Ambition

1. Ambition in Action

2. Preparing and Presenting an Effective Business CasePresentation to HIMAAJuly 2010

3. Overview of Session: • What is a business case? • Why develop a business case? • What goes into a business case? • Presenting your business case • Summary

4. What is a business case? “ a business case is a proposal document or presentation that details the business reasons for initiating a project. It provides senior management with the facts and figures they need to make an informed decision about whether the project should be given a green light to go ahead.” Examples: staffing, major acquisitions, digitisation, cataloguing systems

5. The Business case should answer these questions:

6. Why is a business case necessary?

7. Preparing the Business Case: • Use your organisation’s methodology which will include: • Evaluation of the significance of the project • Information on the scope/details of the project • Who will it affect? • What is the policy context? • Utilise those people who have the information and skills to supplement your business case • Optimistic or unrealistic budgets and implementation schedules can destroy the credibility of a business case

8. Business case components: • Executive summary • Analysis of opportunity • Costs and benefits • Risks and rewards • Implementation plan

9. Executive Summary: • Quick, easily understood summary of the opportunity • High level summary of the opportunity • Description of the project and resources required to implement • Summarise how the project aligns with organisational needs or strategy

10. Analysis of opportunity: / Where are we now? • Define the core problem or business challenge • What are the various options • Summary of opportunity (value creation and value drivers) • Relevant internal and external factors

11. Costs and benefits: • Detailed description of costs and benefits (generally quantifiable) • Initial and recurring costs and benefits • If there is uncertainty in the numbers- provide “best case”, “worst case” and “most likely” scenarios • Optimistic or unrealistic budgets can destroy the credibility of the business case

12. Risks and rewards: • Detail non financial risks and rewards eg: impact on employees/ bottom line • Mitigation plans for risks • Can be strong factor in the success of a business case

13. Implementation plan: • Implementation timeline, deliverables, resources • Operational changes required to achieve the final targets • Business owners and operational owners of the project • How will you recognise when the need has been met?

14. Optional Extra: An ‘elevator pitch’ • Prepare an ‘elevator pitch’ for your proposal • Describes the benefits of your proposal in 100 words or less • May include a short slide presentation emailed to key people before your presentation

15. Presenting your business case: • Target presentation to the audience eg: language, examples • Explain the WIIFM, so focus on the benefits • Base presentation on facts and figures but do not forget the emotions • Pick other people’s brains for tips • Think about questions you may be asked and prepare answers

16. Presenting your business case -know your reader Spontaneous Dominant Easy Going Controlled

17. Summary • Know your organisation • Research the issues well and discuss the proposal extensively internally • Write the business case with all costs and issues explained • The business case should include the relevant financial justifications, but not just the sole purpose of the document • The business case should address all stakeholder’s concerns from economic, social and environmental perspectives

18. Thank you!Question Time.....