competitor? 
  • Will it make your services unique? 
  • Does it tap into key consumer requirements, or provide a better customer experience? 

Project plan  

This outline summarizes the plan that you will follow if the business case is successfully accepted. 

As such, it will need to list a number of key actionable details, to show the manager that you have thought the whole project through, and are ready to get things moving. 

This section should include details surrounding the following: 

  • The planned activities 
  • Detailed timelines
  • A breakdown of the work that’s required
  • The departments that will be involved
  • The individuals that will perform each task
  • A timescale of the entire project 
  • The key stages that the project will go through
  • The project’s main deliverables  

Project plan - business case template

Market assessment  

This section provides a thorough assessment of the environment that your business operates. It should evidence your business’s current place within the market, detail any significant shifts within the market, and outline how the work of this proposal will unlock a better market position for your company.

To achieve this, ask yourself these questions: 

  • How is the market trending? 
  • Is your market share expanding or contracting? 
  • Have there been any major market disruptions?
  • How has the competition changed? 
  • Is there new technology being introduced to the market? 
  • Are there new competitors? 
  • Do you anticipate any drastic changes to operating margins, due to increases in the costs of materials or transportation?

In short, include all of the factors that are currently influencing your business today, and any new factors that you predict will impact your company over the period covered by your proposed projects.

Risk analysis  

This section summarizes the risks and opportunities that are inherent to the action. 

There will, inevitably, be risks involved with the project. The goal here is not to minimize or deny them (because the reviewer will certainly be aware of them), but to outline either how you will overcome them, or how the rewards make the risks worth taking. 

In this section, you will need to thoughtfully answer key risk management questions: 

  • What risks or potential consequences are involved? 
  • What opportunities does the project promise? How do these outweigh the risks? 
  • How will the risks be managed? 

Then, to close the section, quantify the impact of the risks as much as possible.

Project approach  

In this section, you will need to outline how you intend to complete the project. 

Detail the methods that you will use to complete the work, adhere to the project’s timeframe, consistently meet the key deliverables, and deliver the project to the highest possible standard. 

For example, is your project going to be completed entirely in-house? If so, what team members will be involved at which step? 

Or, if you’re enlisting the help of any external contractors or freelancers, detail the stages at which they will be involved, and how you intend to ensure a successful collaborative effort. 

A great point to include in this section would be, for example, how you propose to use an online collaboration software like Filestage to help all collaborators seamlessly work together.  

Purchasing strategy  

In a business case, it’s vital that you cover every single detail about its finances. 

So, an important point to cover is how exactly the work will be financed. This section will need to outline whether the company will be buying a new tool, whether it will need to fund the leasing of the tool (and if so, how long for), or if the organization will be outsourcing parts of the project to another company. 

If any of the above applies, then details will need to be provided regarding the costs of these. Furthermore, if you intend to use a procurement process for these elements, outline the steps that this will involve. 

4. Project organization 

This is the final section of the business case document. In it, the proposer of the project provides a highly detailed breakdown of how the project will be organized within the company’s specific context.

Project governance 

As with any good project, you will need to enlist project managers and governors to oversee its progress, ensure everything is running on time, and provide reviews at key stages. 

In this section, you will outline the specifics of the project governance, including: 

  • What the decision-making process will look like 
  • Who the reviewers will be 
  • Who will be given the authority to request changes or grant approval
  • When reviews will be undertaken
  • The frequency of check-ins
  • The roles and responsibilities of your creative team

This section will clearly specify which of the company’s senior managers will be involved in the project development process, and what exactly is required of them. 

Tip: Filestage streamlines the review and approval process of any file type. Just upload your files, invite your reviewers, and get clear feedback to ensure all your content meets compliance regulations.   

Project Organization - business case template

Progress reporting 

Building on the details provided above, this section sets up formal progress updates at regular intervals. 

To ensure that these progress updates achieve the best possible benefits for the project, you will need to specify the points that each review will need to cover. 

