Who is this training for?
- Business Analysts
- Project Managers
- Managers
Training objectives
- Understand the purpose and key concepts of a business decision case within the context of business analysis;
- Develop and structure effective business decision cases;
- Present and communicate business decision cases to stakeholders and decision-makers;
- Leverage conversational AI agents to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of business case preparation;
- Build strong, evidence-based recommendations and justify proposed solutions.
Summary
A business decision case is a key element in securing approval for a product, idea, project, or solution. Successfully promoting an idea is both an art and a science, supported by proven techniques. It is essential to know how to present a coherent set of strategic and financial arguments in support of a solution to ensure effective communication and maximize the likelihood of success.
From defining business needs to creating a high-level implementation plan, this workshop is designed for professionals who are required to present recommendations for initiatives and investments. Whether in a simplified format such as a Lean Business Case or a more comprehensive format such as an Opportunity Assessment or Business Case, decision packages must address the needs of both decision-makers and the solution teams responsible for delivery.
By combining business analysis techniques with conversational AI agents, this hands-on workshop introduces practical concepts, tools, and templates that help participants validate the quality and relevance of a business decision case while ensuring that defined objectives translate into measurable business value.
Course outline
Day 1 – MorningChapter 1 – Defining a Business Decision Case
- What is a business decision case?
- Different types and formats of business cases
- Common business case structures
- Roles and responsibilities
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Business mandate and context
- Stakeholders and stakeholder engagement
- Scope definition
- Information sources and supporting artifacts
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
Day 1 – Afternoon
Chapter 3 – The Lean Business Case Approach
- Description of the context and business problem
- Description of the proposed solution
- Expected benefits
- Required costs and resources
- Success metrics and performance indicators
- Issues, risks, and mitigation strategies
- Implementation timeline and key decisions required
- Accelerators and productivity tools (conversational AI agents)
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Chapter 4 – Techniques, Templates, and Supporting Artifacts
- Opportunity assessment and business case structures
- Selecting appropriate artifacts based on decision case type
- Reusable templates across multiple business cases
- Reducing errors and increasing quality in business decision cases
- AI-assisted versus manual approaches: advantages, limitations, and common pitfalls
- Discussions and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Morning
Chapter 5 – Developing a Business Opportunity Assessment
- Context and business scenario
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of business needs
- Identification and description of solution options
- Comparative analysis of solution options
- High-level cost-benefit analysis
- Risk and organizational impact assessment
- High-level roadmap and implementation plan
- Recommendation
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Afternoon
Chapter 6 – Developing a Business Case
- Context and business scenario
- Project or program scope
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of the target-state vision
- Business requirements description
- Identification and description of solution scenarios
- Comparative analysis of solution scenarios
- Recommended solution scenario
- Architecture of the selected solution
- Detailed financial analysis
- Risk assessment, organizational impact analysis, and change strategy
- Detailed implementation plan for the initial project phase
- Project and program governance
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Chapter 7 – Review of Key Learnings
- Tools and techniques reference guide
- Group discussions and knowledge sharing
- Course conclusion
Day 1 – Morning
Chapter 1 – Defining a Business Decision Case
- What is a business decision case?
- Different types and formats of business cases
- Common business case structures
- Roles and responsibilities
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
Chapter 2 – Key Concepts
- Business mandate and context
- Stakeholders and stakeholder engagement
- Scope definition
- Information sources and supporting artifacts
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
Day 1 – Afternoon
Chapter 3 – The Lean Business Case Approach
- Description of the context and business problem
- Description of the proposed solution
- Expected benefits
- Required costs and resources
- Success metrics and performance indicator
- Issues, risks, and mitigation strategies
- Implementation timeline and key decisions required
- Accelerators and productivity tools (conversational AI agents)
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Chapter 4 – Techniques, Templates, and Supporting Artifacts
- Opportunity assessment and business case structures
- Selecting appropriate artifacts based on decision case type
- Reusable templates across multiple business cases
- Reducing errors and increasing quality in business decision cases
- AI-assisted versus manual approaches: advantages, limitations, and common pitfalls
- Discussions and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Morning
Chapter 5 – Developing a Business Opportunity Assessment
- Context and business scenario
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of business needs
- Identification and description of solution options
- Comparative analysis of solution options
- High-level cost-benefit analysis
- Risk and organizational impact assessment
- High-level roadmap and implementation plan
- Recommendation
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Afternoon
Chapter 6 – Developing a Business Case
- Context and business scenario
- Project or program scope
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of the target-state vision
- Business requirements description
- Identification and description of solution scenarios
- Comparative analysis of solution scenarios
- Recommended solution scenario
- Architecture of the selected solution
- Detailed financial analysis
- Risk assessment, organizational impact analysis, and change strategy
- Detailed implementation plan for the initial project phase
- Project and program governance
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Chapter 7 – Review of Key Learnings
- Tools and techniques reference guide
- Group discussions and knowledge sharing
- Course conclusion
Day 1 – Morning
Chapter 1 – Defining a Business Decision Case
- What is a business decision case?
