• Contact sales

Start free trial

Get your free

Business Case Template

Use this free Business Case Template for Word to manage your projects better.

business case study template word

A business case template is a document that helps sell your project. It collects the main points of a project and delivers them in a clear and concise manner. Our free business case template for Word is a great tool to help you gather that important data during the project initiation phase and show the project stakeholders the value and validity of the project.

What Is a Business Case?

The business case is a document used in project management to show that the costs related to the project are worthwhile and there will be a strong return on investment. These documents summarize various aspects of the project including its objective in addition to the costs and benefits that the project will deliver to its stakeholders.

You can think of a business case as the pitch you make to win over the client, customer or stakeholder. It justifies the project by evaluating the benefits, costs and risks while showing why this project’s path is the preferred solution to whatever problem the project is solving or the need it’s addressing. This buy-in is essential for any project to meet its objectives.

A business case provides details that are only outlined in the project proposal of the project. Unlike a project charter , which is a high-level description of the project and its deliverables, the business case is more focused on return on investment and future opportunities. The project charter details the actual project more than the business case, which is about justifying a company’s decision on taking on the project.

free business case template for Word

Why You Need a Business Case Template

The main reason why a business case template is so important is that it does the due diligence for stakeholders and proves that the expense is worth the return on their investment. There are many projects that might be in a company’s pipeline with only so many resources to deliver them. It’s crucial to know which project is going to be worthwhile from a financial viewpoint.

A business case acts as a number of different cases. For one, it’s the strategic case, looking to see if the project aligns with the overall company strategy. The economic case explores if the project offers the best value. A commercial case looks at the project through the lens of the market. A financial case sees if the investment is affordable for the company. A management case looks at those who will be involved in the project and whether they can deliver it.

No matter the project, big or small, the business case is a must if only to define the business needs and objectives of the project. Whether you have a long document or capture it all in the span of a single page, the business case template is a great way to align the project team and stakeholders, one of the most important reasons why you need a business case.

How to Use Our Business Case Template for Word

In order to fill in the blanks in our free business case template for Word, you need to start with research. That research will include the market you intend to introduce your project or service to the competitors that are already in that space and any alternatives.

Next, you’re going to compare business and project management approaches, looking for the best fit. The best approaches will be included in your business case template. Then you’ll compile all the data you have and present those strategies, goals and options.

Don’t forget to document everything . Your business case should be to the point but at the same time not skip important details that will sway your stakeholders. In order to do that, you’ll want to have an outline and then fill in each section. That’s where the free business case template for Word comes in—it does it for you.

Elements of Our Business Case Template

Our free business case template lays out all of the areas you’ll need to paint a full picture of the project, its objective, benefits and risks. This picture should be realistic while simultaneously proving the feasibility of the project from the point of view of investment. Our free business case template for Word is broken up into the following categories.

Executive Summary

This is at the top of our template. It’s the elevator pitch, in a sense, as it is a short roundup of all the sections that follow in the free business case template. This will provide your stakeholders with a way to get the gist of the whole document at a glance.

Mission Statement

It doesn’t hurt to have a mission statement , which is different from the above summary. It is a place to define the project’s objectives, purpose and goals. The mission statement is like the North Star in that it will help lead the team as well as help stakeholders understand the project more fully. If the project moves forward, there will be changes along the way and the mission statement will make sure that as you adjust your project plan you always keep the reason for the project in the crosshairs.

Product or Service

In this section, you’ll describe the product or service that is the final deliverable of the project. More than just a description, however, it should explain how it will be competitive, what niche it’s filling, the problem it’s addressing or the need it’s filling.

Project Definition

Here, you’re going to discuss the project itself, such as what its business objectives are and how you’ll achieve them with the project plan outline . This includes the project scope, such as the tasks and deliverables of the project that will allow you to reach your business objectives.

