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– Agile Project Management

Projects should not just start on a whim or because of vanity – although a lot of money has been wasted over the years on such Foundation PESTLE analysis can be subjective, relying on the accuracy of available data and the analyst’s interpretation. It may not capture rapid changes, and its broad scope can make it challenging to focus on specific business needs.

projectsLearn the fundamentals of the P3O project management office. How does PESTLE analysis contribute to risk management?

.Practitioner PESTLE analysis contributes to For 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.Includes Foundation & Practitioner combined option.United Kingdomrisk managementFor 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.Workshops by identifying external threats and opportunities. It informs strategic decisions and helps businesses prepare for potential challenges, reducing uncertainty and enhancing organisational resilience.

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.Introduction to Project Management Infographic

Who uses a business case?1-day workshop to learn the basics of project management. Subscribe to our exclusive offers and promotions

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 Project Management Essentials

portfolio management2-day workshop to learn how to manage projects without getting certified. Subscribe now 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.Writing Business Cases 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.Half-day workshop to learn to write robust business cases.Search

In all cases, the business case must be written and approved prior to any major commitment of resources.AI in Project Management {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","contentUrl":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/training-courses/pestle-business-analysis-technique-890x501.webp","description":"PESTLE business analysis technique","license":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/license","acquireLicensePage":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/license","creditText":"Knowledge Train","uploadDate":"2023-05-16T08:00:33.000Z","copyrightNotice":"© 2023 Knowledge Train Limited. All rights reserved.","creator":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Knowledge Train","url":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk"}}

What form does a business case take?Learn how to use AI tools in everyday project work.

Business cases can take many forms – digital or analogue. The tools you use to create one are also many and varied. Common business tools such as Microsoft Office might be used. Rather than being a document or slide deck however, it could equally be in the form of an email.ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","contentUrl":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/training-courses/res/images/business-analysis/business-analysis-technique-pestle-analysis-800x3235.png","description":"PESTLE analysis - business analysis technique infographic.","license":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/license","acquireLicensePage":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/license","creditText":"Knowledge Train","uploadDate":"2023-05-16T08:00:33.000Z","copyrightNotice":"© 2023 Knowledge Train Limited. All rights reserved.","creator":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Knowledge Train","url":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk"}}

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

What you should always remember is that a business case does not have to be a huge long document. In fact, it should be as short as possible, and only include the most important information. That way it cuts out the noise and provides decision-makers with just the right information to enable them to take sensible decisions.Foundation Related articlesFor those of you interested in Learn the fundamentals of artificial intellegence.United Kingdom project managementAI Project Governance Framework (AIPGF)Austria

, the project management methodology known as Foundation Belgium

PRINCE2Learn the fundamentals of the governance framework.Bulgaria

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

Business case examplesIncludes Foundation & Practitioner combined option.Cyprus

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.WorkshopsCzech Republic

Business case example 1: Moving homeAI in Project Management Denmark

Suppose 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.Learn how to use AI tools in everyday project work.Estonia ReasonAGILEFinland As you can see from the example, the first thing to be clear about in a business case is the reason for doing the project or activity. In this example, the couple has answered the question AgilePMFrance Why?®Germany In fact, there are two problems here – the local school and John’s long commute. – Agile Project ManagementGreece

Options consideredFoundation IrelandUltimate guide to business analysis careers

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.Learn the key principles of Agile Project Management.Italy

BenefitsPractitioner LatviaSimon Buehring

The 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.Includes Foundation & Practitioner combined option.Lithuania19 Feb 2026

TimescalesPRINCE2Luxemburg

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 ®MaltaExplore the various career paths in business analysis, from entry-level to senior roles. Understand salary prospects and job roles by reading further.projects AgileNetherlands or activities.Foundation Poland

There are usually 2 timescales to consider. First, the timescale of the project or activity – in this case 3 months to find a new house and move there. Second, the time over which the benefits shall be realized. In this case it’s 5 years until the kids leave school.Learn the fundamentals of the PRINCE2 Agile method.Portugal

CostsPractitioner Romania

The costs of doing the project or activity is the next important bit of information. On this project, the costs of moving to a new house will be £5,000. These are the project costs.Includes Foundation & Practitioner combined option.Slovakia

However, the couple will spend an additional £2,000/year for every year over which the business case is calculated. For a project in an organisation, this is usually referred to as the operational costs of maintaining and operating the projects outputs e.g. an IT system. At this point, the couple knows the total costs over the timescales when the benefits shall be realized.ScrumSlovenia

RisksScrum Essentials Spain

For any activity or project, it’s also important to understand the major risks involved. Risks are the uncertain things which may or may not happen during the period of the investment. There is only one risk identified here, which is the risk that the couple might lose touch with friends who live close to them right now.Self-paced training course to learn the essentials of Scrum.SwedenUnlocking organisational potential with the POPIT modelInvestment appraisalScrum Master Other countries The next section is where the costs and timescales and risks are weighed up. For this project, it’s a simple decision for the couple to decide if it’s worth spending money over the next 5 years to give their kids better schooling and to save John 2 hours a day commuting.Choose Scrum Alliance or Scrum.org Scrum Master training courses.HomeSimon Buehring

For an organisation to decide if an investment is worthwhile, however, there are several different ways in which it can decide about the investment.Scrum Product Owner Business Analysis19 Feb 2026

Often in organisations there are rules defined to help business analysts or Choose Scrum Alliance or Scrum.org Product Owner training courses.Business analyst course

project managersAgileBABusiness analysis technique PESTLEDiscover how the POPIT model can enhance organisational efficiency and effectiveness. Read on to find practical insights and strategies for successful implementation.

write what’s called an investment appraisal. In the next example, we’ll look at one example known as net benefits.®

Business case example 2: Handheld device project – Agile Business Analysis{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Business Analysis","item":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/business-analysis"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Business analyst course","item":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/business-analysis/business-analyst-course"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Business analysis technique PESTLE","item":"https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/business-analysis/business-analyst-course/business-analysis-technique-pestle"}]}

Imagine a heating repair services company that uses a paper-based set of forms filled in by an engineer during site visits. The spare parts required to fix the heater are recorded on a form which is given to staff to process back in the office. They then order the parts, and schedule a follow-up visit for the engineer to fix the heater.Foundation

Enhance your skills with our expert-led coursesLearn the fundamentals of Agile Business Analysis.

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4-day course including Foundation.Uncovering the benefits of PESTLE analysis for informed decision-making

Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Simon BuehringTechniques for business analystsInstructor-ledSelf-paced training course to gain LSS Yellow Belt.19 Feb 2026 Better Business Cases Practitioner (with Foundation) course

PMI Simon Buehring

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