Can’t get funding for your key Content Development Strategic initiative? Business case is an integral part of the planning and securing funds/resources for your initiatives. It becomes more important as the cost and complexity of the project increases. Why your proposal to proceed is DEAD before it even gets off the ground; perhaps due to poor business case? Alexander will discuss an alternative way beside typical ROI business case to obtain funding for your key content development strategy initiative. The Business Case provides evidence that the project is a good investment. The attendees will learn: – How to make your Business Case properly? – Why do you need a Business Case? – When should you write a Business Case? – What is in a Business Case? – What angle should you consider for your Strategic Business Case? – How Your Ecosystem impact your Business Case? – What is Important to consider in your research data analysis? – What do you need to consider gaining corporate backing and budget? At the end of this session, you will gain some insights on some elements that you will need to consider for an effective Business Case that matches the purpose and the funding to secure your Strategic Initiatives. In short, an effective business case justifies: – Why a project should be undertaken, – Why a stakeholder partner should invest in it, and – Why the project represents a worthy expenditure of funds.

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What Do You Need To Consider Building An Effective
Business Case In A Real Practical World?
Alexander Lum
Director
Global Product Documentation Development
LavaCon 2019 Portland Oregon
October 2019

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Speaker Biography
30+ year of Telecommunication experience
Current primary focus is improving customers’ user
experiences and digital transformation initiatives.
Held Various Functions/Roles
• Hardware Engineer
• Software Engineer
• Quality New Product Introduction
• Systems Engineering
• Product Documentation Development
Alexander Lum

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About Ciena

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Not Teaching you how to do a Business Case
Segments of a Business Case
State the current business problem you faced.
Describes the solution that you are proposing.
Discusses the financial ramifications of the solution including
implementation costs and the cost reduction.
State the ROI that can be obtained if the solution is implemented.
What Do You Need To Consider Building An Effective
Business Case In A Real Practical World?

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In This Session, Attendees Will Learn
Business Case provides evidence that the project is a good investment
Some insights on some of the elements that you will need to consider:
- What do you need to consider gaining corporate backing and budget?
- How to make your Business Case properly?
- Why do you need a Business Case?
- When should you write a Business Case?
- What is in a Business Case?
- What angle should you consider for your Strategic Business Case?
- How your Ecosystem impact your Business Case?
- What approach to consider in your research & data analysis?

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Making Your Case Properly
Business case is an integral part of the planningand
securingfunds/resources for your initiatives/projects.
It becomes more important as the and
of the project increases.
cost complexity

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Making Your Case Properly
Inability to make a convincing business case
your initiative / project is DOA
#
Due to …

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Why do you need a business case?
Need to solve a problem
The problem is something that gets in the way of achieving your goals
Your goals won’t be realized unless you deal with the problem
Business case to launch the initiative / project

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When should you write a business case?
When or on a project has to be justifiedresource expenditure

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What is in a business case?
1. The benefits of the proposed business change
Be reviewed by project sponsor and key stakeholders
• Accepted, rejected, deferred or revised
2. How to communicate those benefits to the business

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Have A Better Understanding
Company Goals?
Data Analysis?
Approach?
Ecosystem?
Dependencies?

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Business Case Approach?
Strategic
Financial
Operation (Process Improvement)
Innovation

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What is a business case?
Strategic
Financial
Operation (Process Improvement)
Innovation

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Strategic business case
Company Corporate Mission Statement

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Strategic business case
Company Corporate

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Environment
Customers
Stakeholders
Understanding Your Ecosystem
What control do you have?
What restrictions/limitations are you bound to?
Who are your customers?
Who are your potential customers?
What are they expecting?
What are the current issues?
Would this Business Case solve
some of the issues they are
complaining?
Who are your stakeholders?
Are they impacted?
How are they impacted

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Survey
Interviews
Formal or informal users feedback
Gather and Analyze Data

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Information Technology (IT)
Legal
Procurement
Other Functional Groups
Personnel who will be instrumental in
implementing the business case plan
Not
Rubber
Stamp !!!

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Options & Exit Strategy

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It is important to understand its value in order to properly communicate
Before pitching the business case to upper management?
What do you need to find out?
Beginning or end of budget cycleWhy timing is important?
If you can afford it
If there is money in your budget
Is money tight?
Is your company struggling?

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Pulling The Team Together
Own it - Together!
SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP
Your greatest impact? Collaboration!
Are all project Members represented?
Do you need External help?
Who is your Leader for this?

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What Customer Issues are you trying to solve?
Does it align with one of the Corporate Goals?
How much will it cost and how long is the transition?
Who will you need help from?
Provide Demo of the proposed solution
What is the result of your Data Analysis?
Get Stakeholders’ buy-in
Gaining Corporate Backing & Budget

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THE CASE FOR CHANGE
An effective business case justifies:
Putting the pieces together for your
Successful Business Case
- Why a project should be undertaken,
- Why a stakeholder partner should invest in it, and
- Why the project represents a worthy expenditure of funds.

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When you are ready to proceed

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