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The Right Way to Present Your Business Case

  • Carolyn O’Hara

presentation business case

Get key stakeholders on board with one effective presentation.

You’ve already put a great deal of work into preparing a solid business case for your project or idea. But when it comes to the critical presentation phase, how do you earn the support of decision makers in the room? How do you present your case so that it’s clear and straightforward while also persuasive?

presentation business case

  • Carolyn O’Hara is a writer and editor based in New York City. She’s worked at The Week, PBS NewsHour, and Foreign Policy. carolynohara1

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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How To Prepare and Deliver a Business Case Presentation

How To Prepare and Deliver a Business Case Presentation

How to Write and Present a Business Case

No matter how junior or senior an individual is in an organization, there will always be times when they need to convince others why they should fund them, choose them, or do anything else they want them to do. Sometimes an informal, but convincing, argument is enough. Often, it isn’t. Those are the times you’ll need to prepare a business case in order to change their mind.

What is a Business Case?

A business case is a document that presents the costs, risks, and benefits of a particular initiative, justifies the investment , and pitches why decision-makers should approve of the recommendation. Students pursuing an  MBA with a specialization in marketing  are often asked to prepare different business case studies to improve their business forecasting and analytics skills.

Depending on your organization and endeavor, this will be anything from an informal document to a formal presentation before stakeholders. Regardless of the format, a business case aims to convince people if a project or initiative is worth investing in and why one particular approach is better than others.

A Business Case Is Not a Project Proposal or a Project Plan

Don’t get a business case mixed up with a project proposal . While they have similar goals and will cover some of the same topics, they’re not quite the same thing. A project proposal focuses on what a project is, delving into many of the details like deliverables and timelines. They are also different from project plans , which explain how a project will be executed and have much more detail. A business case, on the other hand, is about why people should invest in your initiative.

When You Should Create a Business Case Presentation?

You should create a business case presentation any time you need to convince a manager or stakeholder to make a decision, where an informal conversation is not appropriate or enough.

Common reasons to create a business case presentation:

  • Asking for new funding, more funding, or a continuation of funding
  • Changing the scope of a project
  • Starting a new project
  • Requesting a policy change
  • Asking for an exception to a rule
  • Adding resources to a project or team

How to Create a Business Case Presentation?

While you might be eager to jump in and share the initiative you believe in, it’s a good idea to step back and make sure you prepare a solid case. The more concrete details, facts, and figures you have, the stronger your business case will be. The main sections of a business case will be the context of the situation, problem statement, opportunities, financial analysis, and solution description.

If you’ve never made a business case presentation before, consider using a business case template or try our AI presentation maker to help guide you through each step. Here’s a short summary of each of the parts of a convincing business case presentation.

Business Case Presentation PowerPoint Template

Step 1. Establish Context about the Current Situation

Not all audience members will immediately know what the current situation is leading up to your initiative. Briefly lay out the background of the idea. Note that this isn’t the problem statement, which will follow.

Business Case Context PowerPoint Templates

Step 2. State the Problems

This slide is where you can impress upon your audience the importance of the problem, and therefore, why the solution you’ll soon present is necessary.

When describing the problems, think about the direct and indirect effects of the situation, as well as the internal and external implications. Include statistical analysis if you’re already seeing negative effects because of the situation.

State the Problems Business Case PowerPoint Templates

Step 3. Evaluate Opportunities

Your solution needs to be directly related to the stated problem. Here you can list, side-by-side, the opportunities you foresee to address problems. This section is a segway from your problem to your solution.

Another way to present this section is to analyze potential causes of the previously stated problem. This would then be the step to introduce the possible approaches, before settling on the one you’ve chosen to pitch.

Step 4. Analyze Finances

The numbers are probably the most important thing on stakeholder’s minds. They can make or break your business case. Present the current financial situation and compare it to the numbers you could be achieving if they choose to fund your initiative. Additionally, emphasize the potential for increased revenue through the implementation of a recurring payment system , which can provide a steady stream of income for your business.

Step 5. Describe Solution

Now that you’ve impressed the need for a change on your audience, it’s time to propose your solution. The format of your solution description will depend on what kind of decision you’re promoting. Generally speaking, you’ll want to briefly outline what needs to be done, how it will be done, who will do it, and when it will be done. Let’s look at sample solution formats for each of the examples from the introduction:

  • Convincing the project manager to add you to a team: List the skills you have, how they relate to the needs of the project, and what you’ll be able to achieve once part of that team.
  • Convincing your boss to commit time to fixing a product issue: List how you can fix the issue, how much time it will take, how many resources it will take, and how much it will cost, especially when compared to the alternative.
  • Convincing HR to give an employee a raise: List how much of a raise your employee will need, any other non-monetary benefits that could work, and the advantages of retaining that talent.
  • Convincing the board to open a new office: This initiative is clearly much more complex than the previous examples, which means it will require a much more in-depth business case document. However, in the business case presentation, you can list the costs, forecasted ROI, resources needed, and potential benefits of opening up the satellite office.

10 Tips for Presenting Effective Business Cases

  • Use unique and attention-grabbing visuals. Chances are a board of directors or management team has seen a lot of business cases. Make sure yours doesn’t look just like everyone else’s.
  • Clearly state your recommendation and required investment.
  • Don’t shy away from costs and risks.
  • Evaluate various scenarios when presenting your solution.
  • Don’t forget to practice presenting your business case when preparing the documentation.
  • Use an appropriate story alongside facts and figures to hook your audience, as recommended by the Harvard Business Review . 
  • Don’t add too much data to your PPT slides. Remember that the rest of your details will be in the business case document.
  • Involve your audience by making eye contact, mentioning specific examples they may have heard about or been involved in, and even making appropriate jokes.
  • Brainstorm potential questions your audience may ask and incorporate them into your presentation. 
  • Prepare both a long version and a short version of your business case presentation. You might be expecting an hour to pitch your idea to stakeholders, but you might just get a few minutes while walking down the hall to an emergency meeting.

Conclusion: Do Your Initiative Justice

You have a good idea. Maybe it’s a project you really believe in, a decision that just has to be made, or a strategy that will change the game for your organization. Whatever the case, your initiative won’t get approval if you communicate it ineffectively. Create a convincing business case and present it effectively and you’ll see decisions going your way in no time.

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Blog Case Study

How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

By Danesh Ramuthi , Sep 07, 2023

How Present a Case Study like a Pro

In today’s world, where data is king and persuasion is queen, a killer case study can change the game. Think high-powered meetings at fancy companies or even nailing that college presentation: a rock-solid case study could be the magic weapon you need.

Okay, let’s get real: case studies can be kinda snooze-worthy. But guess what? They don’t have to be!

In this article, you’ll learn all about crafting and presenting powerful case studies. From selecting the right metrics to using persuasive narrative techniques, I will cover every element that transforms a mere report into a compelling case study. 

And if you’re feeling a little lost, don’t worry! There are cool tools like Venngage’s Case Study Creator to help you whip up something awesome, even if you’re short on time. Plus, the pre-designed case study templates are like instant polish because let’s be honest, everyone loves a shortcut.

Click to jump ahead: 

What is a case study presentation?

Purpose of presenting a case study, how to structure a case study presentation, how long should a case study presentation be, 5 case study presentation templates, tips for delivering an effective case study presentation, common mistakes to avoid in a case study presentation, how to present a case study faqs.

A case study presentation involves a comprehensive examination of a specific subject, which could range from an individual, group, location, event, organization or phenomenon.

They’re like puzzles you get to solve with the audience, all while making you think outside the box.

Unlike a basic report or whitepaper, the purpose of a case study presentation is to stimulate critical thinking among the viewers. 

The primary objective of a case study is to provide an extensive and profound comprehension of the chosen topic. You don’t just throw numbers at your audience. You use examples and real-life cases to make you think and see things from different angles.

presentation business case

The primary purpose of presenting a case study is to offer a comprehensive, evidence-based argument that informs, persuades and engages your audience.

Here’s the juicy part: presenting that case study can be your secret weapon. Whether you’re pitching a groundbreaking idea to a room full of suits or trying to impress your professor with your A-game, a well-crafted case study can be the magic dust that sprinkles brilliance over your words.

Think of it like digging into a puzzle you can’t quite crack . A case study lets you explore every piece, turn it over and see how it fits together. This close-up look helps you understand the whole picture, not just a blurry snapshot.

It’s also your chance to showcase how you analyze things, step by step, until you reach a conclusion. It’s all about being open and honest about how you got there.

Besides, presenting a case study gives you an opportunity to connect data and real-world scenarios in a compelling narrative. It helps to make your argument more relatable and accessible, increasing its impact on your audience.

One of the contexts where case studies can be very helpful is during the job interview. In some job interviews, you as candidates may be asked to present a case study as part of the selection process.

Having a case study presentation prepared allows the candidate to demonstrate their ability to understand complex issues, formulate strategies and communicate their ideas effectively.

Case Study Example Psychology

The way you present a case study can make all the difference in how it’s received. A well-structured presentation not only holds the attention of your audience but also ensures that your key points are communicated clearly and effectively.

In this section, let’s go through the key steps that’ll help you structure your case study presentation for maximum impact.

Let’s get into it. 

Open with an introductory overview 

Start by introducing the subject of your case study and its relevance. Explain why this case study is important and who would benefit from the insights gained. This is your opportunity to grab your audience’s attention.

Explain the problem in question

Dive into the problem or challenge that the case study focuses on. Provide enough background information for the audience to understand the issue. If possible, quantify the problem using data or metrics to show the magnitude or severity.

Detail the solutions to solve the problem

After outlining the problem, describe the steps taken to find a solution. This could include the methodology, any experiments or tests performed and the options that were considered. Make sure to elaborate on why the final solution was chosen over the others.

Key stakeholders Involved

Talk about the individuals, groups or organizations that were directly impacted by or involved in the problem and its solution. 

Stakeholders may experience a range of outcomes—some may benefit, while others could face setbacks.

For example, in a business transformation case study, employees could face job relocations or changes in work culture, while shareholders might be looking at potential gains or losses.

Discuss the key results & outcomes

Discuss the results of implementing the solution. Use data and metrics to back up your statements. Did the solution meet its objectives? What impact did it have on the stakeholders? Be honest about any setbacks or areas for improvement as well.

Include visuals to support your analysis

Visual aids can be incredibly effective in helping your audience grasp complex issues. Utilize charts, graphs, images or video clips to supplement your points. Make sure to explain each visual and how it contributes to your overall argument.

Pie charts illustrate the proportion of different components within a whole, useful for visualizing market share, budget allocation or user demographics.

This is particularly useful especially if you’re displaying survey results in your case study presentation.

presentation business case

Stacked charts on the other hand are perfect for visualizing composition and trends. This is great for analyzing things like customer demographics, product breakdowns or budget allocation in your case study.

Consider this example of a stacked bar chart template. It provides a straightforward summary of the top-selling cake flavors across various locations, offering a quick and comprehensive view of the data.

presentation business case

Not the chart you’re looking for? Browse Venngage’s gallery of chart templates to find the perfect one that’ll captivate your audience and level up your data storytelling.

Recommendations and next steps

Wrap up by providing recommendations based on the case study findings. Outline the next steps that stakeholders should take to either expand on the success of the project or address any remaining challenges.

Acknowledgments and references

Thank the people who contributed to the case study and helped in the problem-solving process. Cite any external resources, reports or data sets that contributed to your analysis.

Feedback & Q&A session

Open the floor for questions and feedback from your audience. This allows for further discussion and can provide additional insights that may not have been considered previously.

Closing remarks

Conclude the presentation by summarizing the key points and emphasizing the takeaways. Thank your audience for their time and participation and express your willingness to engage in further discussions or collaborations on the subject.

presentation business case

Well, the length of a case study presentation can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the needs of your audience. However, a typical business or academic presentation often lasts between 15 to 30 minutes. 

This time frame usually allows for a thorough explanation of the case while maintaining audience engagement. However, always consider leaving a few minutes at the end for a Q&A session to address any questions or clarify points made during the presentation.

When it comes to presenting a compelling case study, having a well-structured template can be a game-changer. 

It helps you organize your thoughts, data and findings in a coherent and visually pleasing manner. 

Not all case studies are created equal and different scenarios require distinct approaches for maximum impact. 

To save you time and effort, I have curated a list of 5 versatile case study presentation templates, each designed for specific needs and audiences. 

Here are some best case study presentation examples that showcase effective strategies for engaging your audience and conveying complex information clearly.

1) Lab report case study template

Ever feel like your research gets lost in a world of endless numbers and jargon? Lab case studies are your way out!

Think of it as building a bridge between your cool experiment and everyone else. It’s more than just reporting results – it’s explaining the “why” and “how” in a way that grabs attention and makes sense.

This lap report template acts as a blueprint for your report, guiding you through each essential section (introduction, methods, results, etc.) in a logical order.

College Lab Report Template - Introduction

2) Product case study template

It’s time you ditch those boring slideshows and bullet points because I’ve got a better way to win over clients: product case study templates.

Instead of just listing features and benefits, you get to create a clear and concise story that shows potential clients exactly what your product can do for them. It’s like painting a picture they can easily visualize, helping them understand the value your product brings to the table.

Grab the template below, fill in the details, and watch as your product’s impact comes to life!

presentation business case

3) Content marketing case study template

In digital marketing, showcasing your accomplishments is as vital as achieving them. 

A well-crafted case study not only acts as a testament to your successes but can also serve as an instructional tool for others. 

With this coral content marketing case study template—a perfect blend of vibrant design and structured documentation, you can narrate your marketing triumphs effectively.

presentation business case

4) Case study psychology template

Understanding how people tick is one of psychology’s biggest quests and case studies are like magnifying glasses for the mind. They offer in-depth looks at real-life behaviors, emotions and thought processes, revealing fascinating insights into what makes us human.

Writing a top-notch case study, though, can be a challenge. It requires careful organization, clear presentation and meticulous attention to detail. That’s where a good case study psychology template comes in handy.

Think of it as a helpful guide, taking care of formatting and structure while you focus on the juicy content. No more wrestling with layouts or margins – just pour your research magic into crafting a compelling narrative.

presentation business case

5) Lead generation case study template

Lead generation can be a real head-scratcher. But here’s a little help: a lead generation case study.

Think of it like a friendly handshake and a confident resume all rolled into one. It’s your chance to showcase your expertise, share real-world successes and offer valuable insights. Potential clients get to see your track record, understand your approach and decide if you’re the right fit.

No need to start from scratch, though. This lead generation case study template guides you step-by-step through crafting a clear, compelling narrative that highlights your wins and offers actionable tips for others. Fill in the gaps with your specific data and strategies, and voilà! You’ve got a powerful tool to attract new customers.

Modern Lead Generation Business Case Study Presentation Template

Related: 15+ Professional Case Study Examples [Design Tips + Templates]

So, you’ve spent hours crafting the perfect case study and are now tasked with presenting it. Crafting the case study is only half the battle; delivering it effectively is equally important. 

Whether you’re facing a room of executives, academics or potential clients, how you present your findings can make a significant difference in how your work is received. 

Forget boring reports and snooze-inducing presentations! Let’s make your case study sing. Here are some key pointers to turn information into an engaging and persuasive performance:

  • Know your audience : Tailor your presentation to the knowledge level and interests of your audience. Remember to use language and examples that resonate with them.
  • Rehearse : Rehearsing your case study presentation is the key to a smooth delivery and for ensuring that you stay within the allotted time. Practice helps you fine-tune your pacing, hone your speaking skills with good word pronunciations and become comfortable with the material, leading to a more confident, conversational and effective presentation.
  • Start strong : Open with a compelling introduction that grabs your audience’s attention. You might want to use an interesting statistic, a provocative question or a brief story that sets the stage for your case study.
  • Be clear and concise : Avoid jargon and overly complex sentences. Get to the point quickly and stay focused on your objectives.
  • Use visual aids : Incorporate slides with graphics, charts or videos to supplement your verbal presentation. Make sure they are easy to read and understand.
  • Tell a story : Use storytelling techniques to make the case study more engaging. A well-told narrative can help you make complex data more relatable and easier to digest.

presentation business case

Ditching the dry reports and slide decks? Venngage’s case study templates let you wow customers with your solutions and gain insights to improve your business plan. Pre-built templates, visual magic and customer captivation – all just a click away. Go tell your story and watch them say “wow!”

Crafting and presenting a case study is a skillful task that requires careful planning and execution. While a well-prepared case study can be a powerful tool for showcasing your successes, educating your audience or encouraging discussion, there are several pitfalls you should avoid to make your presentation as effective as possible. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

Overloading with information

A case study is not an encyclopedia. Overloading your presentation with excessive data, text or jargon can make it cumbersome and difficult for the audience to digest the key points. Stick to what’s essential and impactful.

Lack of structure

Jumping haphazardly between points or topics can confuse your audience. A well-structured presentation, with a logical flow from introduction to conclusion, is crucial for effective communication.

Ignoring the audience

Different audiences have different needs and levels of understanding. Failing to adapt your presentation to your audience can result in a disconnect and a less impactful presentation.

Poor visual elements

While content is king, poor design or lack of visual elements can make your case study dull or hard to follow. Make sure you use high-quality images, graphs and other visual aids to support your narrative.

Not focusing on results

A case study aims to showcase a problem and its solution, but what most people care about are the results. Failing to highlight or adequately explain the outcomes can make your presentation fall flat.

How to start a case study presentation?

Starting a case study presentation effectively involves a few key steps:

  • Grab attention : Open with a hook—an intriguing statistic, a provocative question or a compelling visual—to engage your audience from the get-go.
  • Set the stage : Briefly introduce the subject, context and relevance of the case study to give your audience an idea of what to expect.
  • Outline objectives : Clearly state what the case study aims to achieve. Are you solving a problem, proving a point or showcasing a success?
  • Agenda : Give a quick outline of the key sections or topics you’ll cover to help the audience follow along.
  • Set expectations : Let your audience know what you want them to take away from the presentation, whether it’s knowledge, inspiration or a call to action.

