Aligning Stakeholders and Answering Critical Business Questions
A business case provides leadership with a common operating picture, enabling them to make informed decisions on the best course of action to increase HDA maturity. A business case is the product of an assessment (i.e. where you are now) and a gap analysis (i.e. where you want to be and the effort for attainment). It also focuses on how HDA fits into an organization’s strategy, and that organization’s change readiness.
The development of a business case represents a systematic look at the full spectrum of opportunities and challenges associated with the new initiative. maturity. In advance of this complex, multi-stakeholder initiative, it is important to examine how it will impact the organization, people, technology, and related processes.
A business case provides organizations with:
- Justification for the decision to initiate a project
- A collaborative and iterative approach
- A defined need or problem that the project will meet or solve
- Context for the decisions that need to be made
- Recommended courses of action (COA)
- An all-encompassing view of the initiative – far beyond a typical cost/benefits analysis
Building the business justification and creating the stakeholder buy-in for new initiatives requires skill and leadership. Organizations striving to initiative change face significant cultural, technical and managerial obstacles. Overcoming these obstacles requires the creation of a business case to align constituents and focus efforts on achieving mutually defined goals.
