®

Uncovering the benefits of PESTLE analysis for informed decision-making

PESTLE business analysis technique

HomeProject Management
Business CasesHow to write a business case
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Project Management","item":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/project-management"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Business Cases","item":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/project-management/business-cases"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How to write a business case","item":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/project-management/business-cases/how-to-write-a-business-case"}]}

How to write a business case

Simon Buehring

Course manual where applicable.19 Feb 2026

SELF-PACED ONLINE TRAINING COURSES

Self-paced online training courses (e-learning) include:

Certification exam(s) where applicable

Accredited training course materials

Support from expert, experienced trainers

Latest educational technology.

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

TO HELP ORGANISATIONS IMPROVE We offer solutions to help improve team performance including: Consultancy services

Staff development

PESTLE analysis - business analysis technique infographic.

Copied! A business case helps decision-makers judge whether an investment is worth the time, money and risk.

State the reason for the activity and ensure it aligns with organisational strategy.

Compare realistic options, including doing nothing, and clearly justify the preferred choice.CONTACT USSeparate project costs and timescales from ongoing operational costs and benefit realisation timescales. Define benefits in measurable terms and distinguish outcomes from benefits so performance can be tracked.

Include known dis-benefits and major risks, plus mitigations, to avoid one-sided decisions. Use an investment appraisal, such as net benefits and break-even timing, to test viability.

Name

Contents Email

Contents

Ultimate guide to business analysis careers

IntroductionPhone

What is a business case?

How can we help?

Business case examples

Business case templateSubmit

Summary OUR VALUESBusiness case FAQsOur 6 core values are everything we do. They include:

IntroductionIntegrity

Unlocking organisational potential with the POPIT model

downloadFairness

You’re probably reading this article because you want to know how to write a business case. Perhaps your organisation is embarking on a major project to develop a new product. Or, perhaps you’re thinking of moving house so your family can enjoy a better life. In either case, you write a Innovation

business caseSocial responsibility

to ensure the investment is worthwhile. In this article we’ll give you 2 business case examples, provide you with a simple business case template for you to use, and explain how to write a business case.SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Enhance your skills with our expert-led coursesSome of the charities we have helped over the years:

Instructor-led

Better Business Cases Practitioner (with Foundation) course

£2,400 +vatAWARDS

See all dates

Request a quote

Self-paced

Better Business Cases Practitioner (with Foundation) self-paced online

£1,199 +vat+44 (0)207 148 5985

[email protected]

Exploring the impact of the McKinsey 7S model on organisational performance

Self-paced

£699 +vat

What is a business case? A business case is the justification for some activity (e.g. a project) undertaken by your organisation. It weighs up the timescales, costs and risks of doing the activity against the benefits to be gained. Think of it as weighing up the pros and cons and then taking a sensible decision.

A business case forms an essential component of the curriculum of the United Kingdom

best project management courses

. Personal business casesend advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. You may also use a business case to justify an investment you make in your personal life. For example, when you’re thinking of moving home to another area. You and your spouse will need to understand the costs of moving, the timescales and risks involved, and weigh these up against the benefits to be gained e.g. saving time traveling to your office, or your children able to go to a better school.

PreferencesWhy have a business case?Manage options

Unlock your creative and organisational potential with mind maps

projectsManage {vendor_count} vendors

PreferencesFor business organisations, justification for a project usually takes a commercial form i.e. evaluating how much money could be made from the investment. For example, investing money in developing a new software app to bring first to market, might be deemed to bring certain monetary benefits (in terms of sales) which exceeds the costs of investment.

For government organisations, justification is probably not a commercial one, but could be based upon giving value for money to achieve certain benefits. For example, a public health campaign extolling the benefits of flu-vaccinations for elderly people, might be judged as giving greater value for money than having no campaign, and instead relying on treating patients in hospital once they have contracted the virus.Accept

With so many competing claims being made on scarce funds, organisations need the assurance that the decision they are taking is the right one. After all, there will not be enough funds to pay for all the ideas for projects which are floating around the organisation. Who uses a business case?Deny

Business cases can be used by many different levels of management within an organisation. Not only are they used to justify the investment in an individual project, but also they are typically used by a

portfolio managementView preferences

office to help it decide which projects will contribute to the organisation’s strategic goals. That way, they can filter out the bad ideas for projects, and only fund projects which will contribute to strategic goals. A business case is also often used by a project sponsor or project executive to help it decide if they should invest in a specific project.Save preferencesThe technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.In all cases, the business case must be written and approved prior to any major commitment of resources.

What form does a business case take?View preferences

Which certification is best for business analysis?

Equally, a business case could be written by hand on a whiteboard or flipchart, or on the back of a cigarette packet!{title}

StatisticsFor those of you interested in Manage consent

project managementManage consent

, the project management methodology known as PRINCE2

Statistics focuses its decision-making on a project on having a viable business case.

Business case examples

We will now give you 2 business case examples. The first example is one which you might find useful for taking decisions in your personal life. The 2nd business case example is more business focused project. Business case example 1: Moving homeSuppose you and your spouse are considering moving to a new home. You will need to weigh up the pros and cons of moving. This is done using a business case. You might not call it that, but that’s what it is. Let’s look at an example.

Reason

How BCS Business Analysis qualifications can help your career

Why?Poland

Options consideredRomania

A business case should weigh up the competing options which have been considered. After all, there is usually more than one option. Perhaps an alternative option would have been for John to change his job to one nearer their current house. However, this wouldn’t solve the issue with the school.Slovakia

BenefitsSloveniaThe benefits of a project or activity are the positive things you’re going to get back in return for your investment of time and money. In this case, the kids will get a better education, and John will save time each day.Spain

TimescalesSweden

It’s also important to understand how long the investment of resources will take. This is so that the organisation (or family in this case) knows when the resources will be freed up to work on other Other countries

Request a quote

How to become a business analyst with no experience?

Manage Consent

To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Unlocking potential with SMART goals in goal setting

Instructor-led

Better Business Cases Practitioner (with Foundation) course

£2,400 +vat