Build the case around a measured operating problem and a credible change in workflow. Treat projected benefits as assumptions to validate, not promised savings.
Prepared with AI assistance. These are practical scoping recommendations; examples are illustrative, not client results.
Measure the current process
Sample real work over a representative period. Record volume, handling time, waiting time, rework, and the people involved. Separate time spent performing the work from time spent chasing its status. Note unusual periods so a temporary surge does not become the assumed year-round baseline.
Describe the mechanism
Explain how the proposed software changes an action. Capturing a request once may reduce re-entry; assigning an owner may make unfinished work visible. Do not jump directly from a feature to a revenue claim. Write the intermediate behavior you expect to change and what evidence would show that it changed.
Include operating costs
Compare the proposal with staff effort, migration, recurring services, support, and the cost of running both systems during transition. Use conservative and optimistic cases if inputs are uncertain. Keep released capacity separate from a cash reduction: time saved only becomes a financial saving if the business changes how it uses or pays for that capacity.
Define the review point
Choose a process metric, an owner, and a post-launch observation period before approving development. If the intended effect does not appear, the team needs to know whether adoption, workflow design, or the original assumption was wrong. A business case is useful when it supports that later decision as well as the initial purchase.