The Project Business Case
Prince and just about every other project method agrees, every project needs a business case, however…
Let’s consider the damage to your reputation if you attempt to manage a project without a written Business Case.
What are the consequences of missing out sections?
Reasons:
This was so obvious it didn’t seem worth the effort, it was only an 8 week project.
Result: someone complained that the PM was stepping outside their authority, they spent almost all their waking hours justifying their existence and explaining time and again the reasons why they wanted the smallest of tasks performing.
Business Options:
Too obvious to worry about writing this down.
Result: Someone has a word with the Executive “Why don’t we do this, much easier than what that PM is trying to do” more explanation, going over old ground, forced to waste time analysing an option we knew would not be appropriate.
Benefits:
These were hard to tie down, intangible at the start and there was very little cost outlay anyway, why bother?
Result: Almost everyone expected to gain from the project, different things for different groups at different times. Constantly managing multiple expectations.
Dis-Benefits
It was such a small project having virtually no dis-benefits, then realisation struck home as they tried to “go live” during a moderately busy period … enough said.
Costs
No budget, every time something was needed the PM had to go and ask for the money
Timescale
Was not considered important, so every new thing that came along took priority.
Result of having no Business Case: Pretty unimpressive Project Manager with a damaged reputation.
What about the consequences of not preparing other documents, next month we will take a look at project quality, not product quality, project quality?
Prince and just about every other project method agrees, every project needs a business case, however…
Let’s consider the damage to your reputation if you attempt to manage a project without a written Business Case.
What are the consequences of missing out sections?
Reasons:
This was so obvious it didn’t seem worth the effort, it was only an 8 week project.
Result: someone complained that the PM was stepping outside their authority, they spent almost all their waking hours justifying their existence and explaining time and again the reasons why they wanted the smallest of tasks performing.
Business Options:
Too obvious to worry about writing this down.
Result: Someone has a word with the Executive “Why don’t we do this, much easier than what that PM is trying to do” more explanation, going over old ground, forced to waste time analysing an option we knew would not be appropriate.
Benefits:
These were hard to tie down, intangible at the start and there was very little cost outlay anyway, why bother?
Result: Almost everyone expected to gain from the project, different things for different groups at different times. Constantly managing multiple expectations.
Dis-Benefits
It was such a small project having virtually no dis-benefits, then realisation struck home as they tried to “go live” during a moderately busy period … enough said.
Costs
No budget, every time something was needed the PM had to go and ask for the money
Timescale
Was not considered important, so every new thing that came along took priority.
Result of having no Business Case: Pretty unimpressive Project Manager with a damaged reputation.
What about the consequences of not preparing other documents, next month we will take a look at project quality, not product quality, project quality?
This is a view from the empire state building it had a landing area for dirigibles that never ever used it.
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