How to present a case study on PowerPoint and on Google Slides?

Presenting a case study on PowerPoint and Google Slides involves a structured approach for clarity and impact using presentation slides:

  • Title slide : Start with a title slide that includes the name of the case study, your name and any relevant institutional affiliations.
  • Introduction : Follow with a slide that outlines the problem or situation your case study addresses. Include a hook to engage the audience.
  • Objectives : Clearly state the goals of the case study in a dedicated slide.
  • Findings : Use charts, graphs and bullet points to present your findings succinctly.
  • Analysis : Discuss what the findings mean, drawing on supporting data or secondary research as necessary.
  • Conclusion : Summarize key takeaways and results.
  • Q&A : End with a slide inviting questions from the audience.

What’s the role of analysis in a case study presentation?

The role of analysis in a case study presentation is to interpret the data and findings, providing context and meaning to them. 

It helps your audience understand the implications of the case study, connects the dots between the problem and the solution and may offer recommendations for future action.

Is it important to include real data and results in the presentation?

Yes, including real data and results in a case study presentation is crucial to show experience,  credibility and impact. Authentic data lends weight to your findings and conclusions, enabling the audience to trust your analysis and take your recommendations more seriously

How do I conclude a case study presentation effectively?

To conclude a case study presentation effectively, summarize the key findings, insights and recommendations in a clear and concise manner. 

End with a strong call-to-action or a thought-provoking question to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

What’s the best way to showcase data in a case study presentation ?

The best way to showcase data in a case study presentation is through visual aids like charts, graphs and infographics which make complex information easily digestible, engaging and creative. 

Don’t just report results, visualize them! This template for example lets you transform your social media case study into a captivating infographic that sparks conversation.

presentation business case

Choose the type of visual that best represents the data you’re showing; for example, use bar charts for comparisons or pie charts for parts of a whole. 

Ensure that the visuals are high-quality and clearly labeled, so the audience can quickly grasp the key points. 

Keep the design consistent and simple, avoiding clutter or overly complex visuals that could distract from the message.

Choose a template that perfectly suits your case study where you can utilize different visual aids for maximum impact. 

Need more inspiration on how to turn numbers into impact with the help of infographics? Our ready-to-use infographic templates take the guesswork out of creating visual impact for your case studies with just a few clicks.

Related: 10+ Case Study Infographic Templates That Convert

Congrats on mastering the art of compelling case study presentations! This guide has equipped you with all the essentials, from structure and nuances to avoiding common pitfalls. You’re ready to impress any audience, whether in the boardroom, the classroom or beyond.

And remember, you’re not alone in this journey. Venngage’s Case Study Creator is your trusty companion, ready to elevate your presentations from ordinary to extraordinary. So, let your confidence shine, leverage your newly acquired skills and prepare to deliver presentations that truly resonate.

Go forth and make a lasting impact!

presentation business case

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Business case presentation: how to prepare, write, and present

  • Business Slides

Business case presentation: how to prepare, write, and present

A compelling business case and its high-quality presentation are the primary keys to the problem transformation and success. Most organizations fail to address both the critical success factor and business case presentation that can display benefits, reveal costs, and attract investments of key stakeholders, decision-makers, and funders. Addressing PowerPoint presentation services is the best way to make sure you are prepared well, but you can always start doing it on your own with our tips from the article below.

Let’s review what business case PPT should include and how to improve it to gain the expected effect and financial result.

business case presentation

What is a Business Case?

Initially, the business case is a short document or presentation that justifies a specific project and required investments. It describes why your organization should invest in some initiative or tells your audience (senior management, project sponsor) why they need to do so. The purpose of the business case is to convince people that the challenge or opportunity your organization is facing is significant enough to tackle and worth implementing the solution and taking advantage.

Any business case consists of:

  • Benefits: revenue potential, operational improvements, cost avoidance, risk reduction.
  • Costs: current state, future state, cost buildup, external vendors.

Indeed, no management would approve solutions that give no profitability. That is why business analysts exist. And that is why a PowerPoint business case is required to outline and deliver your message clearly while attractively.

What Is a Business Case Presentation?

Most companies mistake seeing the business case presentation as a nice nuance to have in stock. However, there’s a complete lack of direction, vision, and governance without a solid business case PowerPoint that depicts numbers, main statements, and all necessary context.

It also helps manage and assess the viability of the proposed solution.

To prepare for the presentation, make sure you’ve completed these steps:

  • Investigate and analyze the market and competitors.
  • Compare and conclude methods.
  • Gather data.
  • Elaborate on strategies, purposes, and alternatives.
  • Prepare text document.

Never start doing the presentation when the text is not ready. Words are easy to rewrite but replacing charts every time one number changes takes too much time.

Business Case Presentation Structure

A business case presentation aims to present and demonstrate some problem analysis and proposed solutions. To make your thinking process clear for your audience, make sure you follow this body structure and include these elements in your business case slides:

1. Problem Statement

Give a brief description of your problem, its importance, and its urgency. You can also include background and what contributed to the problem’s occurrence.

2. Gap Analysis

This slide, or better, a set of 2-3 slides, has to show the difference between your current business situation and your desired achievements in the future. A thorough analysis must include shortcomings and steps to be taken to achieve the necessary results.

3. Action Plan

The slides of this section have to display a detailed list of steps to be taken to incorporate the proposed solution to your specific business case. We advise adding no more than 3 steps per slide, or you can add one step per slide with, e.g., some relevant infographics.

4. Costs and Benefits

If you know how, estimate and calculate the size of investment required, and do not forget about extra checks that will always appear from nowhere. Address intangible benefits, higher morale, etc. Use pies, lines, and charts.

Develop a plan or at least punctual actions to mitigate risks or omit them at all if possible.

6. Organizational Impact

It can be both negative and positive. Do not hide any 🙂

7. Comparison of Alternatives

Here, add an overview of different solutions related to your case. Comparison in charts or tables will help better visualize differences in time and resources needed to gain every solution.

business case presentation ppt

How to Make a Business Case Presentation More Engaging?

You can benefit greatly from attractive slides that keep the audience’s attention and still deliver information effectively. Here are design tips for your business case presentation PPT:

  • Use visual metaphors to communicate your message faster and clearer.
  • Use icons, background images, and diagrams to visualize data.
  • Don’t use stock templates, and order pitch deck slides from an agency if possible.
  • Limit the volume of text per slide to no more than 6 lines.
  • Use fonts that can be seen in the last rows.
  • Use only background images that contrast with the text.

You will more likely have a long business speech with terms and statistics, so make sure your audience doesn’t sleep when you finally present solutions and plan to fulfill them.

Consider the business case PowerPoint presentation as the opportunity to bundle your project idea to demonstrate what it means, what it requires, and what benefits it offers. As we’ve defined, it is an extended piece that should include your strategies, goals, and ways and terms to achieve them. In other words, it is your business proposal that can be depicted attractively with the power of PowerPoint. Infographics, animation, and other special effects and tools can make your slides more engaging and understandable to your specific audience.

If you struggle with the design of your business case, make sure you contact us and get a free consultation on how your material can be improved.

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  • Presenting techniques
  • 50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]
  • Keynote VS PowerPoint
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  • The beginner’s guide to writing an effe ...

The beginner’s guide to writing an effective business case

Julia Martins contributor headshot

Nearly every project needs to be approved—whether that means getting the simple go-ahead from your team or gaining the support of an executive stakeholder. You may be familiar with using a project plan or project charter to propose a new initiative and get the green light for a project. But if your proposed project represents a significant business investment, you may need to build a business case.

If you’ve never written a business case, we’re here to help. With a few resources and a little planning, you can write a business case that will help you get the resources and support you need to manage a successful project.

What is a business case?

A business case is a document that explains the value or benefits your company will gain if you pursue a significant business investment or initiative. This initiative can be anything from the messaging for a new product or feature launch, a proposal to increase spend on a current initiative, or a significant investment with a new agency or contractor—to name a few. A compelling business case will outline the expected benefits of this significant investment decision. Key stakeholders will use the business case you provide to determine whether or not to move forward with an initiative.

If you’ve never created a business case, it may sound similar to other early project planning documentation. Here’s how it stacks up:

The difference between a business case and business plan

A  business case  is a proposal for a new strategy or large initiative. It should outline the business needs and benefits your company will receive from pursuing this opportunity.

A  business plan , on the other hand, is an outline for a totally new business. Typically, you’d draft a business plan to map out your business strategy, your mission and vision statements, and how you’re planning on getting there. There may be a case where you create a business plan for an already-existing business, but you’d only do so if you’re trying to take your business in a significantly new direction.

Business case vs. executive summary

Business case vs. project charter.

If you need to create an elevator pitch for your project but you don’t quite need the full business case treatment, you might need a project charter. Much like a business case, a project charter outlines key details of an initiative. Specifically, a project charter will cover three main elements of your project: project objectives, project scope, and key project stakeholders. Your management team will then use the project charter to approve further project development.

Do you need a business case?

Not every project needs a business case—or even a project charter. Plan to build a business case only for initiatives or investments that will require significant business resources. If you’re working on a smaller initiative, consider creating a project charter to pitch your project idea to relevant stakeholders.

Even if you don’t need to pitch your project to any stakeholders, you should be ready to answer basic questions about your proposed project, like:

What is this project’s purpose?

Why are we working on this project?

How does this project connect to organizational goals and objectives?

Which metrics will we use to measure the success of the project ?

Who is working on this project?

When is this project going to be completed?

5 steps for creating and pitching a business case

Your business case shouldn’t just include key facts and figures—it should also tell a story of why pursuing a particular investment or initiative is a good idea for your business. When in doubt, avoid jargon and be brief—but always focus on communicating the value of the project. If this is your first time creating a business case, don’t worry. Follow these five steps to create a solid one.

1. Gather input

You don’t have to write a business case on your own. Instead, make sure appropriate team members and stakeholders are contributing to the relevant sections. For example, the IT team should be involved in any tooling and timeline decisions, while the finance team should review any budget and risk management sections. If you’re creating a business case to propose a new initiative, product line, or customer persona, make sure you also consult subject matter experts.

2. Plan to write your business case out of order

Some of the first things that appear in your business case—like your executive summary—should actually be drafted last, when you have all of the resources and information to make an informed suggestion. Your executive summary will present all of your findings and make a recommendation for the business based on a variety of factors. By gathering all of those details first—like project purpose, financial information, and project risk—you can ensure your executive summary has all of the relevant information.

3. Build your business case incrementally

A business case describes a significant investment for your company. Similarly, simply writing a business case is a significant investment of your time. Not every initiative is right for your business—so make sure you’re checking your work with stakeholders as you go. You don’t want to sink hours and weeks into this document only for it to be rejected by executive stakeholders right off the bat.

Consider doing a “soft launch” with an outline of your business case to your project sponsor or an executive stakeholder you have a good relationship with to confirm this initiative is something you should pursue. Then, as you build the different sections of your business case, check back in with your key stakeholders to confirm there are no deal-breakers.

4. Refine the document

As you create sections of your business case, you may need to go back and refine other sections. For example, once you’ve finished doing a cost-benefit analysis with your financial team, make sure you update any budget-related project risks.

Before presenting your business case, do a final read through with key stakeholders to look for any sections that can be further refined. At this stage, you’ll also want to write the executive summary that goes at the top of the document. Depending on the length of your business case, your executive summary should be one to two pages long.

5. Present the business case

The final step is to actually present your business case. Start with a quick elevator pitch that answers the what, why, and how of your proposal. Think of this presentation as your chance to explain the current business need, how your proposal addresses the need, and what the business benefits are. Make sure to address any risks or concerns you think your audience would have.

Don’t go through your business case page by page. Instead, share the document with stakeholders before the presentation so they have a chance to read through it ahead of time. Then, after your presentation, share the document again so stakeholders can dig into details.

A business case checklist

Start with the why.

The first section of the business case is your chance to make a compelling argument about the new project. Make sure you draft an argument that appeals to your audience’s interests and needs. Despite being the first section in your business case, this should be the last section you write. In addition to including the  traditional elements of an executive summary , make sure you answer:

What business problem is your project solving?  This is your chance to explain why your project is important and why executive stakeholders should consider pursuing this opportunity.

What is your business objective ?  What happens at the end of a successful project? How will you measure success—and what does a successful project mean for your business?

How does this business case fit into your overall company business strategy plan?  Make sure your proposed business case is connected to important  company goals . The initiative proposed in your business case should move the needle towards your company's  vision statement .

Outline financials and the return on investment

At this point in your business case, you should outline the project finance fundamentals. Don’t expect to create this section on your own—you should draft this in partnership with your company’s finance team. In particular, this section should answer:

How much will this project cost?  Even if the initiative is completely new to your company, do some research to estimate the project costs.

What does each individual component of the project cost?  In addition to estimating the total overall cost, break down the different project costs. For example, you might have project costs for new tools and resources, competitive intelligence resourcing, agency costs, etc.

What is the expected return on investment (ROI)?  You’ve talked about the costs—now talk about how your company will benefit from this initiative. Make sure to explain how you calculated the ROI, too.

How will this project impact cash flow?  Cash flow is the amount of money being transferred into and out of your business. Significant investments are going to cost a lot of money, so they’ll negatively impact cash flow—but you should also expect a high ROI, which will positively impact cash flow.

What is the sensitivity analysis?  Sensitivity analysis is a summary of how uncertain your numbers are. There will be a variety of variables that impact your business case. Make sure to explain what those variables are, and how that could impact your projections.

Preview project details

Your business case is proposing a new initiative. In addition to the financial risks, take some time to preview project details. For example, your business case should include:

Your  project objectives  and  key project deliverables .  What will happen at the end of the project? What are you expecting to create or deliver once the project is over?

Your  project plan .  A project plan is a blueprint of the key elements your team needs to accomplish in order to successfully achieve your project goals.

The  project scope .  What are the boundaries of your project? What exact goals, deliverables, and deadlines will you be working towards?

A list of relevant  project stakeholders .  Who are the important project stakeholders and key decision makers for this work? This can include the members of the project team that would be working on this initiative, executive stakeholders who would sponsor the project, and any external stakeholders who might be involved.

A general  project roadmap  in a Gantt-chart like view.  At this stage in the process, you don’t need to provide a detailed project timeline, but you should outline a general sense of when each project stage will happen in relation to the others. To do this, create a project roadmap in  Gantt-chart like software . Make sure to include any important  project milestones  in your roadmap as well.

Any important project dependencies.  Is there anything that would get in the way of this project getting started? Does this work rely on any other work that’s currently in flight?

Discuss project risks

Once you’ve outlined the financial impact and important project details, make sure you include any potential project risks. If you haven’t already, create a  project risk management plan  for your business case. Project risk management isn’t the process of eliminating risk—instead, it’s about identifying, analyzing, and proactively responding to any potential project risks. Clearly defining each project risk and how that risk might impact your project can best equip you and the project team to manage and avoid those risks.

In the risk section of your business case, include:

A risk analysis of any potential project risks.  What is the risk? How likely is it to happen? What is the priority level of this risk?

What, if any, assumptions you are making.  In project risk management, assumptions are anything you think will be true about the project, without those details being guaranteed facts. Basing project decisions around an assumption can open your project up to risk. Make sure you ratify every project assumption to avoid jeopardizing project success.

Any comparable alternatives in the market.  If you’re writing a business case to pitch a new product or angle in the market, evaluate anything that already exists. Could the alternative impact your financial assessment or project success?

Develop an action plan

In the final section of your business case, outline how you will turn this business case into an actionable project. This section should answer questions like:

How will decisions be made?  Who is responsible for the project? Who is the project sponsor? If you haven’t already, consider creating a  RACI chart  to outline project responsibilities.

How will progress be measured and reported?  Not every project stakeholder needs to be notified of every project change. Outline key parts of your project communication plan , as well as how you’ll communicate  project status updates .

What is the next course of action?  If the management team ratifies this business case, what next steps will you take to put this into action?

Bring your business case to life

You’ve built a solid business case and it’s been ratified—congratulations! The next step is to bring your business case to life. It can be intimidating to  initiate large-scale change , and implementing your business case is no exception.

If you haven’t already, make sure you have a  project management tool  in place to manage and organize your new initiative. With a central source of truth to track who’s doing what by when, share status updates, and keep project stakeholders in the loop, you can turn a great business case into a successful project.

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How to Write a Business Case (Template Included)

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Table of Contents

What is a business case, how to write a business case, business case template, watch our business case training video, key elements of a business case, how projectmanager helps with your business case.

A business case is a project management document that explains how the benefits of a project overweigh its costs and why it should be executed. Business cases are prepared during the project initiation phase and their purpose is to include all the project’s objectives, costs and benefits to convince stakeholders of its value.

A business case is an important project document to prove to your client, customer or stakeholder that the project proposal you’re pitching is a sound investment. Below, we illustrate the steps to writing one that will sway them.

The need for a business case is that it collects the financial appraisal, proposal, strategy and marketing plan in one document and offers a full look at how the project will benefit the organization. Once your business case is approved by the project stakeholders, you can begin the project planning phase.

Projects fail without having a solid business case to rest on, as this project document is the base for the project charter and project plan. But if a project business case is not anchored to reality, and doesn’t address a need that aligns with the larger business objectives of the organization, then it is irrelevant.

presentation business case

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Use this free Business Case Template for Word to manage your projects better.

The research you’ll need to create a strong business case is the why, what, how and who of your project. This must be clearly communicated. The elements of your business case will address the why but in greater detail. Think of the business case as a document that is created during the project initiation phase but will be used as a reference throughout the project life cycle.

Whether you’re starting a new project or mid-way through one, take time to write up a business case to justify the project expenditure by identifying the business benefits your project will deliver and that your stakeholders are most interested in reaping from the work. The following four steps will show you how to write a business case.

