book

Developing a Business Case

by Harvard Business Review

December 2010

Intermediate to advanced

128 pages

1h 32m

English

Harvard Business Review Press

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Business case versus business planWhen you should create a business caseA complex documentSeven steps to a business case
Identifying a problem or opportunityDeveloping an opportunity statementIdentifying your business objectivesPrioritizing your objectivesAssigning metrics to your objectives
Generating a list of optionsGathering inputNarrowing your choices
Identifying the information you needCollecting the dataSetting a time frameDocumenting your estimates and assumptions
Evaluating alternatives against your metricsUnderstanding common financial metricsCreating a framework for comparing alternatives

Selecting the best solutionWeighing the risksDeciding how to mitigate the risksDetermining whether to modify your recommended course of action
Understanding the purpose of an implementation planListing your milestonesCommunicating with decision makersIdentifying resources you’ll needClarifying responsibilitiesIndicating expected payoffTracking your results
Understanding your audienceUsing visuals to present your case
Answers to test questions

Content preview from Developing a Business Case

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163.

First Ebook Edition: December 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4221-2976-0