Writing a Business Case for a Digital Project
By CodexierPublished 5 min read
Whether it is a new website, a customer app or a system integration, someone has to approve the money. In a small company that is the owner or the board, and they rarely have time for a long report. What they need is one page that states the problem, compares the options including doing nothing, puts costs and benefits side by side, names the risks and ends with a clear recommendation. This guide shows how to write that page.
The problem in business terms
”We need a new website” is not a problem statement; it is a proposed solution. The problem is what the current situation costs or prevents: enquiries lost because the site does not work on mobile, staff hours spent typing orders from email into Fortnox, customers leaving because they cannot book online. Write it so someone outside the project understands why it matters, using figures you have — hours, enquiries, orders — rather than industry statistics.
- What happens today, in one or two sentences
- What it costs: hours, lost sales, risk, customer complaints
- Who is affected: customers, staff, owners
- Why now: a deadline, a growing cost, a risk, an opportunity
Options including doing nothing
Decision-makers trust a business case more when it shows that alternatives were considered. Always include doing nothing, with its real cost; it is often more expensive than it looks, as our guide to the cost of not updating your website shows. Then include a minimal option and the recommended one. A fourth, more ambitious option can help show that the recommendation is not the most expensive choice available.
| Option | What it is | Typical role in the case |
|---|---|---|
| Do nothing | Keep the current setup | Baseline: what it costs to wait |
| Minimal fix | Smallest change that reduces the problem | Shows the cheapest credible path |
| Recommended | The option you propose | Best balance of cost, benefit and risk |
| Ambitious | Broader scope, higher cost | Shows what more money would buy |
Costs and benefits
Costs must cover the whole life of the solution, not just the build. A website with a low build price and high monthly fees can be more expensive over three years than one with a higher build price. Include internal time too: someone has to write content, test and learn the new system. Benefits should be expressed in the same units as the problem — hours saved, enquiries gained, errors avoided — with the assumption behind each figure written out.
One-time costs
Build or purchase, setup, data migration, training, internal time for content and testing.
Running costs
Licences, hosting, maintenance, support and the internal time to operate it.
Benefits
Hours saved × cost per hour, extra enquiries × win rate × customer value, risks reduced.
Fixed prices make this part easier, because the build cost is known. Our guide to estimates, quotes and fixed prices explains how to tell a firm figure from a rough one.
Risks and assumptions
A business case that lists no risks is not believed. Name the three to five that matter and what you will do about each. Separate risks (things that might go wrong) from assumptions (things you believe are true but have not proven). Assumptions are where most business cases are weak, so list them openly; it invites the decision-maker to test them rather than doubt the whole document.
- Delivery risk: the project runs late or over budget — mitigated by fixed price and phasing
- Adoption risk: staff or customers do not use it — mitigated by involving them early
- Dependency risk: a supplier or platform locks you in — mitigated by ownership clauses
- Assumption: how many more enquiries or hours saved — stated cautiously and measured after launch
A clear recommendation
End with one recommendation and the exact decision you need: approve this budget, for this scope, starting on this date, with this person responsible. Add how success will be measured and when you will report back. A decision-maker who knows what they are approving and how it will be followed up can say yes faster.
When you do not need a formal business case: for small purchases within an owner's normal spending, a short email with the problem, the price and the expected result is enough. We are happy to supply fixed prices and scope for your case, for example for a company website, and all our package prices are on the pricing page. To get figures for your business case, book a short call.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a business case be?
For a small or mid-sized digital project, one page plus an appendix with the calculations. Decision-makers read the page; the appendix is there for those who want to check.
What if the benefits are hard to measure?
State the most cautious measurable benefit and describe the rest qualitatively. A modest figure you can defend is more convincing than a large one you cannot.
Should doing nothing always be an option?
Yes. It is the baseline everything else is compared with, and its cost is often underestimated.
Who should write the business case?
The person who owns the problem, with figures from suppliers for costs. Suppliers can help with numbers, but the case should not be written by the party that will be paid.
Need figures for your business case?
Fifteen minutes: describe the problem and the options you are weighing, and we will give you fixed prices and honest scope — including when a smaller option is enough.
Book a free 15-minute call