Step 1: Identify the Business Problem

Projects aren’t created for projects’ sake. They should always be aligned with business goals . Usually, they’re initiated to solve a specific business problem or create a business opportunity.

You should “Lead with the need.” Your first job is to figure out what that problem or opportunity is, describe it, find out where it comes from and then address the time frame needed to deal with it.

This can be a simple statement but is best articulated with some research into the economic climate and the competitive landscape to justify the timing of the project.

Step 2: Identify the Alternative Solutions

How do you know whether the project you’re undertaking is the best possible solution to the problem defined above? Naturally, prioritizing projects is hard, and the path to success is not paved with unfounded assumptions.

One way to narrow down the focus to make the right solution clear is to follow these six steps (after the relevant research, of course):

  • Note the alternative solutions.
  • For each solution, quantify its benefits.
  • Also, forecast the costs involved in each solution.
  • Then figure out its feasibility .
  • Discern the risks and issues associated with each solution.
  • Finally, document all this in your business case.

Step 3: Recommend a Preferred Solution

You’ll next need to rank the solutions, but before doing that it’s best to set up criteria, maybe have a scoring mechanism such as a decision matrix to help you prioritize the solutions to best choose the right one.

Some methodologies you can apply include:

  • Depending on the solution’s cost and benefit , give it a score of 1-10.
  • Base your score on what’s important to you.
  • Add more complexity to your ranking to cover all bases.

Regardless of your approach, once you’ve added up your numbers, the best solution to your problem will become evident. Again, you’ll want to have this process also documented in your business case.

Step 4: Describe the Implementation Approach

So, you’ve identified your business problem or opportunity and how to reach it, now you have to convince your stakeholders that you’re right and have the best way to implement a process to achieve your goals. That’s why documentation is so important; it offers a practical path to solve the core problem you identified.

Now, it’s not just an exercise to appease senior leadership. Who knows what you might uncover in the research you put into exploring the underlying problem and determining alternative solutions? You might save the organization millions with an alternate solution than the one initially proposed. When you put in the work on a strong business case, you’re able to get your sponsors or organizational leadership on board with you and have a clear vision as to how to ensure the delivery of the business benefits they expect.

Our business case template for Word is the perfect tool to start writing a business case. It has 9 key business case areas you can customize as needed. Download the template for free and follow the steps below to create a great business case for all your projects.

Free Business Case Template for Word

One of the key steps to starting a business case is to have a business case checklist. The following is a detailed outline to follow when developing your business case. You can choose which of these elements are the most relevant to your project stakeholders and add them to our business case template. Then once your business case is approved, start managing your projects with a robust project management software such as ProjectManager.

1. Executive Summary

The executive summary is a short version of each section of your business case. It’s used to give stakeholders a quick overview of your project.

2. Project Definition

This section is meant to provide general information about your projects, such as the business objectives that will be achieved and the project plan outline.

3. Vision, Goals and Objectives

First, you have to figure out what you’re trying to do and what is the problem you want to solve. You’ll need to define your project vision, goals and objectives. This will help you shape your project scope and identify project deliverables.

4. Project Scope

The project scope determines all the tasks and deliverables that will be executed in your project to reach your business objectives.

5. Background Information

Here you can provide a context for your project, explaining the problem that it’s meant to solve, and how it aligns with your organization’s vision and strategic plan.

6. Success Criteria and Stakeholder Requirements

Depending on what kind of project you’re working on, the quality requirements will differ, but they are critical to the project’s success. Collect all of them, figure out what determines if you’ve successfully met them and report on the results .

7. Project Plan

It’s time to create the project plan. Figure out the tasks you’ll have to take to get the project done. You can use a work breakdown structure template  to make sure you are through. Once you have all the tasks collected, estimate how long it will take to complete each one.

Project management software makes creating a project plan significantly easier. ProjectManager can upload your work breakdown structure template and all your tasks are populated in our tool. You can organize them according to your production cycle with our kanban board view, or use our Gantt chart view to create a project schedule.

kanban card moving into next column on the board

8. Project Budget

Your budget is an estimate of everything in your project plan and what it will cost to complete the project over the scheduled time allotted.

9. Project Schedule

Make a timeline for the project by estimating how long it will take to get each task completed. For a more impactful project schedule , use a tool to make a Gantt chart, and print it out. This will provide that extra flourish of data visualization and skill that Excel sheets lack.

10. Project Governance

Project governance refers to all the project management rules and procedures that apply to your project. For example, it defines the roles and responsibilities of the project team members and the framework for decision-making.

11. Communication Plan

Have milestones for check-ins and status updates, as well as determine how stakeholders will stay aware of the progress over the project life cycle.

12. Progress Reports

Have a plan in place to monitor and track your progress during the project to compare planned to actual progress. There are project tracking tools that can help you monitor progress and performance.

Again, using a project management tool improves your ability to see what’s happening in your project. ProjectManager has tracking tools like dashboards and status reports that give you a high-level view and more detail, respectively. Unlike light-weight apps that make you set up a dashboard, ours is embedded in the tool. Better still, our cloud-based software gives you real-time data for more insightful decision-making. Also, get reports on more than just status updates, but timesheets, workload, portfolio status and much more, all with just one click. Then filter the reports and share them with stakeholders to keep them updated.

ProjectManager’s dashboard view, which shows six key metrics on a project

13. Financial Appraisal

This is a very important section of your business case because this is where you explain how the financial benefits outweigh the project costs . Compare the financial costs and benefits of your project. You can do this by doing a sensitivity analysis and a cost-benefit analysis.

14. Market Assessment

Research your market, competitors and industry, to find opportunities and threats

15. Competitor Analysis

Identify direct and indirect competitors and do an assessment of their products, strengths, competitive advantages and their business strategy.

16. SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis helps you identify your organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths and weaknesses are internal, while the opportunities and threats are external.

17. Marketing Strategy

Describe your product, distribution channels, pricing, target customers among other aspects of your marketing plan or strategy.

18. Risk Assessment

There are many risk categories that can impact your project. The first step to mitigating them is to identify and analyze the risks associated with your project activities.

ProjectManager , an award-winning project management software, can collect and assemble all the various data you’ll be collecting, and then easily share it both with your team and project sponsors.

Once you have a spreadsheet with all your tasks listed, you can import it into our software. Then it’s instantly populated into a Gantt chart . Simply set the duration for each of the tasks, add any dependencies, and your project is now spread across a timeline. You can set milestones, but there is so much more you can do.

Gantt chart from ProjectManager

You have a project plan now, and from the online Gantt chart, you can assign team members to tasks. Then they can comment directly on the tasks they’re working on, adding as many documents and images as needed, fostering a collaborative environment. You can track their progress and change task durations as needed by dragging and dropping the start and end dates.

But that’s only a taste of what ProjectManager offers. We have kanban boards that visualize your workflow and a real-time dashboard that tracks six project metrics for the most accurate view of your project possible.

Try ProjectManager and see for yourself with this 30-day free trial .

If you want more business case advice, take a moment to watch Jennifer Bridges, PMP, in this short training video. She explains the steps you have to take in order to write a good business case.

Here’s a screenshot for your reference.

how writing a business case for your project is good business strategy

Transcription:

Today we’re talking about how to write a business case. Well, over the past few years, we’ve seen the market, or maybe organizations, companies or even projects, move away from doing business cases. But, these days, companies, organizations, and those same projects are scrutinizing the investments and they’re really seeking a rate of return.

So now, think of the business case as your opportunity to package your project, your idea, your opportunity, and show what it means and what the benefits are and how other people can benefit.

We want to take a look today to see what’s in the business case and how to write one. I want to be clear that when you look for information on a business case, it’s not a briefcase.

Someone called the other day and they were confused because they were looking for something, and they kept pulling up briefcases. That’s not what we’re talking about today. What we’re talking about are business cases, and they include information about your strategies, about your goals. It is your business proposal. It has your business outline, your business strategy, and even your marketing plan.

Why Do You Need a Business Case?

And so, why is that so important today? Again, companies are seeking not only their project managers but their team members to have a better understanding of business and more of an idea business acumen. So this business case provides the justification for the proposed business change or plan. It outlines the allocation of capital that you may be seeking and the resources required to implement it. Then, it can be an action plan . It may just serve as a unified vision. And then it also provides the decision-makers with different options.

So let’s look more at the steps required to put these business cases together. There are four main steps. One, you want to research your market. Really look at what’s out there, where are the needs, where are the gaps that you can serve? Look at your competition. How are they approaching this, and how can you maybe provide some other alternatives?

You want to compare and finalize different approaches that you can use to go to market. Then you compile that data and you present strategies, your goals and other options to be considered.

And then you literally document it.

So what does the document look like? Well, there are templates out there today. The components vary, but these are the common ones. And then these are what I consider essential. So there’s the executive summary. This is just a summary of your company, what your management team may look like, a summary of your product and service and your market.

The business description gives a little bit more history about your company and the mission statement and really what your company is about and how this product or service fits in.

Then, you outline the details of the product or service that you’re looking to either expand or roll out or implement. You may even include in their patents may be that you have pending or other trademarks.

Then, you want to identify and lay out your marketing strategy. Like, how are you gonna take this to your customers? Are you going to have a brick-and-mortar store? Are you gonna do this online? And, what are your plans to take it to market?

You also want to include detailed information about your competitor analysis. How are they doing things? And, how are you planning on, I guess, beating your competition?

You also want to look at and identify your SWOT. And the SWOT is your strength. What are the strengths that you have in going to market? And where are the weaknesses? Maybe some of your gaps. And further, where are your opportunities and maybe threats that you need to plan for? Then the overview of the operation includes operational information like your production, even human resources, information about the day-to-day operations of your company.

And then, your financial plan includes your profit statement, your profit and loss, any of your financials, any collateral that you may have, and any kind of investments that you may be seeking.

So these are the components of your business case. This is why it’s so important. And if you need a tool that can help you manage and track this process, then sign up for our software now at ProjectManager .

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Business case presentation: A comprehensive guide

Master business case presentations with this guide: audience, argument, and delivery.

Raja Bothra

Building presentations

Team discussing on business case presentation

Hey there, fellow business enthusiasts!

If you're reading this, you're probably no stranger to the term "business case." In fact, you might be here because you're keen to unravel the art of crafting an impressive business case presentation. Well, you're in the right place!

In this comprehensive guide, we're diving deep into the world of business cases, exploring why they're crucial, when to create one, and how to structure an effective business case presentation. Plus, we'll sprinkle in some do's and don'ts to ensure your presentation shines.

So, buckle up, because by the end of this journey, you'll be equipped with the skills to create a business case presentation that wows your stakeholders, just like a pro. Ready? Let's dive in!

What is a business case?

First things first, let's clarify what exactly we mean by a business case. It's more than just a buzzword; it's a powerful tool that helps organizations make informed decisions.

At its core, a business case is a document that outlines the rationale for initiating a project or making a significant business-related decision. It's like the blueprint for your business move, offering a structured way to assess the potential risks, benefits, and costs involved.

But here's the kicker: A well-crafted business case isn't just about numbers and graphs; it's a persuasive narrative that tells a compelling story about why your idea is worth pursuing. It's your secret weapon to gain buy-in from key decision-makers.

Why do you need a business case?

Now that you know what a business case is, you might be wondering why you need one. Well, here's the deal:

Clarity and focus : A business case forces you to articulate your idea clearly and concisely. It's like putting your thoughts through a refining process, leaving you with a crystal-clear vision.

Risk mitigation : Projects or decisions without a solid business case are like ships without navigation. It helps you identify potential pitfalls and navigate around them.

Resource allocation : Limited resources demand wise allocation. A business case helps you justify why your project deserves those resources.

Stakeholder buy-in : Ever tried convincing your team or investors without data? A business case equips you with the data-driven argument you need to win them over.

When should you create a business case presentation?

Alright, you're convinced of the importance of a business case. But when should you whip out your presentation skills? Here are some scenarios:

  • Launching a new product or service : When introducing something new, a solid business case can prove it's worth the investment.
  • Changing business processes : If you're considering a major shift in operations, a business case will help assess the pros and cons.
  • Resource allocation : Whenever you're requesting significant resources, whether it's money, time, or manpower, a business case is a must.
  • Problem solving : When your business encounters a challenge, a business case can outline the best course of action.

How to structure an effective business case presentation

Creating a business case presentation can be a daunting task, but fear not, we're breaking it down into manageable chunks. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Executive summary : Begin with an attention-grabbing summary. In just a few slides, give an overview of what your business case entails.

Problem statement : Clearly define the problem your business case addresses. Use real-world data to illustrate its significance.

Business objectives : Lay out your objectives and what you aim to achieve with this project.

Project plan : Detail the plan of action, including timelines, milestones, and resources required.

Key stakeholders : Identify the key players involved and their roles in the project.

Facts and figures : Support your case with concrete data. This is where those business case studies come in handy.

Solutions to the problem : Present your proposed solutions and explain why they're the best way forward.

Align with company goals : Show how your business case aligns with the broader goals of your organization.

Cost-benefit analysis : Break down the costs and potential benefits. Be transparent and realistic.

Conclusion : Summarize your business case and reiterate why it's a solid proposition.

Remember, clarity and structure are key. Use a business case presentation template to keep things organized and professional.

Do’s and don'ts on a business case presentation

Before we dive deeper, let's lay down some ground rules to ensure your business case presentation shines:

Do's :

  • Do back your arguments with data and evidence.
  • Do tailor your presentation to your audience.
  • Do rehearse your presentation for a smooth delivery.
  • Do use visuals and graphs to make your case more compelling.
  • Do stay focused and avoid unnecessary jargon.

Don'ts :

  • Don't overwhelm with too much information.
  • Don't ignore potential objections; address them head-on.
  • Don't rush through your presentation; take your time.
  • Don't rely solely on your slides; engage with your audience.
  • Don't forget to proofread and edit for clarity and coherence.

Summarizing key takeaways

By now, you've learned the essentials of crafting a persuasive business case presentation that combines data and storytelling to justify significant projects or decisions. They're crucial for clarity, risk mitigation, resource allocation, and gaining support for endeavors like product launches or process changes.

To create an effective business case presentation, follow a structured approach, including problem definition, objectives, plans, stakeholder involvement, data support, proposed solutions, alignment with company goals, and cost-benefit analysis. Remember to tailor your presentation to the audience, use visuals, and address objections while avoiding information overload and rushing through it. Proofreading ensures clarity and coherence. These steps will help you create a compelling business case presentation.

1. What are the benefits of employing a business case framework?

Utilizing a business case framework offers numerous advantages. It provides you with a solid foundation for your presentation, guaranteeing that you seamlessly address all critical elements. Moreover, it frees up valuable time, enabling you to concentrate on content rather than becoming entangled in formatting intricacies. Consider it your reliable companion for effortlessly crafting a compelling PowerPoint business case.

2. How can I write a business case that appeals to stakeholders?

To write a business case that truly resonates with stakeholders, it's vital to understand their needs and concerns. Start by identifying the key decision-makers and their expectations. Then, craft your business case in a way that addresses their concerns. Remember, it's not just about presenting facts; it's about presenting a compelling narrative that speaks to the business problem at hand.

3. Are there any tips for making an effective business case presentation?

Absolutely! When you're preparing to present your business case, consider these tips for success:

  • Keep it concise and to the point. Don't overwhelm your audience with too much information.
  • Use visuals and graphs from your powerpoint template to make complex data more accessible.
  • Practice your delivery to ensure a smooth presentation.
  • Address potential objections head-on and provide solutions.
  • Make sure your business case is in line with the broader business requirements and goals.

4. How do I create an engaging business case powerpoint presentation?

Creating an engaging business case powerpoint is an art. Start with a captivating opening that hooks your audience. Use the slides to complement your narrative, not replace it. Remember, your ppt slides are there to support your story, not overwhelm it. Keep the design clean and consistent with your business case powerpoint template.

5. Is there a recommended length for a business case presentation?

While there's no hard-and-fast rule, a complete business case presentation should be concise but thorough. Aim for clarity rather than length. However, avoid the temptation to have too many slides – nobody wants to sit through 100 slides . Focus on presenting a strong case with the most important information. Your business case should be as long as it needs to be to make a convincing argument, but no longer.

Remember, the goal of your business case presentation is to convince others of your proposal, and using a well-structured business case template and adhering to the principles of an effective presentation will significantly increase your chances of success.

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How to Write a Business Case: Examples, Templates, and Checklists

By Joe Weller | April 24, 2019 (updated February 26, 2023)

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This article presents expert tips on how to write a business case. We also provide a checklist to prepare for, write, and present a business case, along with free, easy-to-use Word and PowerPoint business case templates.

Included on this page, you'll find details on how to write a business case , sections to include in your business case , a business case checklist , and business case presentation examples .

What Is a Business Case?

A business case is a formal, structured document; an informal, short document; or a verbal exchange that defines the benefits of an initiative or project.

In addition, a business case forecasts the costs, benefits, and risks of an initiative, so decision makers — and even the project initiators — can decide whether a project is worthwhile and why to choose one approach over similar strategies.

Jim Maholic has over 20 years of experience with IT strategy and business case development, including two stints as a CIO, two management positions with the Big Four consulting firms, and leadership positions at several technology companies.

He describes a business case in this way: “A business case is the full story that explains the ROI for a capital project. It begins with a statement of a business problem, then explores how we can solve it or what the value of solving it is. For example, ‘Our revenues aren’t rising as fast as they should,’ or ‘Inventory isn't turning over as fast as it should,’ or ‘Costs are too high.’ That's where the business case starts.

Jim Maholic

“Then, we find out how big this problem is. We talk to people in the company and find out what they think the value of solving the problem is. All this information is packaged into a story that says, ‘Here's the problem. Here's the value of solving the problem. Here's what it costs in hardware, software, or whatever. Here are the benefits. And here’s the whole story.’”

