Business Case Thinking

Scene: you're impulse buying a chocolate bar 

Have you ever stopped to think about the decisions you make instantly when you impulse buy a chocolate bar¹ on your way through the supermarket checkout? 

• Is it needed?
  Hell yes, dopamine = good!!   

• Is it valuable?
  Hell yes, dopamine = good!!   

• Is it possible?
  Yep, my usual is there - get it in the trolley!!   

• Is it affordable?
  Who cares, dopamine = good!! 

• Is it achievable?
  Meh, I’ll burn off the calories at the gym tomorrow  

Depending on your dietary needs, whether you bought everything on your shopping list, and the chance you’ll get in trouble at home for buying chocolate, the risk involved in this decision is low and probably doesn’t require a Business Analyst to help you weigh your options. 

It is still an example of Business Case Thinking, though.

What is Business Case Thinking? 

When you’re in the office and lining up the next project in front of you, the information required to run through these questions will definitely be easier to surface with a Business Analyst on board.

That’s because, whether we realise it or not, almost all the decisions Business Analysts ask a stakeholder to make are investment decisions involving time, effort or money: 

• Approving a user story is a decision to commit effort to design, build, test, release, operate and maintain a solution. 
• Approving a process map commits effort to operating the new way of working, which often means changing roles and responsibilities and restructuring teams.  
• Signing a contract with a supplier is a decision to commit budget to buy goods and/or services from them. 
• Approving a business case confirms an idea is sound and worthy of investment.  
• Allocating funding for the initiative described in the approved business case.

Because these decisions carry real weight, the robustness of our analysis, the inputs we create, and how we present information to the decision maker must directly reflect the decision’s level of risk - measured by cost, effort, time, and uncertainty. 

Business Case Thinking provides a framework to support and influence investment decisions that don’t require the formality of a business case.  Rather than using the usual why, how, what, who, when, and where perspective, Business Case Thinking forces us to look at whether the thing being decided upon is needed, valuable, possible, affordable and achievable. 

This mindset shifts the Business Analyst from a passive requirements gatherer or process modeller to a trusted advisor helping the business manage risk and investment.     

The five questions of Business Case Thinking 

To support and influence investment decisions using Business Case Thinking, we use these five core questions. By exploring each one, through the underlying questions, you can provide the clarity and advice decision-makers need.

Is it needed?  

What’s happening now? What changed recently? Why is this a priority now? What has been tried before and why didn’t it work? What are the issues being faced? What opportunities are available? Who is affected? How are they affected? What is the impact of doing nothing? How does it link to the bigger picture goals? 

Is it valuable? 

What are the wins? What trade-offs or downsides are there? Will it save or cost money? What non-financial improvements are expected? Are there any negative consequences, new risks or things that will become harder? How likely are these to happen? What are the available options? How does each compare? Which option offers the best combination of trade-offs to deliver the most value? 

Is it possible? 

How will it be delivered? Can we do it ourselves or do we need help? If we need help, what specific support is needed and how will we find and choose the right expertise? 

Is it affordable? 

How much effort, money and time will it take to deliver this? Do we have funds, time and bandwidth to do this now? By choosing to do this now, what will we need to put on hold? Once it’s been delivered, what will it cost to run, maintain or support? 

Is it achievable? 

How will it be delivered? Who is involved? How long will it take? What are the key milestones and deliverables? What are the things that could go wrong? Who is affected? What is the impact?  What else needs to be delivered to support this? 

Why is Business Case Thinking important? 

As Business Analysts, it is not our job to make the final decision. It is our job to provide decision-makers with the clear information and advice they need to make informed choices. 

Once I began using Business Case Thinking to anticipate future decisions and look at things from a broader perspective, my role changed completely. I started getting invited to different meetings with more senior stakeholders. I shifted from working strictly with subject matter experts to becoming the Product Owner’s trusted advisor, presenting updates and advice at project governance meetings. 

I was invited to meetings about meetings.   

I began supporting Product Managers and Programme Leaders, helping them prepare for governance and frame their proposals effectively. 

By focusing on decision-making, I significantly increased my impact and value. The information and advice I provided enabled better, faster decisions. 

You don’t have to wait for a formal business case to adopt the thinking that drives them.

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Hannah is a Redvespa Senior Consultant. In fact, Hannah is our longest-tenured consultant. The rigour she applies to chocolate bar purchasing and Business Case Thinking is indicative of someone who has crafted a career out of navigating the gnarliest, most complex, and widest array of business analysis problems for Redvespa's clients.

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¹ Redvespa is a fan of- but not affiliated with - Whittaker’s chocolate and encourages you to visit the Unwrapped exhibition at Pataka Art + Museum in Porirua until February 28th 2027.

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