These could be asking, for example: 

  • Did you meet the agreed-upon benefits? 
  • Did the benefits deliver the promised value to the organization? 
  • If these values have not been achieved yet, why not? 
  • Moving forward, what can be done to ensure better project execution?

These learnings inform future projects and provide for continuous improvements while executing strategies.

Furthermore, reporting also encompasses a retrospective post mortem to determine the project’s effectiveness. This way, you can minimize the likelihood of repeating any mistakes later on.

Examples of a business case template 

Now, this may all sound like an awful lot of work, but don’t fret! With the help of a business case template, you can massively cut down the time spent on this task, while ensuring your proposition hits all the right notes.

Find our picks for the best project management tools to assist with business case development below.

Business case template by Filestage

Do you want to write your own business case but aren’t sure about the business case format? You don’t need to start from scratch. We’ve created the following simple business case template for you. If you want to use the Google Doc or Word version, all you need to do is fill out this form:

Get the free business case template

Business case workbook – pdf.

Business case workbook - business case template

This handy business case workbook, created by CFDG, is available for download through the Academia website . The free business case template PDF provides a breakdown of each step in the business case creation process, for users to work their way through. It’s a great resource for anyone that’s new to the process. 

Financial analysis templates – Excel

Financial analysis template - business case

This financial analysis template comes in Microsoft Excel format, and it’s available for download via the Engineering Management website . The business case template provides all of the entry points that you need to input key data and create a clear financial summary to support your business case document.  

Business case planning templates – Excel

Business case planning templates

Vertex42 has created a detailed business case planning template , which is available to download as either a Microsoft Word or Excel document, providing a good starting point to write a business case. The business case template has a number of features, including editable sample questions, tables to present data, and a customizable table of contents. With this easily editable template, users can create a comprehensive business case plan, which achieves complete clarity and a high level of professionalism. 

Risk management templates – Excel

Risk management templates - business case

The Engineering Management website has also created a risk management template document. This simple business case template is available to download in an Excel format, making it easy to use for business case writers of any experience level. It contains spaces for risk identification, a qualitative analysis, and the chance to include a risk-response strategy, plus monitoring and control strategies, in your business case. 

Four important tips to create a convincing business case 

The secret to a successful business case all lies in how convincing it is. Remember, the purpose of this document is not only to detail the required information in a clear way but also to present it in a flattering light, which emphasizes all the remarkable benefits that it can unlock for the company. 

To write a business case that gets your business case projects noticed, make sure you follow these four tips for compelling case writing. 

Be brief and include only essential information 

Although detail is important, there’s no need to go overboard. If your business case is too long, then it’s highly unlikely that your manager will have the time to read it all. In fact, if anything, they’ll probably be deterred from reading it at all. So, make sure that everything that you include is relevant and has a clear purpose — that way, every single sentence will give extra weight to your case.

Outline data clearly and concisely 

If you have strong data to back up your case, don’t be afraid to let it do the talking. 

Make sure that your data is clearly laid out and that it’s easy to follow, as this will play a huge role in convincing the reader to support your proposal. Using tables, bullet points, or even graphs are all great ways to emphasize the trends shown in the data. 

Highlight values and benefits 

When you write a business case, highlighting the values and benefits is the best way to convince the manager to grant their support to the new project. 

These could be project yields, an improvement to the customer service, financial benefits, or personal benefits that are unlocked for the team — either way, make sure that they don’t go unnoticed!

Align the project with organizational goals 

Show the reader that you have considered how the project fits within the goals of the organization as a whole. For instance, if one of your business objectives is to reach a new target audience aged between 18-25, then clearly state how your project will help this business objective to be met. This is a great way to convince the reader of your project’s value.

Business case FAQs 

Do you still have some questions? Don’t worry, they will most likely be answered in our business case FAQ section. 

Who needs a business case?

Business cases are used by companies across a huge variety of sectors. They can be used in a wide variety of ways, and so, they are valued by people across all areas of your company. 

These include the project manager, sponsors, stakeholders, and even members of the public. In essence, anyone who would be affected by a business change or new project may ask for a business case before they would be happy to approve the change. 

Who is responsible for creating a business case?

Typically, the project manager, project executive, or business analyst would be responsible for writing a business case. This is because they would be the ones most heavily involved in the project’s development, but do not have the authority to grant its funding.

What is a standard business case template?

Standard business case templates are fantastic project management tools that allow users to write a business case without having to start from scratch. They can use different business case templates and then fill in the details for their specific project, to put forward a proposed business change quickly and yet thoroughly. 

How long is a good business case?

This depends on the nature of the new project. It will need to be long enough to answer all of the key fields, but the creator shouldn’t be padding out the document with unnecessary descriptions that make the document longer than it needs to be.

Who approves a business case?

A business case is approved by either an investor or a sponsor. Who this is, depends on the nature of the company. In some cases, a business case will be approved by a senior member of the company, such as the CEO or CFO. 

What makes a good business case? 

To write a business case effectively, you will need to: 

  • Use a business case template
  • Include a detailed project plan
  • Clearly list the expected benefits
  • Write a detailed and clear project description
  • Make the project schedule realistic and context-specific
  • Thoroughly complete relevant research
  • Specify any major risks
  • Realize benefits, including project yields and financial benefits
  • Effectively manage any of the risks, and write this alongside a cost-benefit analysis
  • Ensure the project aligns with company objectives

Conclusion 

The development of a business case is both a process and a skill. Keeping these components in mind, you can create a compelling case for almost any business initiative. You can practice by developing business cases for smaller issues, so you can gain expertise and hone your creative skills.

The above templates and examples are designed to inspire business cases for your projects. You always need to consider the specific informational requirements of your decision-makers. Use this template, adapt the elements as necessary, and make it yours.

Remember that the keys to project success are setting deadlines, staying within the budget, and producing the projected benefits. Focus on the value your benefits deliver to the organization. Ensure that the expended time and resources are warranted by the value creation.

Muriel Skusa

Muriel Skusa

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Business Case Template - Excel

Present your business plan to stakeholders and investors through a detailed yet simple document that showcases your plan, how it will benefit the company, and whether it's possible or not.

simple business case template example

  • The template keeps a strict separation between input and output data.
  • Forecast values can be replaced by actuals without the need to overwrite any cells.
  • The model is built bottom-up, allowing you (and your colleagues) to reconcile the values of every single item in the P&L.

We've seen hundreds of startup business cases or financial models over the past few years and worked intensively with some of them. Even though every company is different and has specific requirements for its case or model, there are known good and bad practices to consider.

Almost every startup faces the following challenges:

  • What is the right level of detail, and where do I get the relevant data?
  • How can I keep my model up-to-date with as little effort as possible?
  • What is the best way to keep input data (assumptions or actuals) and output data separately?
  • How to ensure that my model does not break and thus cause (potentially unidentified) errors?
  • This is intended as a starting point for your financial planning. It is based on a SaaS model, but we tried to keep it as generic and simple as possible. It should, therefore, have broad applicability.

What Is a Business Case?

A Business Case is a document used to justify a proposed business venture or investment. It is typically used by organizations to determine whether or not a particular project or initiative is worth pursuing.

Which Information Is Included in a Business Case?

The Business Case usually contains a cost-benefit analysis, which looks at the expected costs and benefits of the proposed venture to determine whether it is viable. Other elements that may be included in a Business Case are an executive summary, market analysis, risk assessment, and return on investment (ROI) calculation.

Organizations will often use different types of Business Cases for different purposes. For example, a strategic Business Case may be used to justify a long-term investment, while an operational Business Case may be used to justify a smaller, more specific project.

Why Is a Business Case Important?

The Business Case is an essential tool for decision-makers, as it allows them to weigh the costs and benefits of a proposed venture before making a commitment. It is also a valuable communication tool, as it can help to ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page concerning the goals and objectives of the project.

If you are involved in a business venture or investment that requires a Business Case, there are a few things to keep in mind.

  • First, make sure that your document is clear and concise.
  • Second, focus on the key elements most important to decision-makers, such as the cost-benefit analysis and ROI calculation.
  • Finally, remember that the Business Case is just one tool that can be used to make a decision – it is important to consider all the factors involved before making a final decision.

How to Write a Business Case?

In a nutshell, the process of writing a business case is as follows:

  • 1. Understand the purpose of the business case.
  • 2. Define the problem or opportunity.
  • 3. Outline the proposed solution.
  • 4. Describe the expected benefits of the solution.
  • 5. List the costs of implementing the solution.
  • 6. Assess the risks associated with the project.
  • 7. Calculate the return on investment (ROI).
  • 8. Write an executive summary.
  • 9. Prepare a detailed document.

What Is a Business Case Template?

A Business Case Template is a pre-formatted document that can be used to create a Business Case. It typically includes placeholder text and formatting that can be customized to suit the user's needs.

Why Use a Business Case Template?

A template can be a valuable tool for creating a Business Case, as it can help ensure that all necessary information is included. It can also save time by providing a starting point for the document, and it can help ensure that the final document is consistent and professional.

If you are considering using a template to create your Business Case, there are a few things to keep in mind.

  • First, make sure that the template you choose is relevant to your particular industry and project.
  • Second, customize the template to fit your specific needs – don't hesitate to add or remove sections as necessary.
  • Finally, remember that a template is only a starting point – you will still need to put in the time and effort to create a well-written and persuasive document.

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    Learn how to write a business case in 4 easy steps, with helpful examples & business case templates included. Click to learn & discover how-to.

  2. How to Write a Business Case (Template Included)

    Step 1: Identify the Business Problem Projects aren't created for projects' sake. They should always be aligned with business goals. Usually, they're initiated to solve a specific business problem or create a business opportunity. You should "Lead with the need."

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    A strong recommendation. Explain the project you've chosen to pursue and why you think this is the best solution. You should also address the risks for this recommendation. Discussion of other possible options. Offer multiple solutions to the problem.

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    30+ Simple Business Case Templates & Examples Organizations, companies, and businesses at one point or another would need to ask for investments from key stakeholders and investors. To be able to successfully achieve this, you'd have to make a business case template to present to potential investors and stakeholders.

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  8. 10 Free Business Case Templates in PowerPoint & ClickUp

    With ClickUp's Business Development Plan Template, chart a course toward unparalleled entrepreneurial success! Download This Template. 9. Powerpoint Business Case Template by SlideModel. The Free Business Case PowerPoint Template is a modern preset template for presenting various business case aspects.

  9. How to Write a Business Case (+ Template & Examples)

    This template is designed to help you create a comprehensive and effective business case that covers all the key components, including an executive summary, problem statement, goals and objectives, alternatives, financial analysis, risk assessment, and conclusion. All you have to do is download the template, fill in the details, and you'll have ...

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  11. The Plain English Guide to Writing a Business Case

    1. Research. Before you can write a business case, you need to do your research. First, you should have a goal in mind for your project, whether it's to create a new product, help drive more traffic/leads, or improve user experience. Write down your goal and then conduct research to prove that your project is the way to achieve your goal.

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    But let's get specific: developing a business case is easier when you have a template to look at. Let's build an example using a made-up company, ABC Widgets, and a hypothetical business case. Let's call our business case example "Operation Super Widgets": Briefly describe the problem and the opportunities.

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    Home Project Management Templates Business Case Template The Business Case states the justification for a project in terms of measurable benefits versus costs. It should include the reason for the project, the options considered, a cost vs. benefits analysis, key milestones, risks and resourcing requirements. stakeholdermap.com

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    Business Case Template - Excel. Present your business plan to stakeholders and investors through a detailed yet simple document that showcases your plan, how it will benefit the company, and whether it's possible or not. The template keeps a strict separation between input and output data. Forecast values can be replaced by actuals without the ...

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