Business Cases Explain Why You Should Invest

A business case explains why stakeholders should invest in a project. The purpose of a business case contrasts with that of a project proposal , which provides a high-level outline of what you want to initiate and its benefits to the company, or that of a project plan , which explains how you execute a project. You should create your business case during the earliest stages of project planning .

A business case can also become a key document for a project manager when planning, creating milestones, and evaluating progress.

Other names and uses for business cases are financial justification, cost-benefit analysis (CBA) , total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis , and return on investment (ROI) analysis . Nonprofits and government entities sometimes refer to business cases as case statements .

What Is Business Case Analysis (BCA)?

A business case analysis (BCA) looks not only at lowest costs, but also at technical value and other nonquantitative factors in what is known as a best-value analysis . The BCA addresses the triple constraints of time, money, and scope, and it can include measures such as performance, reliability, viability, and supportability.

Although business case analysis is used interchangeably with business case , some experts consider the analysis to be part of the business case as a whole.

What Is a Business Case Used For?

A business case helps a company or an organization prepare for new ventures or changes. This document is a crucial building block of project success and underpins the foundations of  senior-level involvement and strong planning. Business cases summarize the benefits of an endeavor, clarifying a project’s business value to help stakeholders make decisions.

A good business case should focus less on the technology, domain knowledge, or specific deliverables and more on the users of a product and the goals of a project. In the same vein, a project manager should focus not only on creating output, but also on delivering value. An initiative can offer many types of value, including contributing to strategic aims, increasing efficiency, and supporting compliance. Insufficient attention to the details of a business case and the accompanying research can lead to poor project results.

Business cases usually describe these items:

  • A business problem or opportunity
  • Possible solutions and their benefits and disadvantages (sometimes known as disbenefits )
  • Risks associated with the main solution
  • Implementation timeline
  • Consequences for implementing a solution and for retaining the status quo
  • Resources required for the initiative or project

Advantages of a Business Case

A business case may seem like just another document destined for the shelf or the shredder, but it can offer real advantages:

  • All stakeholders have similar expectations concerning the value and benefits of an initiative to an organization.
  • You can convert a business case into a project plan with milestones. You increase the chances of a project’s success with planning.
  • A business case becomes a gauge for determining whether an endeavor continues to offer value during execution and after a team produces a deliverable.
  • Project planners can more easily establish objectives and goals.
  • You can more easily discern success.
  • Teams apply the right resources more efficiently.

Who Prepares a Business Case?

You might think that business cases are the purview of financial officers and accountants. In fact, people who have direct knowledge of processes and teams should be responsible for creating these documents.

Some pundits say that the individual who advocates change must enact the change, so anyone in any role could assume the responsibilities for producing a business case. This includes consultants, line managers, or IT managers. In some organizations, the project sponsor or project manager may guide the preparation of the business case and include input from relevant departments and SMEs.

When Do You Need a Business Case?

It’s no longer enough to complete a project and present a deliverable. In an economy that often seems as unstable as it was in 2008, stakeholders want to see that a deliverable creates value and benefits for an organization. This is particularly true for complex projects or those that  require justification for enlisting external resources. Public sector projects frequently need business cases.

What's in a Business Case?

A business case outlines for a decision maker the benefits and business value of a proposed initiative. The term business case frequently refers to a written document that is submitted for review or presented at a meeting, but can also apply to an informal, spoken proposal.

What Should Be in a Business Case?

A well-written business case flows logically from presenting a problem or opportunity through the advantages and disadvantages of solutions to describing the recommended solution. When you require great detail, you can chunk text into sub-sections so that the content is easier to scan, as well as faster and less overwhelming to read. Following are the common sections of a business case in sequential order:

  • Executive summary
  • Problem statement
  • Analysis and financial details
  • Recommendation

Many organizations have pre-established templates for writing business cases. If your organization doesn’t, search online for free, easy-to-use business case templates for construction business cases, one-page business cases, and more. Depending on the narrative needs of the business case, it can contain many possible sections:

  • Preface: A preface may indicate the intended audience and any related documents.
  • Table of Contents: If your document is delivered as a PDF file, consider hyperlinking your table of contents to the appropriate sections.
  • What is the problem?
  • What do you believe is the value of solving the problem?
  • How much are you asking for?
  • When will we start seeing benefits?

     “I’ve had some presentations that don't get beyond that first page,” Maholic muses.

  • Description of the Product or Service: When proposing a new object or concept, detail what the deliverable is and how it works.
  • A Problem Statement or Mission Statement: By describing the problem or the mission of the organization, you can contextualize the proposed initiative.
  • Business Drivers for the Initiative: Indicate what benefits will contribute to the strategic aims of the organization.
  • Finance Section: Explain how much the project will cost and whether it is affordable. Detail the cash flow. Describe the expenses to execute (or not execute) the project in a cost comparison against forecasted benefits. Conduct a sensitivity analysis , a technique for determining how the different values of an independent variable affect a dependent variable.
  • Financial and nonfinancial benefits
  • Quality improvements
  • Cost savings through efficiencies
  • Added revenue
  • Competitiveness
  • Improved customer services
  • Options: What are the possible solutions to the problem? Usually, you narrow this list to 3 to 5 viable choices. Frequently, you include a “do nothing” option and a benchmark option. Some organizations require the do-nothing option; others require it only if the do-nothing option is a legitimate possibility. Quantify the benefits of each potential solution. Also, outline the risks, issues, and interdependencies for each solution.
  • What is required?
  • How is it done?
  • Who does what?
  • When will things happen?
  • Assessments or Analysis: Your analysis should list assumptions and consider cash flow and costs. Describe the risks of the project and the plans to deal with them. Also, discuss how you will leverage opportunities. Describe the context of your undertaking using PESTLE (political, economic, sociological, technological, legal, and environmental) analysis.
  • Project Approach: Detail the organization of the project, including governance and accountability, roles and responsibilities, and the schedule of progress reporting. Describe the purchasing strategy for completing the endeavor. Will you lease equipment? Rent office space? Hire contractors or employees?
  • Recommendation and Next Steps: Note the recommended solution and immediate required action.
  • Appendix: Add supporting documentation here, such as spreadsheets, charts, or drawings.

Considerations for Executive Presentations

The sections that comprise a business case may vary depending on your house style and the type of initiative. Jim Maholic says, “I package my business cases this way: I set up a one-hour meeting, so I have maybe 20 slides, but 10 to 15 slides are plenty. In reality, I might have 100 slides, but I add those in an appendix.” You may have credible supporting information, but you don’t want to bore your audience of decision makers by slogging through each slide.

“They might allocate an hour, but honestly, you're going to get their attention for 10 to 15 minutes, and then they'll start checking email and stuff,” Maholic adds. “You really have to be crisp in how you do this and know where you're going.

“Start with, ‘We have this problem,’ followed by, ‘Here are the people that we talked to who validated that this is a problem. They offered ideas about solving this problem, so we could see this substantial benefit,’” he notes.

“What matters in an executive meeting is that I answer the main questions: What is the problem? What is the cost of not solving it? What are the benefits of solving it? And when do we see the benefits? You may address additional questions later in the meeting or after the meeting, on an individual, offline basis,” Maholic says.

Business Case Templates

Using templates, you can more easily create business cases because you can focus on your research and fill in the blanks. The following free, downloadable templates are customizable for your organization’s needs.

Business Case Presentation Template

Business Case Presentation Template

You can lengthen this short PowerPoint presentation template to accommodate more detail. The business case presentation template includes spaces for describing the following elements: the project name, the executive summary, the project description, the financials, the recommended solution, the assumptions and dependencies, the options, and the benefits.

‌ Download Business Case Presentation Template - PowerPoint

Simple Business Case Template

Simple Business Case Template

A simple business case template serves a small project or a small organization. It can cover extensive details if necessary. It includes spaces for describing the following elements of the case: the title, the executive summary, the business objective, the target users, the financials and costs, the assumptions and dependencies, the implementation strategy, the required resources, and the project governance and reporting.

Download Simple Business Case Template

Word | PDF  | Smartsheet

Healthcare Business Case Template

Healthcare Business Case Template

A healthcare business case template helps you explain the current setup and how the proposed solution can create improvements. It provides space for a one-page executive summary, context for the problem or opportunity, a description of the current situation, an explanation of the proposed changes, and details of how the changes can affect your organization and any other entities.

Download Healthcare Business Case Template

Word | Google Docs

New Product Business Case Template

New Product Business Case Template

A new product business case template explores the business landscape for a new product or service. In addition to the meta information, such as the title, the author, and the executive summary, the template includes space to describe the current mission statement, the proposed product or service, the marketing strategy, an analysis of competitors, SWOT analysis , an overview of the implementation plan, and financial details.

Download New Product Business Case Template

Preparing to Write the Business Case

You can expedite your business process by understanding business case structure and using a template. In addition, having the correct perspective and following best practices can contribute to your success.

Why Are You Doing the Project?

Before you start researching and writing, understand why you want to initiate a project. The goal of a project is to solve problems. What is a problem? A problem prevents your organization from achieving its full potential. To begin, determine what problem the project is trying to solve.

Projects have deliverables, whether tangible or intangible. Think of an outcome as the result created by the deliverables. Benefits represent quantifiable improvements derived from an outcome. When a customer or team member can leverage these benefits, they become advantages.

Do Your Business Case Research

To start, review the mission statement(s) for the organization or the project. Identify the sources of data for your business case. One way to encourage the acceptance of your proposal is to discuss your rough estimates of the costs and resources with a project sponsor or customer before you embark on the business case. This helps you and the sponsor understand each other’s expectations and lessens the chance of sticker shock during the executive presentation. Then interview the people who conduct the day-to-day work and get their perspective on problems and possible solutions.

Do the Business Case Math

You must consider whether the returns justify the request. “If we're asking for $3 million, we've got to show that the project benefits far exceed that amount,” asserts Maholic. “With returns of $10, $15, or $20 million, you're going to get their attention. If you say the benefits are $300 million, they're going to think you've fallen off the truck somewhere, because that's not realistic. On the other hand, if you show benefits of $3.5 million for a cost of $3 million, that's probably not going to beat the projected return of any other project that comes across their desk.”

Consider Who the Business Case Is For

Whether the business case comes in document form or as a presentation, the project sponsor and key stakeholders will study it. Consider the key audience for each section of your document and write with that audience in mind.

The most convincing arguments for projects are those that your team can initiate and wrap up within six months, as well as produce considerable quantifiable results. Especially when big money is on the table, your proposal will compete with others from different departments. “No company has all the money it wants to invest in everything — it has to prioritize. The business case helps evaluate what the return will be for each of the projects that comes across the board's desk for approval,” explains Maholic.

Furthermore, a business case presents estimates. A business case should be built on sound research, but no one has a lock on certitude. “I think first-time business case writers in particular get caught up in building some great story. But seasoned executives get requests all the time, and they're not buffaloed by clever-sounding words or fancy spreadsheets,” Maholic cautions.

“Your ideas have to be rooted in something sensible, not just, ‘I bet we can raise revenues by 15 percent,’” he explains. Grand plans may be possible, but the key, according to Maholic, is to help decision makers understand how it is possible.

How Do You Write a Business Case?

When you have the main questions in mind and a sense of the required sections and format, you can begin to write. Consider limiting the number of authors to ensure an effective writing effort that’s consistent in style and voice. Then follow these tips:

  • Concisely cover the core content with enough detail, so stakeholders can make an informed decision.
  • Compare options, so decision makers understand the landscape.
  • Be clear, concise, and captivating.
  • Avoid jargon as much as possible.
  • Demonstrate the value of the project to the business by creating a credible and accurate argument.
  • Clearly describe the landscape for the initiative, including its dependencies. Enumerating these dependencies is crucial because contextual changes can alter the project parameters or eliminate the need for the project altogether.
  • Focus on the business and the business value rather than the knowledge domain covered by the intended project deliverable.

How Do You Know You Have Enough Detail?

You determine the length of your business cases according to the scope and complexity of your proposed endeavour. A complex project means a long business case; a small, short project means a short business case.

However, Maholic cautions against adding too much detail — conciseness can be a challenge. “You may take 4 to 6 weeks to create a business. You might talk to 50 or 100 people. There's this gnawing urge in some people to show everything they've collected in the executive presentation. Look how hard we worked. Look how smart I am . That's just awful.

“You have enough data and slides when you can answer those 4 or 5 basic questions. There may be 100 other slides, but those are supporting detail,” he says.

Common Mistakes in Writing Business Cases

You can strengthen your business case by avoiding common mistakes:

  • Forget What Your White Papers Say: Maholic finds that when salespeople create cases for customers, they frequently rely on the benefits outlined in a product’s white papers. He notes, “Saying your product cuts costs by Y percent is a great place to start, but it has to be balanced by what's in front of you regarding a particular customer.” He continues, “As a salesperson, you may say that your product can increase revenue by 5 percent. That may be true for past customers, but this particular customer may have three straight years of declining revenues. It's silly to say that a product is going to both arrest a decline and bump up revenue by 5 percent. You have to think things through. That’s the analysis part. You can't just mouth off.”
  • Spreadsheets Are not the Main Show: "Too often, I think, people hear business case , and they jump right to building a spreadsheet,” Maholic says. “They're eager to build the mother of all spreadsheets and show how smart they are by demonstrating the mother of all spreadsheets. While certainly spreadsheets are necessary to show the math, the spreadsheet is only a small part of the solution. Spreadsheets don't really articulate the problem or indicate who you talked to or what you analyzed to get to that solution,” he adds.
  • Arguments Do not Equal More Money: Sometimes, people believe that a strong case justifies a more generous price tag. Not so, says Maholic: “As a decision maker, having a better business case doesn't mean I'm going to roll over and say, ‘Sure, you can charge me an extra million dollars.’ A good business case means the project has the value to go forward. Now, we're going to start negotiating and I'm still going to work to get the best price I can. People who've done business cases before know that. But people who are new to them don't completely understand that.”
  • Remember That It’s About Value, Not About Toys: For startups, the coolness factor of the technology or product may carry some weight, but for most organizations, a business case must focus on the business value without getting lost in the domain knowledge and technical details. Maholic explains: “Nobody at the executive level cares what the throughput ratio is of this process or that stack. What they want to know is, ‘Do I get revenue more quickly? Do I cut costs more deeply? Tell me what the value of doing X is, and then you can go off and buy whatever toys you want to in order to do X.’”

Steps to Produce a Business Case

Your organization may have a tribal understanding of the best process for creating a business case. Some employees may advocate for following the Ds , which refer to the steps to produce a business case. The Ds can include as many as six steps, but generally focus on these four:

  • Discover your problem or opportunity.
  • Design your solutions and alternatives.
  • Develop the details that describe the pros and cons of each potential solution.
  • Deploy the business case.

Some advocates add the Define step to the beginning of the process and the Deliver step to the end. For best results, create your business case in the following order:

  • Determine your problem or opportunity.
  • Research the context for your proposal as appropriate: When developing a new product, your research may focus on the market; when acquiring new training or software, you may review current internal processes; and when making a new purchase, you may interview dozens of team members who use current tools and procedures.
  • Compare alternative approaches and recommend the most appropriate strategy.
  • Gather supporting data and evidence for the recommended approach.
  • Write the business case.
  • Write the executive summary.
  • Edit your business case draft.
  • Present your business case to either the final authority or the personnel who will be instrumental in implementing the case plan.

‌ Download Business Case Process Checklist  

The Business Case in Project Development

Contrary to what you might imagine, the business case can be a living document. Starting with the review process, stakeholders may reject, cancel, postpone, accept, or adjust the business case. To some extent, the business case becomes the guidebook for your initiative. Stakeholders and the project manager should refer to the business case throughout the lifecycle of the project to ensure that efforts (and intentions) remain on track.

What Are the Features of a Project Business Case?

A well-considered business case offers the following characteristics: an easy-to-understand description of the business value of the initiative and the immediate benefits of the project, including details of the positive impact on organizational strategy.

How Do You Analyze a Business Case?

In university-level business schools, business case studies (or case studies) function as teaching tools to help students use their analytic skills. Case studies describe a company and how it employs a solution. Following is the suggested approach for students analyzing a case:

  • Review the case in detail. Identify the key issues.
  • Determine 2 to 5 essential problems.
  • Look for solutions to those problems.
  • Describe your recommended solution.

What Is a Full Business Case?

A business case is a structured, detailed document that presents the justification for the commitment of financial and other resources to an endeavor. Business cases help you gain the support of management and other stakeholders, as well as approval for projects and programs.

What Is a Business Case in Project Management?

An approved business case can have a long life. Although the project sponsor ultimately owns the business case, it is the project manager who uses the business case as the guidebook for expectations and dependencies. In addition, the business case becomes an important document in an organization’s project portfolio management process. During this process, a company balances its resources with its strategic objectives to determine the livelihood of all the projects it undertakes.

History and Origins of Business Cases

The formal business case has its roots in 19th-century Europe, particularly with the work of French-Italian engineer-economist Jules Dupuit. His contribution included statistical tools to identify, measure, and value the benefits beyond merely determining the lowest bidder. Specifically, Dupuit is credited with inventing what he called the benefit-cost analysis . Today, professionals recognize the value of business cases outside of public works and government. Both nonprofit and for-profit organizations regularly use business cases.

Resources and Examples for Creating Your Business Case

If you’re new to business cases, you don’t have to start empty-handed. We offer resources to help you begin writing. Please see the following examples and templates:

  • Here’s an example of a business case in a classic document format . This particular business case argues against a capital investment.
  • This example presents three business cases for one higher education department . The  presentation comes in a slide format.
  • In this article, Jim Maholic offers a template for creating your business case .

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What is a business case and how to write one (with template)

presentation business case

In this guide, we’ll define what a business case is, help you determine when you need one (and when you don’t), and walk you through a four-step process for creating a business case.

What Is A Business Case And How To Write One (With Template)

We’ll also outline what you should include in a business case and provide a free template you can use when writing a business case to secure stakeholder support for your next big project.

What is a business case?

Every project needs the support and approval of key stakeholders before it can launch. Many project and product leaders use a project plan or charter to communicate pertinent details to those involved.

Similarly, for large initiatives that require significant resources, potential investors are presented a business case outlining the costs, benefits, business need, and risks involved.

A business case is a document that defines the value it will deliver if executed and benefits the company over the costs involved. With a thorough understanding of the components to be included and necessary resources, it is possible to create a compelling business plan.

Why do you need a business case?

If a project is green-lit without a business case, it can lead to serious issues down the road. A project without clearly articulated expectations and goals can go on endlessly and aimlessly. This leads to wasted resources, money, and time with no outcome in the end.

A business case enables you to:

Align with strategy

Gain stakeholder support, prioritize projects, track outcomes.

A business case helps to showcase how a project is aligned with the overall strategy and goals of the organization. It clearly defines the problem or opportunity that the project is intended to address.

A business case also enables you to determine expected benefits and outcomes before you start a project or initiatives, thus projecting how the project contribute to achieving the organization’s goals.

A business case is a useful tool to provide a clear rationale for pursuing the project. A thorough business case can help key stakeholders decide whether to invest in the project by evaluating the feasibility, costs, risks and potential returns. A business case presentation gives stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions and address concerns.

A business case defines the value that the project is expected to deliver. Based on the value delivered by each project, business and product leaders can prioritize projects for budget cuts or further investments. Proper prioritization helps the organization achieve the goals aligned with the business strategy.

A business case provides a roadmap for the project, including the goals, milestones, and key deliverables. Once the project starts, a roadmap helps you keep track of your progress toward project goals, including what has already been achieved and what will be delivered at the end. Providing a timely update on the project to the key stakeholders is critical for setting expectations.

When you don’t need a business case

A business case is certainly helpful for large initiatives requiring support from key stakeholders, but there are some situations where creating a business case might be a waste of time.

presentation business case

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presentation business case

For instance, small or low-risk projects that would not impact the organization in any negative way do not require a business case because it would not make sense to spend that much effort on a low-scale project.

A business case might also be considered superfluous for a project that is already ongoing. It can be tempting to create a business case post-launch for the sole purpose of documenting decisions made and milestones achieved. However, it’s typically not worth the time investment because such a business case rarely adds any value or insights.

Before you take on the task of creating a business case, it’s important to carefully consider the need and to ensure that doing so would produce valuable insights to the decision-making process. It is in the best interest of everyone to forgo the business case creation process in situations where it does not provide any additional value and to focus instead on other activities that directly impact the project.

Business case vs. business plan

A business plan is not the same thing as a business case.

A business case outlines a proposed project and its potential benefits to convince key stakeholders to invest. It typically includes analysis of costs, value to be delivered, and associated risks, along with ROI.

A business plan, on the other hand, outlines the overall strategy and goals for an entire organization. It defines the what, why, and who for the business, covering the products and services offered, target segment, marketing and sales strategy, and operational and financial projections over a period of time. A business plan is designed to help potential outside investors make informed decisions about whether the business is worth investing in.

The table below breaks down the differences between a business plan and a business case:

How to write a business case

Before we dive into steps to create a business case, let’s review what we’ve learned so far:

  • A business case is a document created during the initiation of the project but is referred throughout the project lifecycle
  • A strong business case helps in building confidence and gaining support of key stakeholders
  • A business case also helps you track a project’s progress over time
  • A weak business case that is not aligned with strategy can lead to project failure

To write a business case, follow this four-step process:

  • Identify the business need
  • Explore all possible solutions
  • Propose the best approach
  • Outline the implementation process

1. Identify the business need

Projects are initiated to solve a business need and achieve a value or a benefit aligned to the goals of the organization.

The first step to create a business case is to identify the business problem and define it clearly. Market research and any available data to justify the business need is helpful to include in the business case.

2. Explore all possible solutions

Once the business problem has been identified, the next step is to explore all the possible solutions for that problem. You can do this systematically by listing out all the possible solutions along with other parameters, such as:

  • The benefits of each approach
  • Feasibility
  • Time period
  • Assumptions

A detailed analysis of each option predicting the cash flows, ROI, and value delivered would help key stakeholders understand each solution and cross-question the assumptions, feasibility, and other parameters.

3. Propose the best approach

Set a criteria to showcase how you evaluate each solution and then come up with the best out of the list.

To set the criteria, identify attributes that closely align to the organization’s strategy. For example, if the organization’s goal is to increase revenue in the next year, then an important criterion might be the solution with maximum revenue projection.

List the top three-to-five attributes to evaluate alternative solutions against and rank each solution 1–5. Once you rank all of them, total the ranks for all the attributes to indicate a clear winner.

Document this process and present it to stakeholders to ensure they are on the same page with the selection process of the best solution.

4. Outline the implementation process

Once the best solution has been proposed, the next step is to think about how it will be implemented.

When it comes to planning the implementation process, you need to define:

  • Resources needed
  • Timeline from initiation till the end
  • Risks and how to mitigate
  • Milestones and when they will be achieved
  • Total cost involved and how much will be used by when

These four steps, when captured in detail, can help you win the support of key stakeholders and kick off your project with a solid foundation and a clear objective.

What is included in a business case?

Now that we’ve walked through the steps of how to create a business case, let us also take a look at what to include in the business case document to support the four steps outlined above.

Here’s what to include in a business case:

  • Executive summary — A quick overview of the project and the topics being covered in the business case
  • Business problem — A description of the business problem and why it is important to solve it
  • Possible solutions — A list of possible solutions and how the best possible solution is identified
  • Project definition — Define the business objectives to be achieved along with general information about the project
  • Project plan — Create the project plan with key elements your team needs to accomplish to successfully achieve your project goals
  • Project scope — Clearly define what would be covered as a part of the project and what is out of scope to avoid any confusion
  • Project budget — Estimated cost involved to complete the project needs to be captured with a detailed breakdown
  • Project roadmap — Projection of the estimated timeline for each stage of the project to be done. Be sure to include any important project milestones
  • Project financials — Financial metrics depicting the cash flow, such as NPV, IRR, ROI, and payback period to help stakeholders understand the financial value the project can bring in over a period of time
  • Risk assessment — Capture the risks involved and the steps planned to mitigate the risks
  • Project stakeholders — A list of key stakeholders involved can help anyone looking at the document to reach out to them when needed. The list can include the project team, sponsoring executives, and any external stakeholders who might be involved

Business case template

To help you get started writing a business case for your next big project or initiative, we created a business case template that you can download and customize for free.

Business Case Template

You can access this simple business case template by clicking here (be sure to select File > Make a copy from the main menu bar before editing the template).

Preparing the business case is only half the journey of initiating a project. The next step is to present the business plan to key stakeholders , answer their queries, and compel them to support the project.

Lastly, be sure to follow up with the attendees to make sure all the stakeholders are on the same page and aligned to support the project.

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Top 7 Business Case Presentation Templates With Samples And Examples

Top 7 Business Case Presentation Templates With Samples And Examples

Kajal Sharma

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Are you struggling to create persuasive and captivating business case presentations that leave a lasting impact on your audience? We understand the challenge you are facing – trying to strike the perfect balance between engaging content and visually appealing design.

A well-crafted presentation can be a game-changer for any business. That's why we've curated the Top 7 Business Case Presentation Templates, with Samples and Examples, exclusively designed to address the issue you're grappling with.

The best part? These templates are 100% editable and content-ready, empowering you to tailor each slide to suit your business needs and target audience. Each template includes high-quality graphics and images, enhancing the overall visual appeal.

In the fast-paced business world, time is of the essence, yet creating a compelling case presentation is critical in garnering support for your projects and ideas. Whether pitching a game-changing proposal to potential investors or seeking buy-in from stakeholders, a well-crafted presentation can make all the difference between both success as well as failure.

So, let's explore these transformative templates that will take your business case presentations to a new level. Get ready to inspire & conquer with your captivating stories – because we've got the tools to help you shine!

We're here to help! Read this blog to master crafting compelling case studies for your success.

Let's have a look!

Template 1: Ways Business Case PPT Portfolio 

This PPT Template is crafted with precision and elegance, and serves as the perfect backdrop for any subject.  With this visually appealing and professionally designed template, you'll effortlessly command attention and leave a lasting impression on your audience.  This template contains consistent formatting and design across all slides for a polished and unified presentation.

It has a responsive design optimized for different devices and screen sizes, ensuring consistent quality across platforms.  So, why wait?  Elevate your presentation game and showcase your expertise like a pro.  Let your ideas shine and mesmerize your audience with our top-tier Smartart CPB templates.

Ways Business Case Presentation

Download This Template Now!

Template 2: Business Case Template For Business Planning

This template is a powerful tool for building your business case and planning your next steps.  With a five-stage process, you will be guided through every aspect of building your business case, such as identifying savings opportunities, and ensuring compliance management.  With this dynamic and visually stunning presentation, you'll be well-equipped to beat any challenge that comes your way.  Elevate your business strategy with this must-have tool.

This ready-to-use template saves you valuable time creating slides from scratch, allowing you to focus on refining your message.  So, without further thinking, try our template now and see the difference it can make in captivating your audience and presenting your ideas with style.

Building The Business Case Business Planning Sample PPT Presentation

Template 3: Business Case Professional Development PPT

This dynamic template showcases a five-stage process that will revolutionize your business strategy.  From design and modeling to execution, monitoring, and optimization, this template has it all.  It is perfect for business professionals looking to elevate their presentations to the next level.  Don't miss out on this transformative tool for success.  Download this template and start seeing results from today!

The time for success is now, and it all begins with this transformative tool.  So, grab it today and embark on a journey of innovation and success in the world of business strategy.  The possibilities are endless, and your path to greatness starts here!

Business Case Professional Development PPT Presentation Layouts

Template 4: Presentation Outline: Business Case Development Services

This visually stunning template is your ultimate guide to creating a compelling business case. With six incredibly informative stages, including quality assurance, initiation phase, current state analysis, future state analysis, business case development, and project management, this presentation outline guarantees success in your next business venture. The template is designed & developed by professionals so that the template exudes a level of polish and professionalism that elevates any project.

This template lets you easily present your Standardized Data and statistics quickly. It allows you to Transform raw data into visually engaging charts, graphs, and infographics that enhance understanding and retention.

So, get ready to impress your stakeholders and pave the way for unprecedented growth and profitability.

Business Case Development Services Diagram Presentation Outline

Template 5: Business case Template For Outline Presentation

This template is a one-stage process. The stages in this process include an executive summary, concept overview, market overview, industry position, competition, opportunity potential, and sales and financial forecast. This comprehensive outline will help you to communicate your business case and showcase the potential of your idea or project. Use it to impress your investors and stakeholders and enhance your Business Value with a well-structured and persuasive presentation.

This template boasts visually stunning and captivating designs that captivate your audience from the first slide. With eye-catching graphics, modern layouts, analytical capabilities, and a visually appealing presentation, stand out from the crowd with a download of this PPT Template.

Business Case Outline

Template 6: Business Case Template For Development Process

This template showcases a seamless four-stage process, expertly guiding you through every critical aspect of creating a compelling business case.

This template contains several fundamental questions: 

  • What is your business concept? 
  • What will your business deliver? 
  • Who will pay for it? 
  • And why would they pay for it?

With an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, the templates simplify the editing process, enabling users of all skill levels to create stunning results.

The time for growth is now, and we are here to make it happen! Grab the template now.

Business Case Development Process Diagram Presentation Examples

Template 7: Business Case Template For New Product Development 

This professionally designed template represents a seamless seven-stage process, guiding you through every critical phase of new product creation.  Centered around three key elements - New Product, Development Funnel, and Business Case - this presentation offers an impressive array of options for customization.

Our fantastic design and visually captivating layout will leave your audience in awe from the moment you start presenting.  The seamless blend of eye-catching visuals and data-driven insights ensures your message is conveyed with impact and clarity.

The best part?  This PowerPoint presentation is available for immediate download so that you can dive into your project without delay.

So, don't miss out on this incredible tool to propel your new product development journey.  Download now and watch your ideas come to life!

Grab it now and let your innovation shine!

New Product Development Funnel

Get The Best Business Case From The Best

SlideTeam collections are meticulously curated to ensure that each template is not just visually stunning but also actionable and adaptable to meet the unique needs of diverse organizations and their specific business challenges.  Whether a dynamic startup aiming to make a mark or a well-established corporation seeking to inspire innovation, our templates empower you to present your ideas confidently and with finesse.

No matter whether you need templates for websites, presentations, or documents, our collection covers a diverse range of applications.  We are dedicated to ensuring your presentation experience is smooth and successful.

So why go with the ordinary when you can have extraordinary?  Elevate your presentations, leave a lasting impression, and unlock the path to success with SlideTeam's unbeatable templates.  We provide dedicated customer support to help you with any query or issues you may encounter while using the templates.

The best is here, and it's waiting for you!

Also, investing in these templates is more cost-effective than hiring a designer from scratch.

FAQs on Business Case Presentation

1. what is a typical business case.

A typical business case is a structured document that outlines the justification for a proposed business initiative or project.  It is a comprehensive tool to assess the proposed undertaking's viability, benefits, costs, risks, and potential returns.  A well-prepared business case provides decision-makers with the necessary information to evaluate the project's feasibility and make informed choices regarding resource allocation and Investment.

2. What are the components of a business case?

A business case typically consists of five components:

  • Strategic context: The rationale for change and the reasons behind the proposed project.
  • Economic analysis: Expected Return on Investment and assessment of different options.
  • Commercial approach: Based on sourcing and procurement strategies.
  • Financial case: Ensuring affordability within the organization's timeframe.
  • Management approach: Involves roles, governance structure, and life cycle choices.

3. Why is a business case important?

The business case plays a crucial role as it accomplishes the following:

  • Justifies the necessity of a project.
  • Outlines the potential benefits and feasibility.
  • Facilitates informed decision-making and efficient resource allocation.
  • Ensures alignment of projects with organizational objectives.
  • Enhances the likelihood of achieving successful outcomes.

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Business case template.

  • Created by ex-McKinsey & BCG consultants
  • 300 PowerPoint slides & 3 Excel models
  • 3 full-length, real Fortune500 case examples
  • Business case for a new project, product, business unit or stand-alone venture

Example of a Business Case template separated into different steps

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What you get in this template

  • A comprehensive, end-to-end business case presentation based on proven frameworks created by ex-McKinsey and BCG consultants
  • 300 PowerPoint slides organized in a complete storyline with best-practice slide-layouts, titles, and graphics
  • 3 real-life full-length examples from Fortune500 companies so you can see how a business case is presented in other organizations
  • Helpful checklist used in top-tier consulting firms
  • Excel model and examples to support your business case

Templates & Playbooks

Our Business Case template is based on a proven framework

Our Business Case framework is built around the classic 3-step approach used by top tier management consultants in thousands of organizations across the world.

3-step approach

This template includes 300 slides based on proven frameworks, complete storyline with best-practice slide-layouts

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“These templates have been a life saver for me and my team! We used to waste so much time trying to build slides based on old decks or PDFs. This is so much easier and looks much more professional.”

What can you use the Business Case template for?

The Business Case template includes a fully structured storyline complete with ready-to-use slides, as well as frameworks, tools, tutorials, real-life examples, and best practices to help you:

  • Create and present a full business case for a new product line, business unit, innovation area or completely stand-alone business.
  • Analyze and describe all necessary areas with associated hypotheses for what this new product/business/innovation should look like including value proposition, customer segments, business model and price point, IT setup, brand, team structure etc.
  • Discuss all necessary areas with associated hypotheses related to how this new product/business/innovation should interface and integrate with the Group or main business(es) including positioning, data system integrations, governance etc.
  • Analyze potential risks and possible mitigation tactics related to building and launching this new product/business/innovation including cannibalization, brand value etc.
  • Present timelines and roadmaps for the new product/business/innovation.
  • Analyze financials and create a detailed Excel business case with strategic KPIs and other important metrics.

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Easy to recolor, tweak, and edit.

Our PowerPoint and Excel templates are 100% customizable, meaning you can change everything from colors to fonts to layouts to footnotes. Match templates to your company format and color schemes with just a few easy clicks and give it your own personal style.

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We’re a team of ex-consultants from McKinsey and BCG. Between us we have created thousands of presentations for every purpose and organizational level. Here we have distilled this experience into these templates for you so you can create similar best-practice, tried-and-tested presentations with none of the hassle.

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Steal the templates and frameworks used by top management consultants. Decrease the time you spend structuring a storyline or creating new visuals.

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9 Creative Case Study Presentation Examples & Templates

Learn from proven case study presentation examples and best practices how to get creative, stand out, engage your audience, excite action, and drive results.

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Case study presentation example

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Short answer

What makes a good case study presentation?

A good case study presentation has an engaging story, a clear structure, real data, visual aids, client testimonials, and a strong call to action. It informs and inspires, making the audience believe they can achieve similar results.

Dull case studies can cost you clients.

A boring case study presentation doesn't just risk putting your audience to sleep—it can actually stifle your growth, leading to lost sales and overlooked opportunities. When your case study fails to inspire, it's your bottom line that suffers.

Interactive elements are the secret sauce for successful case study presentations.

They not only increase reader engagement by 22% but also lead to a whopping 41% more decks being read fully, proving that the winning deck is not a monologue but a conversation that involves the reader.

Benefits of including interactive elements in your case study presentation

More decks read in full

Longer average reading time

In this post, I’ll help you shape your case studies into compelling narratives that hook your audience, make your successes shine, and drive the results you're aiming for.

Let’s go!

How to create a case study presentation that drives results?

Crafting a case study presentation that truly drives results is about more than just data—it's about storytelling, engagement, and leading your audience down the sales funnel.

Here's how you can do it:

Tell a story: Each case study should follow a narrative arc. Start with the problem, introduce your solution, and showcase the results. Make it compelling and relatable.

