Business Case
Initiative: [name]
Owner: [name and team]
Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Decision requested by: [date and from whom]
Executive Summary
[3–5 sentences: what is the initiative, what is the expected impact, what is the ask, and what happens if we don't do it?]
Problem Statement
[What is the current state and why is it a problem? Include the cost or risk of inaction.]
Current state metric: [e.g. conversion rate = 3.2%; industry median = 5.1%]
Cost of current state: [e.g. gap costs ~$X/year in missed revenue]
Proposed Solution
[Brief description of what will be done and how it addresses the problem.]
Expected Impact
| Scenario | Annual Impact | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Low | $[X] | |
| Base | $[Y] | Medium |
| High | $[Z] |
See attached impact estimate for full assumption log.
Investment Required
| Item | Cost | Type |
|---|---|---|
| [Engineering / vendor / headcount] | $[X] | One-time / Recurring |
| Total | $[Y] |
Net annual impact (base case): $[impact − recurring cost]
Payback period: [months]
ROI: [net impact / investment × 100]%
Key Risks
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g. lower-than-expected lift] | Medium | High | Pilot with holdout group before full rollout |
Alternatives Considered
| Option | Why rejected |
|---|---|
| Do nothing | [cost of inaction] |
| [Alternative approach] | [why it's inferior] |
Decision and Next Steps
Recommendation: [Approve / Pilot / Defer / Reject]
| Action | Owner | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| [Next step] | [team] | [date] |