Business Case Development for Business & IT Professionals - Online

Schedule for this Course

There are no dates scheduled for this course.
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Course Description:

Learn to write a credible and compelling business case that decision makers cannot refuse.

The purpose of a business case is to justify the approval of a project by clearly stating the benefits to be delivered. In today's economy, more and more decision makers are requesting easy to understand and straight forward information to decide which projects they should invest in and which ones to put aside.

Only projects that can show a direct and solid return on investment or those that have presented a compelling and believable "strategic importance" will be approved.

The logical path for Business and IT Professionals is to take the business case approach to getting projects approved. Business and IT professionals have two choices right now; either sit on the sidelines and wait till the economic environment is better to push their project(s) through or learn how to build a convincing business case.

Whether you are a decision maker who wants your staff to propose and present good solid reasons for a project to be funded or a Business or IT Professional, this class will provide the knowledge and hands on experience to create a credible and compelling business case.

Who Should Attend this Business Analysis Training Course

This course is designed for anyone wanting to write an effective business case, including:

• Business Customer, Users or Partners
• Business Analysts
• Business Systems Analysts
• Project Managers
• Program Managers
• Team Leaders
• IT Managers
• Supervisors
• Operational Managers
• Systems Analysts

Prerequisites

n/a

Course Outline:

I. What Purpose Does a Business Case Serve?

• What is a Business Case
• Why is a Business Case Needed
• Where does the Business Case fit into the Project Selection Process
• Who Creates a Business Case

 II. Laying the Groundwork for Creating the Business Case

• Recognizing Needs, Problems and Opportunities
• Elements and building blocks of a Business Case
• Analyzing Stakeholders and Decision Makers
• Current verses Future Capabilities

 III. Problem Definition and Alternative Techniques

• Connecting Cause and Effect
• Ask the Right Questions
• Be a Critical Thinker
• Creative Problem Solving

 IV. Defining and Refining the Solution Scope

• Project Objectives
• Is it a Project or a Program
• Defining the Criteria for Success
• Possible Project Dependencies
• What is a Constraint

 V. Estimating the Proposed Solution

• Why Should I Care about Estimating
• Estimating Techniques
• Vendor Assessment
• Watch out for Targets
• Look out for Assumptions

 VI. Risk Assessment and Impact

• What is True Risk?
• The Risky Questions
• Facing the Unknown
• Determining Probability and Impact

 VII. Business Case Value Proposition

• Business Case Value Proposition
• Understanding the Metrics
• Return on Investment (ROI)
• Many Ways to Measure Benefits & Cost

VIII. Presenting the Business Case

• What Other Information do You Need
• State the Facts
• Remember to be Persuasive
• Being Conscious of What You Say and How You Say It