Leverage data: Hard numbers build credibility. Use them to highlight your successes and reinforce your points.

Use visuals: Images, infographics, and videos can enhance engagement, making complex information more digestible and memorable.

Add interactive elements: Make your presentation a two-way journey. Tools like tabs and live data calculators can increase time spent on your deck by 22% and the number of full reads by 41% .

Finish with a strong call-to-action: Every good story needs a conclusion. Encourage your audience to take the next step in their buyer journey with a clear, persuasive call-to-action.

Here's a visual representation of what a successful case study presentation should do:

where case studies fit in the marketing funnel

How to write an engaging case study presentation?

Creating an engaging case study presentation involves strategic storytelling, understanding your audience, and sparking action. In this guide, I'll cover the essentials to help you write a compelling narrative that drives results.

What is the best format for a business case study presentation?

4 best format types for a business case study presentation:

  • Problem-solution case study
  • Before-and-after case study
  • Success story case study
  • Interview style case study

Each style has unique strengths, so pick one that aligns best with your story and audience. For a deeper dive into these formats, check out our detailed blog post on case study format types .

I also recommend watching this video breaking down the 9-step process for writing a case study:

How to write the perfect case study

What to include in a case study presentation?

An effective case study presentation contains 7 key elements:

  • Introduction
  • Company overview
  • The problem/challenge
  • Your solution
  • Customer quotes/testimonials

To learn more about what should go in each of these sections, check out our post on what is a case study .

How to write a compelling narrative for your case study presentation?

Storytelling is the heart of an engaging case study presentation. It involves more than just stringing events together. You should weave an emotional journey that your audience can relate to.

Begin with the challenge —illustrate the magnitude of the problem that was faced. Then, introduce your solution as the hero that comes to the rescue.

As you progress, ensure your narrative highlights the transformative journey from the problem state to the successful outcome.

Here’s our recommended storyline framework:

How to write a presentation storyline that creates interest

How to motivate readers to take action?

Based on BJ Fogg's behavior model , successful motivation involves 3 components:

Motivation is all about highlighting the benefits. Paint a vivid picture of the transformative results achieved using your solution. Use compelling data and emotive testimonials to amplify the desire for similar outcomes, therefore boosting your audience's motivation.

Ability refers to making the desired action easy to perform. Show how straightforward it is to implement your solution. Use clear language, break down complex ideas, and reinforce the message that success is not just possible, but also readily achievable with your offering.

Prompt is your powerful call-to-action (CTA), the spark that nudges your audience to take the next step. Ensure your CTA is clear, direct, and tied into the compelling narrative you've built. It should leave your audience with no doubt about what to do next and why they should do it.

Here’s how you can do it with Storydoc:

Storydoc next step slide example

How to adapt your presentation for your specific audience?

Every audience is different, and a successful case study presentation speaks directly to its audience's needs, concerns, and desires.

Understanding your audience is crucial. This involves researching their pain points, their industry jargon, their ambitions, and their fears.

Then, tailor your presentation accordingly. Highlight how your solution addresses their specific problems. Use language and examples they're familiar with. Show them how your product or service can help them reach their goals.

A case study presentation that's tailor-made for its audience is not just a presentation—it's a conversation that resonates, engages, and convinces.

How to design a great case study presentation?

A powerful case study presentation is not only about the story you weave—it's about the visual journey you create.

Let's navigate through the design strategies that can transform your case study presentation into a gripping narrative.

Add interactive elements

Static design has long been the traditional route for case study presentations—linear, unchanging, a one-size-fits-all solution.

However, this has been a losing approach for a while now. Static content is killing engagement, but interactive design will bring it back to life.

It invites your audience into an evolving, immersive experience, transforming them from passive onlookers into active participants.

Which of these presentations would you prefer to read?

Static PDF example

Use narrated content design (scrollytelling)

Scrollytelling combines the best of scrolling and storytelling. This innovative approach offers an interactive narrated journey controlled with a simple scroll.

It lets you break down complex content into manageable chunks and empowers your audience to control their reading pace.

To make this content experience available to everyone, our founder, Itai Amoza, collaborated with visualization scientist Prof. Steven Franconeri to incorporate scrollytelling into Storydoc.

This collaboration led to specialized storytelling slides that simplify content and enhance engagement (which you can find and use in Storydoc).

Here’s an example of Storydoc scrollytelling:

Narrator slide example

Bring your case study to life with multimedia

Multimedia brings a dynamic dimension to your presentation. Video testimonials lend authenticity and human connection. Podcast interviews add depth and diversity, while live graphs offer a visually captivating way to represent data.

Each media type contributes to a richer, more immersive narrative that keeps your audience engaged from beginning to end.

Prioritize mobile-friendly design

In an increasingly mobile world, design must adapt. Avoid traditional, non-responsive formats like PPT, PDF, and Word.

Opt for a mobile-optimized design that guarantees your presentation is always at its best, regardless of the device.

As a significant chunk of case studies are opened on mobile, this ensures wider accessibility and improved user experience , demonstrating respect for your audience's viewing preferences.

Here’s what a traditional static presentation looks like as opposed to a responsive deck:

Static PDF example

Streamline the design process

Creating a case study presentation usually involves wrestling with a website builder.

It's a dance that often needs several partners - designers to make it look good, developers to make it work smoothly, and plenty of time to bring it all together.

Building, changing, and personalizing your case study can feel like you're climbing a mountain when all you need is to cross a hill.

By switching to Storydoc’s interactive case study creator , you won’t need a tech guru or a design whizz, just your own creativity.

You’ll be able to create a customized, interactive presentation for tailored use in sales prospecting or wherever you need it without the headache of mobilizing your entire team.

Storydoc will automatically adjust any change to your presentation layout, so you can’t break the design even if you tried.

Auto design adjustment

Case study presentation examples that engage readers

Let’s take a deep dive into some standout case studies.

These examples go beyond just sharing information – they're all about captivating and inspiring readers. So, let’s jump in and uncover the secret behind what makes them so effective.

What makes this deck great:

  • A video on the cover slide will cause 32% more people to interact with your case study .
  • The running numbers slide allows you to present the key results your solution delivered in an easily digestible way.
  • The ability to include 2 smart CTAs gives readers the choice between learning more about your solution and booking a meeting with you directly.

Light mode case study

  • The ‘read more’ button is perfect if you want to present a longer case without overloading readers with walls of text.
  • The timeline slide lets you present your solution in the form of a compelling narrative.
  • A combination of text-based and visual slides allows you to add context to the main insights.

Marketing case study

  • Tiered slides are perfect for presenting multiple features of your solution, particularly if they’re relevant to several use cases.
  • Easily customizable slides allow you to personalize your case study to specific prospects’ needs and pain points.
  • The ability to embed videos makes it possible to show your solution in action instead of trying to describe it purely with words.

UX case study

  • Various data visualization components let you present hard data in a way that’s easier to understand and follow.
  • The option to hide text under a 'Read more' button is great if you want to include research findings or present a longer case study.
  • Content segmented using tabs , which is perfect if you want to describe different user research methodologies without overwhelming your audience.

Business case study

  • Library of data visualization elements to choose from comes in handy for more data-heavy case studies.
  • Ready-to-use graphics and images which can easily be replaced using our AI assistant or your own files.
  • Information on the average reading time in the cover reduces bounce rate by 24% .

Modern case study

  • Dynamic variables let you personalize your deck at scale in just a few clicks.
  • Logo placeholder that can easily be replaced with your prospect's logo for an added personal touch.
  • Several text placeholders that can be tweaked to perfection with the help of our AI assistant to truly drive your message home.

Real estate case study

  • Plenty of image placeholders that can be easily edited in a couple of clicks to let you show photos of your most important listings.
  • Data visualization components can be used to present real estate comps or the value of your listings for a specific time period.
  • Interactive slides guide your readers through a captivating storyline, which is key in a highly-visual industry like real estate .

Medical case study

  • Image and video placeholders are perfect for presenting your solution without relying on complex medical terminology.
  • The ability to hide text under an accordion allows you to include research or clinical trial findings without overwhelming prospects with too much information.
  • Clean interactive design stands out in a sea of old-school medical case studies, making your deck more memorable for prospective clients.

Dark mode case study

  • The timeline slide is ideal for guiding readers through an attention-grabbing storyline or explaining complex processes.
  • Dynamic layout with multiple image and video placeholders that can be replaced in a few clicks to best reflect the nature of your business.
  • Testimonial slides that can easily be customized with quotes by your past customers to legitimize your solution in the eyes of prospects.

Grab a case study presentation template

Creating an effective case study presentation is not just about gathering data and organizing it in a document. You need to weave a narrative, create an impact, and most importantly, engage your reader.

So, why start from zero when interactive case study templates can take you halfway up?

Instead of wrestling with words and designs, pick a template that best suits your needs, and watch your data transform into an engaging and inspiring story.

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What you need for a winning business case presentation

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What you need for a winning business case presentation

In a business case presentation, you need to create an engaging, concise presentation with all the relevant data needed to win over investors. Here, we will discuss all the relevant factors that make a business… ... read more In a business case presentation, you need to create an engaging, concise presentation with all the relevant data needed to win over investors. Here, we will discuss all the relevant factors that make a business presentation successful, interesting, and worthwhile. close

When planning to meet investors, you will need to develop a business case presentation to persuade stakeholders that your plans are worth supporting. A well-researched and well-thought-out business case presentation should have an argument at its core that it vouches for. You need to present a credible and authoritative argument to create support for an initiative.

What is a business case?

In a project’s early phase, a business case is a document that contains vital information including the risks, benefits, and costs. The purpose of a business case is to bolster decision-makers to take action and provide the funds and resources needed. It is an outline that addresses questions and concerns, evaluates benefits, and outlines challenges to communicating an initiative’s value.

When should you create a business case presentation?

When planning to persuade a stakeholder or sponsor to offer their support, a business case presentation is an appropriate course of action that formalizes the request. Business case presentations are usually used in circumstances when funding is needed, a project’s scope is changed, a new project is being started, or additional team members or resources are requested.

Why is a business case presentation important?

A business case presentation is developed to serve two main functions. They explain projects to their stakeholders and lay out all the details, from the time it will take to the costs and potential losses and gains.

Business case presentations also help investors see the effort behind the initiative. Showcasing the research, facts, and detailed planning assures decision-makers that their contributions are worthwhile and justified.

How is a business case different from a business plan?

Although both business cases and business plans share the same purpose of persuading decision-makers to invest in your project, there are important differences to make note of.

A business case has a narrower focus, concentrating more on a certain problem and its following finances, risks, and benefits. Decision-makers here are the relevant heads of departments or internal stakeholders selecting options based on strategy and priority.

A business plan encompasses a broader reach, offering layouts for new businesses and major changes. It looks into competitors and marketing plans to persuade investors and senior leadership in a business.

What are the different types of business cases?

In any business case presentation preparation, you need to consider that stakeholders will differ according to departments and interests. These differences will need to be accommodated and catered to to ensure that the structure adequately addresses the stakeholder’s interests.

01 The Strategic Business Case

In a strategic business case, the case is for a change in a business and how it ought to align with its overall goals and direction. A strong, strategic business case needs to outline the solution to a problem and the overall scope of what the project is meant to achieve.

02 The Economic Business Case

An economic business case presents the best economic case by evaluating options based on their cost and the value they provide. The options showcased take into account broader factors, like social and environmental effects, especially if the project affects the public, such as a product or building.

03 The Commercial Business Case

The commercial case takes the economic case a step further by looking at suppliers and acquiring resources more cost-effectively. A commercial case anticipates what is needed for a project and the obstacles that might occur throughout obtaining them.

04 The Financial Business Case

This presentation type focuses on what a business can afford to fund by demonstrating an analysis of the capital and revenue for the preferred option. A financial business case needs to be presented in a structured manner that represents the analysis.

05 The Management Business Case

A management business case demonstrates the plans in place for the delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of your project to managerial stakeholders. Present the plans for how a project will be managed and the practices it is set to follow.

What you need to create a business case PowerPoint presentation

When preparing a business case presentation, you need to collect all the facts, figures, details, and research to build a solid case. You need to cover all the points of concern for the stakeholders, including the context, problem, analysis, solution, and execution.

It’s important to note that the different business case presentations we discussed earlier would address different points and have different requirements. Use a business case presentation template as a guide or a checklist to reference throughout.

Establish context 

When preparing your presentation, you need to consider that not all members of the audience will have previously read your proposal or are aware of your circumstance. Begin by presenting an executive summary that gives context to your initiative.

An executive summary would offer a brief but comprehensive overview of your business case. Since business cases can easily become over a hundred pages, it’s important to have a summary that highlights the problem being addressed and the solutions available.

State the problem

A problem statement puts the spotlight on the goals and purpose of your business case. It’s time to showcase your understanding of a problem and the plans you have to address it. When describing a problem, make sure to disclose the internal and external effects it has. Why is your solution important? How does it approach the problem?

Business requirements 

In any project, there will be business requirements needed to aid throughout. Whether it’s a certain budget, preferred suppliers, or a specific timeline, you need to establish your project’s needs. Since these factors could affect the overall success or quality of a project, determine what they are and explain how they would help carry out the project.

Analyze finances

There is no doubt that the main thing on your investor’s mind is the numbers involved in your business case. Present your current financial details in comparison to the projected numbers if your project gets the support it needs.

Describe the solution

The solution you propose is a direct response to the problem you address. Here, you broach the answers your business case offers. How you describe your solution relates to the decision you’re aiming for.

A solution could be a material difference to your resources such as a new office or fixing a product issue. So in the presentation, outline all the questions relating to your solution, the what, who, when, and how of the answers you’re proposing.

Detail the execution strategy

To support an initiative, stakeholders want to be in on the overall vision and know all the goings-on and plans. Detail your execution strategy describing the plans, process, risks, metrics, and KPIs involved to produce the best results possible. Share any issues you initially faced and how you handled them to convey your credibility.

Share your results

This section is necessary to elaborate on the positive impact your solution will have on a project. This is the space to discuss projected or available financial and growth results and other palpable improvements. This section would also benefit from visual aids such as graphs and charts.

9 Tips for presenting your business case

Now that you’ve gathered all the data you need for your business case, there are things you need to keep in mind as you lay out all this information. Developing a business case is about how you present it as much as it is about what you present.

01 Determine your goals

The first step in designing a business case presentation is outlining the goals you want your presentation to achieve. What is the main purpose? What do you want stakeholders to get out of it? Consider aligning the business case’s objectives with its solutions. For example, use the relevant pain points to address the intended outcomes of your presentation.

02 Decide on the right delivery mode

We often advise that when preparing for a presentation, you should aim to tailor it for your audience to make it more engaging, and a business case presentation is no different. Consider the mediums or features that would best capture your audience’s attention. What are the main points you want to highlight? Would a video do? Would your audience prepare beforehand, or do you need to address every detail yourself? These are all questions you need to ask yourself when developing your presentation.

03 Have an elevator pitch ready

Sometimes, the stakeholders you want to present to are busy and distracted, so you have an elevator pitch ready. Prepare a quick pitch that grabs their attention with all the basics covered.

04 Focus on the essential information

In the same vein as having an elevator pitch ready, be selective with the information you present . There is no need to share the entire business plan. Focus on the essential information that serves your overall case and emphasize it.

05 Be memorable

Structure your business case’s data into a compelling story. This is more elaborate than an elevator pitch. Find the narrative that your facts and figures are telling you and highlight it. Using customer feedback, for example, alongside market research, gives the presentation a more personal edge, making it more engaging.

06 Begin with the business need

A business case should address a business problem. To convince a stakeholder or investor, invoke the problem to refocus the audience on your solution.

07 Make it interactive

Make your presentation interesting and brief. Use your time to focus on slides that serve your overall objectives and create a dialogue with the audience. The more involved the audience is, the more invested they will be in your argument and business case.

08 Rehearse your presentation

Practice, practice, practice. Once you’ve created your presentation, begin rehearsing what you want to say. Make note of all the ideas you need to mention and create an outline you want to follow. That way, when the day comes to present, you can cover all the key points you want to address without straying or losing the plot.

09 Follow up

Not everyone will get the chance to ask you questions after you present, so follow up individually to make sure investors can have the opportunity to voice their concerns to you personally and privately.

Putting together a business case presentation requires both data and creativity. You need all the hard facts to support your initiative and a creative mindset that helps you share them. Investors are interested in what you bring to the table, so make it worth their time.

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10 Free Business Case Templates in PowerPoint & ClickUp

ClickUp Contributor

February 13, 2024

clickup.com/templates/case-study-design-t-182377258(opens in a new tab)

Every great project kicks off with a solid plan. But before diving into that plan, you need a clear and concise business case to back it up.

Here’s some good news—we’ve got you covered with top-tier business case templates you can use in ClickUp and Word.

What is a Business Case Template?

What makes a good business case template, 1. clickup business case analysis template, 2. clickup business plan template, 3. clickup business plan document template, 4. clickup lean business plan template, 5. clickup case study template, 6. clickup case study design template, 7. clickup business analysis project plan template, 8. clickup business development plan template, 9. powerpoint business case template by slidemodel, 10. business case presentation template by 24slides.

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Think of a business case template as your project’s passport. A business case template details the “why’s” and “how’s” of a project or proposed business change—its benefits, cost, risks, objectives, and more.

Whether pitching an idea or seeking approval, a business case template provides the structure you need.

A compelling business case template isn’t just about numbers; it paints a clear picture. It showcases benefits, draws attention to potential risks, and defines clear objectives.

