A business case is a tool for decision making and supports corporate organizational goals and objectives. It captures the reasoning for starting an initiative, and justifies why it should be invested in by senior and executive management. Achieving organizational goals and objectives with scarce and tightly controlled resources, in today’s world, require a compelling argument for an initiative to be authorized and/or accepted.

So, what should senior and executive management look for prior to approving a business case? Some possible answers can be:

• Does the recommended solution address the problem or opportunity?
• How well does the solution align with the organizational goals and objectives?
• Will this solution give the company the most optimal return on its investments when compared with other initiatives within the company?
• How ready is the company to take on such an initiative such as this?

This 1-day course aims to answer the above questions and attempts to ensure that senior and executive management are equipped with what is needed to make such investment decisions going forward. Through discussions, examples and hands-on exercises, you will validate business case purpose, content, approach, and apply a checklist for reviewing business case documents, prior to approval. The course also aligns with the Enterprise Analysis knowledge area within the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®) v2.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Participants will gain practical skills to:

• Understand what a business case is, its purpose, and its contents
• Recognize an approach for putting together a business case and the support needed from senior and executive management
• Validate the steps taken to preparing and defending a business case using a checklist including:
  • Problem/opportunity statement
  • Current state o Problem/opportunity analysis
  • Viable solutions including the impact of Do Nothing
  • Cost benefit analysis including financial analysis
  • Decision criteria
  • Decision matrix
  • Business case document
  • Business case defense
  • Feasibility study approach
• Evaluate if the business case answers the four important questions above

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The Reviewing and Approving a Business Case course is appropriate for individuals responsible for reviewing and approving business cases including:

• Project managers and senior business analysts
• Business unit managers
• Senior and executive management

PREREQUISITE

None.

MATERIALS

You will receive a course binder containing copies of presentation slides, case studies, exercises, and suggested solutions.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN