How to write a business case
A business case is the document that justifies the purchase in the buyer's internal language: money. It arms your champion to win budget approval from the economic buyer and finance. A vague, benefits-only case stalls in procurement; a quantified one gets funded.
Short answer
Write a business case by stating the problem and its quantified cost, presenting your solution and the expected outcomes, calculating the ROI and payback, addressing risks, and making a clear recommendation. Write it so your champion can present it to the economic buyer and finance without you. The stronger the numbers, the easier the internal yes.
Step by step
State the problem and its cost
Open with the specific problem and quantify what it costs the business today: lost revenue, wasted time, risk. This is the case for change.
Present the solution and outcomes
Describe your solution and the concrete outcomes it produces, tied directly to the problem and the buyer's goals.
- Problem and its quantified cost
- Solution and expected outcomes
- ROI, payback period, and assumptions
- Risks and mitigations
- Clear recommendation
Calculate ROI and payback
Show the return: the value gained versus the investment, and how fast it pays back. Make assumptions explicit so finance can validate them.
Address risks and alternatives
Acknowledge the risks and the status-quo alternative, and show why acting still wins. A one-sided case reads as a sales pitch.
Make it self-serve for the champion
Write it so your champion can present it without you in the room. Clear, quantified, and defensible is what gets it through the approval gauntlet.
How Ardovo helps
Ardovo keeps the quantified problem, value, and ROI on the deal from discovery, so Rook can assemble a business case your champion can forward to finance. The numbers tie back to what the buyer actually told you, making the case credible and defensible.
Frequently asked questions
What should a business case include?
The problem and its quantified cost, the proposed solution and expected outcomes, the ROI and payback period with explicit assumptions, the risks and mitigations, and a clear recommendation. It should be written so the champion can present it to the economic buyer and finance without the seller present.
Why does a business case need to be quantified?
Because internal approvals, especially from finance, are decided in the language of money. A quantified case with ROI and payback lets the champion justify the spend and defend it under scrutiny. A benefits-only case without numbers stalls in procurement because no one can prove the return.
Who writes the business case, the seller or the buyer?
The seller usually drafts it using the value and numbers uncovered in discovery, then equips the champion to own and present it internally. It must be written from the buyer's perspective and defensible without the seller, because the champion, not the rep, presents it to the decision-makers.