Project Organization

With this section, you’ll get into the style of coordination, communication and management you’ll use in the project. There are four basic project organizations: functional, which is a traditional structure with departments and managers who report to an executive; project, with divisions that focus on a specific project; organic, where the project follows a natural progression that is more flexible; and matrix, which is part function and part project-based.

Financial Appraisal

This is the dollar and cents part, so it’s extra-important as most businesses focus on the bottom line. You’ll need to show the costs of the project, which is the budget estimation , including how much all of the tasks and resources will be, and why that cost is less than the benefits that the project will deliver to the business. This comparison can be done with a sensitivity analysis and cost-benefit analysis.

Market Assessment

Whatever your product or service and however successful you say it will be, you must back up those claims with market research. This means looking at the market you plan to deliver your product or service, defining it, showing the competition and its percentage of that market, plus how you can reach an unserved segment of the market or answer a need that hasn’t yet been served. Not only the opportunities that you see in the market, but you need to also outline any threats to your product or service.

Market Strategy

Once you have done your market research it’s time to develop a strategy to take advantage of the opportunities you see there and avoid the threats. Describe what your distribution channel will be and what you think is a competitive price point for the product or service. Profile your target audience and how you’ll reach these customers and other aspects of your marketing plan.

Risk Assessment

No project is without risk. The best way to prepare for this unknown inevitable is by making a risk assessment of the project. Where are the weak points? Identify potential issues that might arise over the life cycle of the project and develop plans to mitigate or take advantage of these risks, as there are both negative and positive risks in a project.

How ProjectManager Helps Turn a Business Case Into a Project

ProjectManager is project management software that helps you turn a business case into a project. We have the tools you need to plan better and monitor your execution so you deliver your project on time and within budget. A business case is what convinces your stakeholders that the project is worthwhile.

Create Detailed Plans on Robust Gantt

The project plan is how you’re going to get from the idea to the reality. Now that you’ve outlined that path in your business case, use our interactive Gantt chart to stay organized. You can organize tasks, link dependencies to avoid bottlenecks and set milestones to track progress. Our tool goes even further by allowing you to filter for the critical path without time-consuming calculations. Once you set the baseline, you can then generate variance reports to see if your actual progress is aligned with your planned progress.

ProjectManager's Gantt chart

Monitor Progress and Performance With Real-Time Dashboards

In order to meet the expectations set by your business case and keep your stakeholders updated, you need to have an eye on your project to see things as they happen. Our real-time dashboard automatically collects and calculates six project metrics and displays them in colorful graphs that are easy to digest. Unlike lightweight tools, there’s no setup required. We also have real-time reports that dive deeper into the data, which can be filtered to show only what you want to see and shared with stakeholders to manage their expectations.

dashboard showing project metrics in real-time

Other Templates to Help Build a Business Case

The business case template is a powerful tool to win over your stakeholders. ProjectManager is not the software that will make the business case a reality. But we’re also an online hub for all things project management, including dozens of free project management templates you can download as you’re building your business case. Here are a few.

Executive Summary Template

Part of any business case is the executive summary. If you need help composing this overview, our free executive summary template for Word is what you should download. It’s all here, everything you’ll need to collect the main points and write a powerful and direct executive summary to sway your stakeholders.

SWOT Analysis Template

When developing a strategic plan for your business case, our free SWOT analysis template for Word helps you map the internal and external factors of influence. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This free template download can help you see your project in a bigger context.

Estimate Template

Another important part of a business case is the financial appraisal. What you need is to make an accurate forecast of your project’s costs. Our free estimate template for Excel helps you identify all the project costs related to labor, materials and more to show your stakeholders why their investment is going to give them a greater return.

Related Content

ProjectManager is also a great place to read about project management. We publish multiple blogs a week and have hundreds of tutorial videos, guidebooks, white papers and much more. These assets cover every aspect of managing a project, from initiation to close. Here are some related to making a business case.