Moreover, a solid business case template is versatile, user-friendly, and adaptable to various business needs. In fact, several business case templates use a similar structure to answer or address these areas:

  • Executive Summary : It gives a brief overview of the project, the overall objectives, and expected outcomes
  • Problem Statement : Clearly defines the problem you’re facing and what needs to be solved
  • Proposed Solution : This outlines your proposed solution in detail and includes how it will solve the problem
  • Cost Benefit Analysis : This provides a detailed breakdown of the associated costs with the solution and the potential financial benefits
  • Project Timeline : Outline the timeline for implementing the solution, including key milestones—basically anything that will help the project manager keep things on track
  • Risk Analysis : Identify potential risks and how they will be mitigated
  • Conclusion : Summarize why the proposed solution is the best choice for the business

10 Business Case Templates to Use in 2024:

Below are our favorite business case templates on the market today.

ClickUp Business Case Analysis Template

Diving into a new project demands a solid foundation. And what better way to lay it than with a well-structured business case? But crafting such a document can be challenging. Enter ClickUp’s Business Case Analysis Template : your ultimate solution!

This business case template is your assistant to visualizing and comparing different approaches to a business problem swiftly, determining the viability of your project with a cost-benefit analysis, and pinpointing key factors to the success of your business case.

Use our business case template’s custom statuses to monitor the progress of your business case analysis, and create custom fields so you can approach that business case analysis systematically. You can view different facets of the business case analysis as a Doc View, a Gantt chart, a Calendar View, or simply a list of tasks.

Bring ClickUp’s full suite of project management tools to bear as you map task dependencies to feasible due dates, then track business case progress automatically using AI-powered automations. These features are part of what makes ClickUp some of the best operations management software available.

This business case template allows you to identify your business problem and outline your business objective in ClickUp Tasks. Then, brainstorm together in ClickUp Docs to identify potential solutions for your business case. 

Finally, design your roadmap and assign tasks to the team. You can automatically monitor the progress on your business case with your custom statuses and set up regular check-ins on the project calendar.

Are you embarking on a new business case? Navigate seamlessly with ClickUp’s Business Case Analysis Template.

ClickUp Business Plan Template

Every flourishing venture begins with a robust business plan. It’s not just about having an idea but charting a clear course to bring it to fruition. ClickUp’s Business Plan Template simplifies this journey, providing you an efficient route to outline:

  • Crystal clear goals and mission
  • Comprehensive strategy, along with an execution timeline
  • Performance checkpoints, risk alerts, and success metrics

Envision it, and ClickUp’s template will guide you to actualize it!

Why is a Business Plan Template essential? With ClickUp’s Business Plan Template, you can:

  • Zero in on your precise objectives and aspirations
  • Profile your target audience and their sectors
  • Highlight your edge over competitors
  • Craft a strategy aimed at exponential growth
  • Write an executive summary to give investors a high-level overview of all your research

This meticulously designed business case document uses custom statuses so you can navigate from in progress through the revisions stage and finally mark each task as “complete!”

Organize your tasks with custom fields, and switch between views to emphasize different information based on your priorities.

ClickUp’s robust project management package lets you tag multiple teammates, nest subtasks in larger tasks, and set priority indicators.

This business plan template is set up so you can brainstorm your objectives with your team in ClickUp Docs and then itemize your product’s unique selling point in ClickUp Tasks. Execute your objectives on time and budget with the help of ClickUp’s Gantt charts. At the end of your proposed project, revisit your accomplishments with ClickUp Goals to see where you hit the target and where you may need to revise your approach.

If business success is your destination, ClickUp’s Business Plan Template is your map.

ClickUp Business Plan Document Template

Crafting an impeccable business plan can be an intricate journey, given its importance in rallying investors and stakeholders. But what if there was a tool to simplify and enrich this journey?

Meet ClickUp’s Business Plan Document Template , your ally in:

  • Unifying your team towards a shared vision
  • Amassing all critical data for an in-depth blueprint
  • Centralizing materials for seamless accessibility

Embark on fresh undertakings or rejuvenate current ones; this free business case template molds your aspirations into executable steps. Begin your ascent towards achievement today!

This ClickUp template equips you with:

  • Your project scope and a charted path laden with quantifiable goals
  • Resource management tools to accomplish tasks for task accomplishment
  • Proactive risk anticipation and mitigation strategies
  • Instant, precise data retrieval and modification

Naturally, this template includes a Doc View, but as a project manager, you have options like Gantt charts, Workload Views, and Calendar Views to help you see at a glance the information that matters most to you.

Keep a tight grip on your project with advanced comment tracking and AI automations that make your workflow run smoothly in the background while you get more work done.

To get the most out of this template, start by gathering your business objectives, audience research, product offerings, and financial picture. You can use research management software to help with this stage. Then, you can use ClickUp’s Table View to lay out a clean, easy-to-read executive summary and your market assessment and financial appraisal for investors.

ClickUp Lean Business Plan Template

Aspiring to propel your business idea into reality but are hindered by the extensive demands of traditional planning? ClickUp’s Lean Business Plan Template is your savior.

Forge an efficient, succinct business strategy, offering:

  • A bird’s-eye view of your enterprise
  • Intuitive blueprints for devising a cogent business plan
  • Incremental assistance for fleshing out each plan segment

Elevate your business cases quickly and affordably with ClickUp’s streamlined approach.

The template allows you to define your business, describe your target market, set budgets, and create goals.

Once that’s done, use custom statuses to monitor your progress toward achieving your goals. You can set reminders to check in on different areas of your business and use different views to check on your priorities, brainstorm additions to your business plan, or see a timeline of the tasks to be completed.

With ClickUp, turning your vision into a viable venture has never been more accessible. Simplify, strategize, and succeed.

ClickUp Case Study Template

Crafting an influential case study is an art of strategic organization and detailed execution. Enter ClickUp’s Case Study Template , your ultimate companion to orchestrate, frame, and present your research seamlessly.

Use this simple business case template to gather and consolidate data to support your case study and extract meaningful conclusions and takeaways from that information.

This approach to case studies gives you space to weave a real-world, impactful narrative that resonates with your audience. These stories are an important way to validate your sales propositions with concrete results. Telling others about your clients’ successes also builds trust with prospects.

You can brainstorm potential stories with ClickUp Whiteboards, then put your plan to paper with ClickUp Docs. After that, organize your writing process with an actionable task list. 

The ClickUp AI writing assistant can help you turn your ideas into a cohesive story. Then, use ClickUp’s integrated email and collaborative editing tools to get final approval from the client.

A great case study stands tall in the realm of effective enterprise marketing tools . Let ClickUp be the wind beneath its wings.

ClickUp Case Study Design Template

Harness the power of compelling narratives with ClickUp’s Case Study Design Template , tailored for businesses keen on weaving success tales—a well-crafted case study not only shares successes but bolsters your brand credibility.

With this template, you can:

  • Demonstrate problems your customer encountered and how your offerings emerged as the proposed solution
  • Showcase tangible results, affirming the prowess of your product/service to potential clients
  • Ensure an organized, standardized business process , ensuring brand-consistent design and presentation across all case studies
  • Save precious time with streamlined research, design, and publication processes

Use this template to track the progress of your case study, seamlessly manage and visualize the data that will inform the case study, and incorporate ClickUp’s project management features like nested subtasks, multiple assignees, and priority labeling to make case study creation a breeze.

This template has space for you to define the goal for the case study, choose and describe your subject, collect all your data in a Table View, draft the narrative in ClickUp Docs, and then create a task list for marketing and promoting your case study. A communication plan template can also be a helpful tool for this stage.

With ClickUp’s innovative design template, crafting impactful case studies becomes an organized, efficient endeavor, enhancing your brand’s narrative prowess.

ClickUp Business Analysis Project Plan Template

Embarking on a business analysis project requires meticulous planning, resource utilization , and clear objectives. ClickUp’s Business Analysis Project Plan Template is a tailored solution to navigate these complexities seamlessly.

This template is for you if you need to:

  • Craft a bespoke business analysis plan aligning with your organizational goals
  • Perform a risk assessment and create mitigation strategies
  • Effortlessly adapt to changing scenarios and ensure timely project delivery
  • Equip your project team to dive deep into business nuances, ensuring a holistic understanding of products, clientele, and operational facets

The ClickUp Business Analysis Project Plan Template lets you lay out the scope and objectives of your plan, identify key personnel and their roles, build an action plan, and then assign the necessary resources to achieve your goals on time and on budget.

Use ClickUp to assemble your team and assign them roles. You can document deliverables in ClickUp Docs along the way and tag significant milestones with ClickUp Tasks.

With ClickUp’s template, business analysis project planning is simplified and supercharged for optimal outcomes.

ClickUp Business Development Plan Template

Crafting a robust business plan is the cornerstone of entrepreneurial achievement. With myriad tasks to manage and objectives to meet, a streamlined tool becomes imperative. That tool is ClickUp’s Business Development Plan Template —your ultimate companion in carving out a successful business trajectory.

With this template, you can set precise, achievable targets and track your progress toward achieving them. Document clear blueprints to meet your business aspirations, but use ClickUp’s collaborative tools to edit and iterate on those plans along the way.

The beauty of this template is it ensures all stakeholders are synchronized and aligned because you have defined actionable steps to use your resources effectively.

With ClickUp’s Business Development Plan Template, chart a course toward unparalleled entrepreneurial success!

Powerpoint Business Case Template by SlideModel

Elevate your business presentations with SlideModel’s Free Business Case PowerPoint Template . Tailored for modern professionals, this dynamic template facilitates a comprehensive discourse on new business initiatives, elucidating their relevance, objectives, and potential returns.

This template is ideal for consultants, budding entrepreneurs, and SMEs aiming to pitch their project description or corporate strategy to stakeholders or investors.

It includes an engaging title slide, slides for introduction, problem statement, solution proposal, benefits, implementation, and key takeaways. You’ll enjoy the eye-catching human character vector graphics for sharp visuals, versatile infographic icons, and a wavy timeline chart to illustrate milestones.

The template has full editability across color palettes, backgrounds, and fonts. The template’s adaptability ensures its seamless integration into diverse presentations.

Although optimized for PowerPoint, you can also download versions that cater to Google Slides and Keynote.

In search of an impressive medium to present your business case? SlideModel’s template is a click away. For alternative designs, explore their featured Business Case PowerPoint Template collection. Secure your copy today!

Business Case Presentation Template by 24slides

Introducing the Business Case Presentation Template by 24Slides —a comprehensive toolkit for innovators and visionaries ready to revolutionize their organization. Every groundbreaking idea warrants a robust presentation that encapsulates its essence, both financially and technically.

Crafted with precision, this template offers an array of instrumental slides tailored to articulate your idea seamlessly:

  • Clearly define your vision and the strategic goals you aim to achieve
  • Delve deep into potential challenges, ensuring stakeholders are well informed and prepared
  • Offer a lucid timeline, pinpointing milestones and mapping out your project’s trajectory

Every slide has been meticulously designed to foster clarity, conviction, and comprehensibility. With the 24Slides template, you are empowered to present a holistic overview of your idea, bolstering its feasibility and implementation potential.

For those committed to driving value and championing transformative ideas, this Business Case Presentation Template serves as the ultimate companion. Express, elucidate, and execute your vision with unparalleled finesse.

Why ClickUp Stands Out in the Business Tool Realm

Templates are great, but when combined with an intuitive platform offering robust project management features? It’s a game-changer. 

ClickUp isn’t just a library of versatile business templates. It’s a comprehensive tool designed to streamline your projects, optimize communication, and enhance productivity. 

From setting up workflows to collaborating with your team in real-time, ClickUp seamlessly integrates every aspect of project management. 

So whether you’re drafting a business case, planning a project, or managing day-to-day tasks, ClickUp is your one-stop hub, combining utility with unparalleled efficiency. Dive into ClickUp today and experience the future of business management.

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How to Write a Great Business Case

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  • Case Teaching

C ase studies are powerful teaching tools. “When you have a good case, and students who are well prepared to learn and to teach each other, you get some magical moments that students will never forget,” says James L. Heskett, UPS Foundation Professor of Business Logistics, emeritus, at Harvard Business School (HBS). “They will remember the lessons they learn in that class discussion and apply them 20 years later.”

Yet, for many educators who want to pen their own case, the act of writing a great business case seldom comes easily or naturally. For starters, it’s time consuming. Case writers can spend substantial time visiting companies, securing a willing site, conducting interviews, observing operations, collecting data, reviewing notes, writing the case, revising the narrative, ensuring that teaching points come through, and then getting executives to approve the finished product.

The question, then, becomes: Where do you begin? How do you approach case writing? How do you decide which company to use as the subject of the case? And what distinguishes a well-written case from a mediocre one?

We asked three expert HBS case writers—who collectively have written and supported hundreds of cases—to share their insights on how to write a great business case study that will inspire passionate classroom discussion and transmit key educational concepts.

Insights from James L. Heskett

UPS Foundation Professor of Business Logistics, Emeritus, Harvard Business School

Keep your eyes open for a great business issue.

“I’m always on the prowl for new case material. Whenever I’m reading or consulting, I look for interesting people doing interesting things and facing interesting challenges. For instance, I was reading a magazine and came across a story about how Shouldice Hospital treated patients undergoing surgery to fix inguinal hernias—how patients would get up from the operating table and walk away on the arm of the surgeon.

6 QUALITIES OF GREAT CASE WRITERS

Comfort with ambiguity, since cases may have more than one “right” answer

Command of the topic or subject at hand

Ability to relate to the case protagonists

Enthusiasm for the case teaching method

Capacity for finding the drama in a business situation and making it feel personal to students

Build relationships with executives.

“When writing a case, it’s helpful to start as high in the organization as possible. It helps assure mid-level managers that they can share the information you need with an outsider. It also helps when it comes to getting the case cleared for use. Serving on corporate boards can help in building relationships with senior executives, but there are other ways to make those connections. For instance, you can approach speakers at business conferences if you think their presentations could form the basis for a good business case. If you want to write about a company where you don’t have any personal connections, you can always check with your colleagues to see if any of them have a personal relationship with the CEO or sit on a board where they could introduce you to the right person who would be able to facilitate the case. My colleagues and I make a lot of these introductions for each other.”

“If you make the case into a crossword puzzle that takes five hours to solve, it’s not really fair to the students and will most likely cause them to lose focus.” James L. Heskett

Skip the curveballs and focus on key issues.

“Cases don’t have to be obvious. As a pedagogical objective, you might want students to look beyond a superficial issue to say this is the underlying topic that we need to address, and these are the questions we need to pose. Still, I think it’s unhelpful if cases contain real curveballs where ‘unlocking’ the case depends on finding some small piece of information hidden in an exhibit. Give students a break! They may have to read and digest three cases per day, so they probably won’t be able to devote more than a couple of hours to each one. If you make the case into a crossword puzzle that takes five hours to solve, it’s not really fair to the students and will most likely cause them to lose focus.”

Build a discussion plan while writing the case.

“In case method teaching, the teacher is not in complete control. Students teach each other and learn from each other. On any given day, there will likely be somebody in the room who knows more about the company featured in the case than the professor does. So a professor can’t walk into the classroom and expect to impose a lesson plan that goes in a strict linear way from A to B to C to D. The case ought to be written to allow students to jump from A to D and then come back later to B if that’s how the discussion plays out. At the same time, the case should be structured so that the instructor can collect student comments on a board, organizing them as a coherent set of related ideas, and then deliver a 5-to-10-minute summary that communicates whatever essential concepts the case has covered. This summation can be a very powerful teaching and learning experience.”

Focus on quality over quantity.

“Cases don’t have to be too long. Some good cases are only two or three pages. Students may give more scrutiny to these brief cases than they would a 20-page case.”

Advice from Benson P. Shapiro

Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing, Emeritus, Harvard Business School

Take out the chaff in advance.

“You don’t want students to spend too much time separating the wheat from the chaff. If a case has 12 pages of text and 10 pages of exhibits, even the smartest MBA students will likely lose interest. Writers who try to capture a situation from every angle and in every detail end up with sprawling narratives that usually do not make a good case. When writing cases, you need to set good, strong boundaries. Avoid superfluous, flowery, or poetic material that may contain interesting anecdotes or factoids, but that could distract readers from the case’s core topics. Include only those important and useful details that can help students make decisions and understand key issues that the case explores.”

Work in layers and metaphors—subtly.

“The best cases work on multiple levels. A case should focus on a specific situation—for example, whether or not to introduce a certain product. But it should also serve as a metaphor for broader issues in the background: How do we think about introducing new products? Are we introducing enough products? Are new product introductions a source of competitive advantage in our industry? How should we organize and manage new product development? You want the case to encourage students to think broadly about the various cultural, financial, and strategic impacts that managerial decisions have on a company.”

“Writers who try to capture a situation from every angle and in every detail end up with sprawling narratives that usually do not make a good case.” Benson P. Shapiro

Encourage emotional engagement.

“Case writing is an interesting literary form—it needs to be very engaging, but also educational. Great cases revolve around points of contention on which intelligent people can hold different points of view: What should you do? Why? How do you get it done? Ideally, students should have to choose between two very attractive alternatives or two terrible alternatives. The best cases involve questions that get students emotionally engaged so that they really care about choices and outcomes. When you see students physically leaning forward and following what their peers are saying, you know that they have a visceral feel for the importance of the subject. When you hear them debating after class— You were out in left field! You missed what was really important here! —that’s how you can tell you succeeded in developing a great case.”

Lessons from Carin-Isabel Knoop

Executive Director of the Case Research & Writing Group, Harvard Business School

Don’t forget the classroom component.

“Cases are deliberately incomplete documents. What a case writer leaves out of a case is often just as important as what he or she puts into it. Cases are designed to be completed through classroom instruction and discussion. While drafting the case, try to develop the classroom process in parallel. Work on the assignment questions and classroom content. Keep in mind that the case should be able to adapt to your classroom and course needs.”

Hone your elevator pitch.

“Before getting started, always have clear, succinct learning objectives in mind. Don’t start developing the case until you are able to summarize these objectives in less than five minutes.”

Case writing is a relationship, not a transaction.

