Business Case

A business case makes the argument for spending money and effort on an initiative. A good one states the problem, the options considered, the recommended option, and the financials, typically including return on investment (ROI), net present value (NPV), payback period, and the risks and assumptions behind the numbers.

The purpose is a defensible decision, not a sales pitch. That means making assumptions explicit, showing a realistic range of outcomes rather than a single optimistic figure, and defining how success will be measured after approval, which is where value realization begins.