  • 15 Free Word & Excel Templates for Business
  • How to Write a Business Case
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis for Projects: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • What Is a Project Plan? The Ultimate Guide to Project Planning

ProjectManager is award-winning software that organizes work, monitors progress and reports on performance to keep you productive. Whether you’re managing one project or a program or a portfolio of projects, we have the tools that connect teams across departments or the country. Real-time data helps you make more insightful decisions. Join teams at NASA, Siemens and Nestle who use our tool to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

Start your free 30-day trial

Deliver faster, collaborate better, innovate more effectively — without the high prices and months-long implementation and extensive training required by other products.

WTO / Business / Analysis / 8 Free Business Case Templates

8 Free Business Case Templates

As a business specialist or manager, you are majorly responsible for important business decisions. Therefore, it is necessary to understand and know how to create a well-structured case. A business case is a fundamental document that plays a significant role in the organization’s decision-making processes. It is advisable to use a template when creating such a case. The template will act as a complete and comprehensive guide during the creation process. Hence, this article will discuss the template’s benefits and essential components for preparing it. 

What is a Business Case? 

A business case is a document that justifies why an organization invested in a particular project, investment, program, or initiative.

This document evaluates the project’s risks, costs, benefits, and alternatives. Additionally, it provides a coherent framework in which you can evaluate the company’s financial and operational viability to boost the success rates of its projects. It is usually prepared by the project manager, business analyst, or an important stakeholder. 

The document is presented to organizational executives, shareholders, and other interested parties who will either approve, revise, or reject the proposed investment of the project. Furthermore, it summarizes the essential elements of the initiative in question. These elements enable the investors, executives, and shareholders to measure the project’s benefits to the organization. That means that for you to have a complete document, your case should comprehensively outline the importance and value of the project. 

Free Templates

Following are the templates that you can download for free:

Great Downloadable Business Case Template 01 as Word File

Benefits of Business Case Template

A template for business case is a structured document that provides a blueprint and a format for creating the case.

This document acts as a guide on how to organize and present the information contained in your case. Furthermore, it outlines the fundamental elements to consider when crafting a business case. 

The following are the benefits of using business case template:

Alignment with organizational standards

The template ensures that the proposed initiatives and projects are aligned with the company’s overall strategic goals and practices. Additionally, it guarantees that the information is presented accurately and consistently. As a result, your presentation will adhere to the organizational guidelines for creating it. Also, it will ensure that the executives and stakeholders understand the initiative or the project you are proposing. 

Improved communication

Communication is critical in any business set-up. This document will ensure that key points and other relevant details are clearly and concisely articulated. As a result, this will facilitate improved communication between the stakeholders and other reverent individuals. Improved communication will allow the executives to understand the proposed project’s benefits, costs, and risks. 

Enhance collaboration

This structured document will provide a shared framework for individuals, departments, and shareholders to collaborate when creating a standardized business case. With collaboration, the initiative’s final proposal will capture the different perspectives of all involved parties. 

Training and onboarding

A template for business case can be an effective and efficient training and onboarding tool for new and old employees. By using a standardized template, employees can learn how to create a perfect document that meets the organizational guidelines. The templates provide employees with a step-by-step guide on how to craft it. Also, they enable employees to create it that meets organizational standards and guidelines. 

Flexibility for customization

Template for business case can be customized to satisfy the requirements and adhere to the organization’s guidelines. While the template offers a standardized structure, it can also be modified to accommodate different project proposals that have unique requirements. This flexibility allows an organization to maintain consistency when preparing and presenting business cases to stakeholders and investors.

Continuous improvement

You can regularly review and update it to ensure it remains practical and relevant to the organizational objectives. That means, using the feedback gathered from the stakeholders, you can continuously improve your case. The feedback will highlight the areas that need improvement during the preparation process. Therefore, your document will remain effective as the organization evolves.

How to Choose the Right Template

Choosing a suitable template is essential to effectively present a project proposal to investors and stakeholders. With a well-structured document, you can design the case with organized data and present the information clearly and concisely.