When choosing a case site, be clear with executives that you are developing a teaching tool and that you will require their time and candor—and eventually their data. Put them at ease, and manage the authorization process, right from the start. Indicate that quotes will be cleared before publication and there will be time for individual review. During the creation process, ask their advice. This creates a process of engagement and helps bring home that this is a pedagogical tool, not gotcha journalism. At HBS, we oftentimes invite someone from the company to attend class. Finally, once the case is done, stay in touch with your case protagonists. They will move to other organizations and spread the good word about their experience with case writing.

Invite disagreement in case discussions.

“The case study method is based on participant-centered learning. The students all start from the same base of 11 (or however many) pages in the case, but they bring different knowledge and experiences into the classroom. So they can take the same facts and disagree about what course of action to pursue. We want students to behave like decision makers, and it can be painful to make decisions. Some critics deride the case teaching method as being unrealistic, but someone who just lectures about marketing doesn’t help students realize how difficult it is to choose between two plausible options to meet the same marketing objectives. For students, a big part of the education process is learning from discussions with classmates who think differently and advocate for different solutions. Witnessing a robust case discussion reminds us of the potential for collective learning to emerge from contrasting views.”

“Faculty don’t just write cases for teaching purposes, they write them to learn.” Carin-Isabel Knoop

The Case Writing Process Is a Worthy Effort

Researching, writing, and publishing cases is well worth the time and effort. “The case research and writing process is important for faculty development,” Knoop adds. “While developing field cases, faculty go to site visits and meet with decision makers. The case writing process helps connect scholars to practitioners and practitioners to the academic world. Faculty case writers get to explore and test how their academic theories work in practice. So faculty don’t just write cases for teaching purposes, they write them to learn. The case method is an integral part of faculty development.”

There’s another big bonus to becoming a case writer, especially for younger educators. “Young business instructors face a credibility gap with their students,” says Heskett. “It’s not uncommon to have MBA students in a class who have more experience than the instructor on a particular subject. Once you go into the field and write a case, you will know more about that subject than anyone else in the class. A primary way for professors to establish their credibility on a topic is to have written the case the class is discussing that day.”

James L. Heskett

James L. Heskett is UPS Foundation Professor of Business Logistics, emeritus, at Harvard Business School. He completed his Ph.D. at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and has been a faculty member at The Ohio State University as well as president of Logistics Systems, Inc. Since 2000, he has authored a blog on Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge website .

Benson P. Shapiro

Benson P. Shapiro is the Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing, emeritus, at Harvard Business School where he taught full time from 1970 to 1997. Since 1997, Shapiro has concentrated his professional time on consulting, giving speeches, serving on boards, and writing. He continues to teach at Harvard and has taught in many executive programs and has chaired the Sustainable Marketing Leadership for Mid-Sized Firms Program.

Carin-Isabel Knoop

Carin-Isabel Knoop is the executive director of the Case Research & Writing Group at Harvard Business School. She is also coauthor of Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace .

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presentation business case

How To Write the Perfect Business Case

How to write a business case

Why do too many projects fail to deliver their objectives even though project management best practices appear to be used? Project management is naturally complicated, but it can be disastrous if you don’t have sufficient buy-in from the right parties. Writing a strong and complete business case can make all the difference.

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In this how-to guide you will discover,

  • What is a business case?

Why you need a business case

  • Is the project worth doing?

When to use a business case

How to write a business case, the business case template, a business case example, 1. the executive summary, 2. the finance section, 3. the project definition, 4. project organization, managing the business case, making the case, frequently asked questions, what is a business case.

A business case is developed during the early stages of a project and outlines the why, what, how, and who necessary to decide if it is worthwhile continuing a project. One of the first things you need to know when starting a new project are the benefits of the proposed business change and how to communicate those benefits to the business.

While the project proposal focuses on why you want a project, it will only contain an outline of the project:

  • business vision
  • business need
  • expected benefits
  • strategic fit
  • products produced
  • broad estimates of time and cost
  • and impact on the organization

In contrast, the business case, which is first developed during the project initiation phase , contains much more detail. It should be reviewed by the project sponsor and key stakeholders before being accepted, rejected, canceled, deferred, or revised.

Depending on the scale of the business change, the business case may need further development as part of a detailed investigation. Therefore, it should be developed incrementally so that time and resources aren’t unnecessarily wasted on the impractical.

Preparing the business case involves an assessment of:

  • Business problem or opportunity
  • Costs including investment appraisal
  • Technical solutions
  • Impact on operations
  • Organizational capability to deliver the project outcomes

These project issues are an important part of the business case. They express the problems with the current situation and demonstrate the benefits of the new business vision.

The business case brings together the benefits, disadvantages, costs , and risks of the current situation and future vision so that executive management can decide if the project should go ahead.

Many projects start life as a walk in the fog, which is fine in itself, but never see the light of day or stumble along aimlessly for too long because the clarity of scope , time-scale, cost, and benefits are not defined adequately during the first stages of the project.

Is the project worth doing

Why are you starting a project? Chances are you’re doing it because you need to solve a problem.

Usually, the problem is something that gets in the way of achieving your goals . So, it seems a project is about achieving goals and your goals won’t be realized unless you deal with the problem (or opportunity or circumstance.)

If a project is worth doing you need to answer 4 simple questions:

  • What is your goal?
  • What’s stopping you from reaching the goal?
  • How much change is needed to overcome the problem?
  • Are you certain this will solve the problem?

Can you answer these questions quickly? Do you have evidence to support or refute your assumptions?

If not, it may not be worth starting a project.

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The business case is needed when resources or expenditure on a project has to be justified. Approval is usually sought from the project sponsor and other interested parties. For instance, the finance function may authorize funds and the IT department provide resources.

The purpose of the business case is communication. Therefore, each section should be written in the parlance of the intended audience.

Moreover, it should only contain enough information to help decision making. When writing a business case keep the following in mind:

  • Be brief and convey only the essentials.
  • Make it interesting, clear, and concise.
  • Eliminate conjecture and minimize jargon.
  • Describe your vision of the future.
  • Demonstrate the value and benefits the project brings to the business.
  • Ensure consistent style and readability.

The project sponsor is responsible for preparing the business case. However, all appropriate team members should contribute to its development. Likewise, subject matter experts from other functions ― finance, HR, IT, service delivery, and so on ― can provide specialist information.

Those writing the business case should have a thorough understanding of the project’s aims and be able to merge the varied and potentially complex plans into one document using the following business case template.

What follows are the four steps to writing a business case template for your project. It includes the following four sections:

  • Executive Summary
  • Project Definition
  • Project Organization

This example of a business case is a simplified version for a small company with few staff. The bigger the project, the bigger the risk, which means the more detail you will need to provide for your investors and stakeholders.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2021, retail e-Commerce revenue reached 768 billion US dollars. People are expecting more digital experiences and want to interact and purchase what they need online.

Our current website is just a static page with no interaction available to possible customers. With a website upgrade to incorporate an e-Commerce store, we can entice users to purchase all their training online, in return increasing productivity and efficiency within the office. An estimated $25,000 could be saved a year through this upgrade.

1.1 Financial Appraisal

The expected cost of the new website is $15,000 with a $500 annual maintenance fee.

The training costs of the staff is estimated at $2,000, but the reduction of administration and manual handling of orders is estimated to save $25,000 annually.

1.2 Sensitivity Analysis

The alternatives include:

  • Maintaining the current system, which costs $25,000 annually to maintain and run.
  • Upgrading the website, but not including an e-Commerce store. This would cost $6,000, but the cost of processing the orders is still $25,000.
  • Outsourcing the training purchases to a third-party site, which would cost between $49.99 - $100 per month. In the long run this would cost more and offer less development scope.

2. PROJECT DEFINITION

2.1 Background information

The World is digitizing and we, as a business, must keep up with consumer demand if we are to remain one of the most sought-after training providers.

Since 2020 and the outbreak of Covid-19, many more people have been working remotely and wish to access their training requirements online. We need to update our systems to provide our customers with a purely online system that can provide them with their required training courses in a virtual environment, from purchase through to attendance. This new e-Commerce website is the first step in this process.

2.2 Business Objective

The goal is to provide an online platform where customers can purchase their training requirements.

The solution is to build an e-Commerce website.

This syncs with the business strategy, as it will increase efficiency and profits.

2.3 Benefits and Limitations

The benefits of this project far out-weigh the negatives. They include:

  • Improvement in the quality of customer service and user journey
  • Increased conversion rate through streamlined processes
  • Cost savings through efficiencies
  • Reduced working capital
  • Increase in revenue generated
  • Remain competitive in a digital world.

The limitations of this project remain with staffing, as we do not have a web designer or developer within our company, meaning this will still have to be outsourced if anything arises at a future date.

2.4 Option Identification & Selection

Options for the e-Commerce site include the following:

  • WordPress website with WooCommerce store
  • All-in-one website hosted on e-Commerce platform such as Shopify
  • Use of third-party payment system, such as Stripe, PayPal, or Worldpay
  • Ability to take payments directly through the website and acting as controller and processor of user’s sensitive data
  • Inclusion of a blog
  • Integration of CRM platform.

2.5 Scope, Impact, and interdependencies

The website will be built independently from the current site, so will not affect any current processes or user experience.

2.6 Outline Plan

The website will be built by an external agency and will take around 6 months to complete and push live.

One month before going live the staff will undertake essential training.

2.7 Market Assessment

Since retail e-Commerce has risen to $768 billion US Dollars, it’s time we also made the move to online sales.

2.8 Risk Assessment

The project will be completed out of house.

2.9 Project Approach

The project will be managed out of house.

2.10 Purchasing Strategy

We will enter a contractual agreement with the creative agency. Attached is a copy of the proposed contract.

3. PROJECT ORGANIZATION

3.1 Project Governance

Project will be managed by the agency and in-house by the Centre Executive.

3.2 Progress Reporting

The agency will report to the Centre Executive.

Depending on the length of the business case you may want to include a high-level summary of the project.

The executive summary is the first section of the business case and the last written. It is a short summary of the entire business case. It succinctly conveys vital information about the project and communicates the entire story to the reader.

First impressions are important. Get this right!

The finance section of an effective business case is primarily for those who approve funding. The finance function will be interested in this plus the first half of the project definition.

Financial appraisal.

When you prepare the financial appraisal seek advice on content and presentation from the finance function. In the case of capital developments, consult subject matter experts.

The purpose of a financial appraisal is to:

  • Identify the financial implications for the project
  • Compare project costs against the forecast benefits
  • Ensure the project is affordable
  • Assess value for money
  • Predict cash flow.

Sensitivity analysis.

Sensitivity analysis concerns project risk and looks at alternative futures by measuring the impact on project outcomes or assumptions of changing values in which there is uncertainty.

In effect, sensitivity analysis lets the project accountant experiment with possible scenarios.

This is the largest part of the business case and is for the project sponsor, stakeholders, and project team. It answers most of the why, what, and how questions about your project.

Background information.

The purpose of this section is to give a clear introduction to the business case and project. It should contain a brief overview of the reasons why the project or business change has come about: the problem, opportunity, or change of circumstances.

If necessary, refer to related programs, projects, studies, or business plans.

Business objective.

This part describes why you are doing the project. The business objective answers the following questions:

  • What is needed to overcome the problem?
  • How will the project support the business strategy?

Benefits and limitations.

The benefits and limitations section describes the financial and non-financial benefits in turn. The purpose is to explain why you need a project.

For instance, to:

  • Improve quality
  • Save costs through efficiencies
  • Reduce working capital
  • Generate revenue
  • Remain competitive
  • Improve customer service
  • Align to corporate strategy

The business case should also include any limitations since these present potential risk to the project.

Option identification and selection.

Identify the potential solutions to the problem and describe them in enough detail for the reader to understand.

For instance, if the business case and proposed solution makes use of technology, make sure to explain how the technology is used and define the terms used in a glossary. Since most problems have multiple solutions an option appraisal is often needed. This will explore the potential solutions and recommend the best option.

When writing the initial business case, the option appraisal is likely to contain a long list of options and will cover many possibilities. As the project continues a few options will be rejected. The final business case may contain three to five options ― the short list ― that includes a do nothing or benchmark option.

Scope, impact, and interdependencies.

This section of the business case template describes the work needed to deliver the business objective and identifies those business functions affected by the project.

Moreover, the project scope, impact, and interdependencies section should state the project’s scope and boundaries. It describes what is included and what is excluded plus the key interdependencies with other projects. It is important for the business case to consider the failure of other interrelated projects and show how such dependencies make impact benefits.

Outline plan.

The outline plan provides a summary of the main activities and overall timescale ― project schedule ― for the project.

A project should be divided into stages with the decisions to make preceding each stage. Use this section to answer the following questions:

  • What is required?
  • How is it done?
  • Who does what?
  • When will things happen?

This outline plan lists the major deliverables and includes a brief project description plus accountabilities for each activity.

Market assessment.

It is important that the business case provides its readers with a thorough assessment of the business context ― the market assessment. In other words, make the underlying business interests explicit.

Therefore, the market assessment should show a complete understanding of the marketplace in which your business operates.

A good starting point is the inclusions of a PESTLE ― political, economic, sociological, technological, legal, and environmental ― analysis.

Risk assessment.

The risk assessment summarizes the significant project risks and opportunities and how they are managed. Include any risks that could arise from your project, as well as the organization’s ability to deliver change.

This section answers the following questions:

  • What risks are involved?
  • What are the consequences of a risk happening?
  • What opportunities may emerge?
  • What plans are in place to deal with the risks?
  • Every project should include a risk log

When writing a business case, make sure this is included as it explains how risk and opportunity are managed.

Project approach.

The project approach describes how the project is tackled. That is, the way in which work is done to deliver the project.

For instance, a project with much of the work contracted out is likely to take a different approach to a project that develops an in-house solution.

Purchasing strategy.

This section describes how a project is to be financed and whether a decision to buy, lease, or outsource should be taken by the organization before purchasing.

Moreover, the purchasing strategy should describe the purchasing process used. A formal procurement process may save time and money and reduce project risk.

The last section of the business case template is of most interest to the project manager, project team, and managers responsible for delivering work to the project. This project organization section describes how the project is set up.

Project governance.

This section of the business case template shows the reader how the project is structured and the different levels of decision-making. Usually, a business will already have implemented a project governance framework that will support the project through each stage.

If your organization does not use a structured project management process framework use this section to include:

  • Roles and responsibilities (RACI Chart)
  • Project tolerances
  • Project standards
  • Review points
  • How decisions are made.

Progress reporting.

Finally, the business case should define how project progress is recorded and the project board updated on project performance. Usually, the project manager does this by preparing a concise progress report or highlight report at regular intervals.

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The completed business case provides structure for the project and project organization throughout the project lifecycle . Therefore, it should be used routinely for reference and not consigned to the shelf.

Accordingly, the project sponsor and project board should review and update the business case at key stages to check that the project remains viable and the reasons for doing it are still valid. Ideally, the review should take place before starting a new stage to avoid unnecessary investment in time and money.

In this article we showed you how to write a business case. We covered a lot of ground and may give the impression that the resulting business case is a large and unwieldy document.

This is not the case.

A business case should be concise and to the point. For small projects it may run to a few pages. For larger projects and complex business change endeavors the document will be large.

Therefore, be sure to keep the intended audience in mind when preparing each section and include supporting information in an appendix.

For instance, the option appraisal section may summarize each option with the details contained elsewhere for reference.

To conclude, the purpose of a business case is to outline the business rationale for undertaking a project and to provide a means to continually assess and evaluate project progress.

What is the difference between a business case and a business plan?

The focus of the business case is an action, which is usually the purchase of capital equipment or a service. In comparison, the focus of the business plan is to outline the future of a business proposal, it’s margins, revenue growth over several years and what the business goals and strategies will encompass.

What should be included in a business case?

Writing a business case can seem like a daunting task, which is why we have provided you with a business case template and example to help you make a start.

The four sections include:

What is a business case template?

A business case template provides you with a structure and format to present your case to relevant stakeholders and investors. It’s essential that this document communicate the essence of your project’s goals and benefits, while aligning with the company’s strategies and objectives.

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  1. The Right Way to Present Your Business Case

    July 21, 2014. Nicholas Blechman for HBR. You've already put a great deal of work into preparing a solid business case for your project or idea. But when it comes to the critical presentation ...

  2. How To Prepare and Deliver a Business Case Presentation

    State the Problems Business Case PowerPoint Templates. Step 3. Evaluate Opportunities. Your solution needs to be directly related to the stated problem. Here you can list, side-by-side, the opportunities you foresee to address problems. This section is a segway from your problem to your solution.

  3. How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

    Title slide: Start with a title slide that includes the name of the case study, your name and any relevant institutional affiliations. Introduction: Follow with a slide that outlines the problem or situation your case study addresses. Include a hook to engage the audience.

  4. Business Case Presentation: How to Write and Prepare

    A compelling business case and its high-quality presentation are the primary keys to the problem transformation and success. Most organizations fail to address both the critical success factor and business case presentation that can display benefits, reveal costs, and attract investments of key stakeholders, decision-makers, and funders.

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    If this is your first time creating a business case, don't worry. Follow these five steps to create a solid one. 1. Gather input. You don't have to write a business case on your own. Instead, make sure appropriate team members and stakeholders are contributing to the relevant sections.

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    Our business case template for Word is the perfect tool to start writing a business case. It has 9 key business case areas you can customize as needed. Download the template for free and follow the steps below to create a great business case for all your projects. ProjectManager's free business case template.

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    The business case presentation template includes spaces for describing the following elements: the project name, the executive summary, the project description, the financials, the recommended solution, the assumptions and dependencies, the options, and the benefits. ‌ Download Business Case Presentation Template - PowerPoint

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  20. How To Write the Perfect Business Case

    Don't be afraid to get creative. 1. The Executive Summary. Depending on the length of the business case you may want to include a high-level summary of the project. The executive summary is the first section of the business case and the last written. It is a short summary of the entire business case.

  21. Business case presentation: how to set, write, and present

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