- Different types and formats of business cases
- Common business case structures
- Roles and responsibilities
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
Chapter 2 – Key Concepts
- Business mandate and context
- Stakeholders and stakeholder engagement
- Scope definition
- Information sources and supporting artifacts
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
Day 1 – Afternoon
Chapter 3 – The Lean Business Case Approach
- Description of the context and business problem
- Description of the proposed solution
- Expected benefits
- Required costs and resources
- Success metrics and performance indicators
- Issues, risks, and mitigation strategies
- Implementation timeline and key decisions required
- Accelerators and productivity tools (conversational AI agents)
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Chapter 4 – Techniques, Templates, and Supporting Artifacts
- Opportunity assessment and business case structures
- Selecting appropriate artifacts based on decision case type
- Reusable templates across multiple business cases
- Reducing errors and increasing quality in business decision cases
- AI-assisted versus manual approaches: advantages, limitations, and common pitfalls
- Discussions and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Morning
Chapter 5 – Developing a Business Opportunity Assessment
- Context and business scenario
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of business needs
- Identification and description of solution options
- Comparative analysis of solution options
- High-level cost-benefit analysis
- Risk and organizational impact assessment
- High-level roadmap and implementation plan
- Recommendation
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Afternoon
Chapter 6 – Developing a Business Case
- Context and business scenario
- Project or program scope
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of the target-state vision
- Business requirements description
- Identification and description of solution scenarios
- Comparative analysis of solution scenarios
- Recommended solution scenario
- Architecture of the selected solution
- Detailed financial analysis
- Risk assessment, organizational impact analysis, and change strategy
- Detailed implementation plan for the initial project phase
- Project and program governance
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Chapter 7 – Review of Key Learnings
- Tools and techniques reference guide
- Group discussions and knowledge sharing
- Course conclusion
Day 1 – Morning
Chapter 1 – Defining a Business Decision Case
- What is a business decision case?
- Different types and formats of business cases
- Common business case structures
- Roles and responsibilities
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
Chapter 2 – Key Concepts
- Business mandate and context
- Stakeholders and stakeholder engagement
- Scope definition
- Information sources and supporting artifacts
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
Day 1 – Afternoon
Chapter 3 – The Lean Business Case Approach
- Description of the context and business problem
- Description of the proposed solution
- Expected benefits
- Required costs and resources
- Success metrics and performance indicators
- Issues, risks, and mitigation strategies
- Implementation timeline and key decisions required
- Accelerators and productivity tools (conversational AI agents)
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Chapter 4 – Techniques, Templates, and Supporting Artifacts
- Opportunity assessment and business case structures
- Selecting appropriate artifacts based on decision case type
- Reusable templates across multiple business cases
- Reducing errors and increasing quality in business decision cases
- AI-assisted versus manual approaches: advantages, limitations, and common pitfalls
- Discussions and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Morning
Chapter 5 – Developing a Business Opportunity Assessment
- Context and business scenario
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of business needs
- Identification and description of solution options
- Comparative analysis of solution options
- High-level cost-benefit analysis
- Risk and organizational impact assessment
- High-level roadmap and implementation plan
- Recommendation
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Afternoon
Chapter 6 – Developing a Business Case
- Context and business scenario
- Project or program scope
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of the target-state vision
- Business requirements description
- Identification and description of solution scenarios
- Comparative analysis of solution scenarios
- Recommended solution scenario
- Architecture of the selected solution
- Detailed financial analysis
- Risk assessment, organizational impact analysis, and change strategy
- Detailed implementation plan for the initial project phase
- Project and program governance
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Chapter 7 – Review of Key Learnings
- Tools and techniques reference guide
- Group discussions and knowledge sharing
- Course conclusion
- What is a business decision case?
- Different types and formats of business cases
- Common business case structures
- Roles and responsibilities
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Business mandate and context
- Stakeholders and stakeholder engagement
- Scope definition
- Information sources and supporting artifacts
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
Day 1 – Afternoon
Chapter 3 – The Lean Business Case Approach
- Description of the context and business problem
- Description of the proposed solution
- Expected benefits
- Required costs and resources
- Success metrics and performance indicators
- Issues, risks, and mitigation strategies
- Implementation timeline and key decisions required
- Accelerators and productivity tools (conversational AI agents)
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
- Opportunity assessment and business case structures
- Selecting appropriate artifacts based on decision case type
- Reusable templates across multiple business cases
- Reducing errors and increasing quality in business decision cases
- AI-assisted versus manual approaches: advantages, limitations, and common pitfalls
- Discussions and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Morning
Chapter 5 – Developing a Business Opportunity Assessment
- Context and business scenario
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of business needs
- Identification and description of solution options
- Comparative analysis of solution options
- High-level cost-benefit analysis
- Risk and organizational impact assessment
- High-level roadmap and implementation plan
- Recommendation
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
Day 2 – Afternoon
Chapter 6 – Developing a Business Case
- Context and business scenario
- Project or program scope
- Current-state analysis
- Definition of the target-state vision
- Business requirements description
- Identification and description of solution scenarios
- Comparative analysis of solution scenarios
- Recommended solution scenario
- Architecture of the selected solution
- Detailed financial analysis
- Risk assessment, organizational impact analysis, and change strategy
- Detailed implementation plan for the initial project phase
- Project and program governance
- Executive summary
- Professional tips and best practices
- Tools, techniques, discussions, and group activities
- Practical case study exercise
- Tools and techniques reference guide
- Group discussions and knowledge sharing
- Course conclusion
Approach and methodology
The course combines practical explanations, hands-on exercises based on a real-world case study, and group discussions.
Prerequisites
General knowledge of business analysis principles and practices.
Recommendations
- Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills.
- Familiarity with organizational processes and digital transformation initiatives.
- Basic understanding of financial analysis, business value assessment, and performance metrics.
- Experience participating in projects, programs, or business transformation initiatives is considered an asset.
