Business Case for:
(Insert Project Name Here)
Prepared by:
Date:
Document History
1.0 / 8/14/2014 / Ellen Parsons
1.0 / 8/24/2014 / Tom Shaes
1.0 / 8/30/2014 / Patty Hughes
1.0 / 9/10/2014 / Arthur Frobisher
1.0 / 9/18/2014 / Elaine Benis
Document Review
Project Manager
Executive Sponsor
It Architect
It Test Manager
Business Unit
Stakeholder(S)
Table of Contents
How to use this template
1. Executive Summary
2. Business Problem
2.1 Assessment of Current Environment
2.2 Problem Analysis
3. Options Considered
3.1 Option 1 – [Option Name]
3.1.1 Description
3.1.2 Benefits And Measurement Criteria
3.1.3 Costs And Funding Plan
3.1.4 Risks
3.1.5 Issues
3.1.6 Assumptions
3.2 Option 2 – [Option Name]
4. Recommendation
4.1 Rating and Ranking of Options
4.2 Recommended Option
5. Implementation Approach
6. Additional Documentation
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How to use this template
This document provides a guide on the topics usually included in a Business Case for a Cloud Project. Topics may be added, changed, or deleted as fits the requirements of your business approval process.
The basic components of a business case are:
- Problem description
- Options considered
- Costs and Benefits for each option
- Recommended option
- Implementation Approach
- Approvals
Executive Summary
Summarize each of the sections in this document, including statement of problem, solution alternative and recommended solution.
2. Business Problem
2.1 Assessment of Current Environment
Describe the business environment which has created the need for this project. Be sure to include:
- Business Vision, Strategy or Objectives
- Strategic Constraints, including regulatory, environmental, or legal requirements
- Changes in Business Environment which are causing the need for process or technology improvements
- Emerging Technology or opportunities now available along with alternative solutions which might provide the needed improvements
2.2 Problem Analysis
Provide a summary of the business problem or opportunity which this project will address.
- A description of the issue or opportunity
- Reasons this project is being proposed
- Elements of people, processes, and technology involved,
- Impact on the business (Increased revenues, cost savings, improved productivity, increased margins, etc.)
- Proposed timeframes
3. Options Considered
Provide a list of options considered, along with the associated costs, benefits, risks, and issues. Be sure to document each Cloud solution evaluated, Private, Public, Community, and Hybrid. If multiple vendors are considered, provide the criteria for evaluation.
3.1 Option 1 – [Option Name]
3.1.1 Description
3.1.2 Benefits and Measurement Criteria
Describe the anticipated benefits and how those benefits will be measured and tracked, Benefits may be financial, operational, competitive, customer related, or staff related. For the Cloud, benefits are frequently organized as: Scalability, Agility, Profitability, Accessibility, Innovation, and Productivity.
3.1.3 Costs and Funding Plan
Describe the current costs of the operation as the baseline cost. Describe the costs of the proposed solution for the options being considered. All costs should be assembled using a Total Cost of Ownership approach. Be sure to include any tangible or intangible costs which are anticipated as a result of the proposed solution. Remember to include costs for one-time implementation such as porting data, upgrading applications, testing, training, etc.
When considering a Private Cloud vendor as all or part of the solution, describe any impacts due to the change from capex to opex.
3.1.4 Risks
Provide a list of risks which have been recognized during the development of the proposed solution. Risks may be Strategic, Environmental, Financial, Operational, Technical, Competitive or Customer related. For each risk listed, document mitigation plans.
For a Cloud environment, be sure to evaluate risks for security, scalability, responsiveness, network infrastructure and availability.
3.1.5 Issues
Provide a list of issues associated with the adoption of this option. Once the project is approved, the issues listed should be formally tracked and reported during the project lifecycle.
3.1.6 Assumptions
It is important to list key assumptions made which were part of the solution. Assumptions may include, staffing availability, technology prices, or business environment changes.
3.2 Option 2 – [Option Name]
Repeat all categories as shown in Option 1. Include any options to be considered by the management approval team.
4. Recommendation
This section should clearly provide the preferred solution based on a comparison of key characteristics from each proposed option.
4.1 Rating and Ranking of Options
Prepare a list of factors being addressed by each option, weighting by importance. Factors may include, costs, benefits, strategic value, technology, process improvements, and risks.
4.2 Recommended Option
Identify the recommended option, sighting the rating and ranking factors. Summarize why this option is preferred.
5. Implementation Approach
Provide a description of the approach planned to deliver the solution and anticipated benefits. Be sure to include Project Plans, Project Management, Project Milestones, Project Timelines and Project Deliverables. Explain how costs and benefits will be captured and tracked. Include a template of issues, risks, and mitigation factors.
6. Additional Documentation
Include any additional documentation important to the successful execution of the project plan. This can include supplier quotes, detailed spreadsheets, etc.
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