The following are steps to follow when choosing a template:

Step 1: Identify the specific needs and requirements of your project

Before choosing a template, you consider the type of project, its objectives, the target audience, the scope, and the objectives of the project. This will help you to identify the information to be included. For instance, if you are creating a business case for launching a new product, you will need a template that contains sections like risk analysis , financial projections, and marketing research. Therefore, by understanding your project, you can choose a template that complements the specific needs of your project. 

Step 2: Evaluate different template options

It is important to evaluate and examine different business case templates to determine which one meets the requirements of your project. Note that the template should be user-friendly and easy to customize. Therefore, you can select and evaluate different templates after identifying the needs and requirements of the project in question. While evaluating the template, you should consider its structure, usability, and overall layout.

In addition, the template should help you to maintain the structure and the integrity of the project information. Therefore, you should be able to customize and tailor the selected template to fit and satisfy the specific needs of your project. 

Step 3: Consider industry standards and best practices

It is fundamental to select and use templates that are widely used and accepted in the industry. Templates that meet the industry standards and practices will ensure that your project proposal adheres to the industry norms, standards, and best practices. Therefore, you should select templates with sections such as shareholder analysis, risk and benefit assessment, and market analysis. A template that adheres to industry standards and best practices will make your business case credible and acceptable among clients, executives, and investors. 

Basic Components of a Template

Templates may vary depending on the specifications of the project in question. However, there are essential elements that must be included in the template.

They include the following:

Executive summary

The summary should be placed at the beginning of the case. This section prides investors and executives with a brief overview of the entire project. The executive summary outlines the purpose of the project, its objectives, the problems being solved, and the potential benefits the project will bring. 

Business problem

In this section, indicate and explain the problem or opportunity to be resolved by the proposed project. Therefore, this section should identify the existing problems and why the proposed project is necessary to solve the identified problem. Also, it should explain why the project is vital to the organization. 

Possible solutions

This section will allow you to list and evaluate the possible business solutions to the identified problem. The possible solutions will demonstrate how the project will be executed and each proposed solution’s expected pros and cons. This will allow stakeholders to select solutions that will offer more benefits to the organization. 

Product or service

This section of the template describes the product or service that will be developed as part of the solution to the identified problem. Therefore, you will describe the product or service, its features, the development process, its benefits, and the product or service that will satisfy the market demand. 

Project definition

This section provides a detailed definition and description of the project. Project definition entails outlining the specific objectives of the project, the expected outcome, and the possible challenges and limitations to be faced during the project. It also describes how the proposed project aligns with the organization’s strategic mission. 

Project plan

This section offers a breakdown of how the project will be handled. Therefore, this section outlines the tasks, resources, activities, and the timeline needed to complete the project. A project plan provides shareholders with a blueprint of how the project will be executed and managed and the expected outcome. 

Project scope

Project scope defines the project’s boundaries and indicates what it will and will not include. This component highlights and manages the expectations of the project and ensures that the established boundaries are not violated or neglected. 

Project budget

The project budget allows investors to understand the financial implications of the proposed initiative. Therefore, this section provides a breakdown of the finances needed to make the project successful. This component includes providing an estimate of the cost of the materials, hiring labor, equipment, and any other necessary expenses. 

Project roadmap

This component provides a detailed analysis and overview of the project’s timeline and milestones in business. It presents a breakdown of how the project will proceed from start to finish. It allows investors and executives to visualize and understand the project’s milestones, critical dependencies, and timeline. 

Project financials

This section provides a detailed analysis of the project’s financial projections. This may include return on investment (ROI), revenue, expenses, and costs. It measures the financial benefits and the practicality of the project. Therefore, stakeholders can use this section to evaluate the economic appeal of the project.

Market assessment

This section analyzes the current market trend, conditions, and competitiveness in the market regarding the proposed product or service. The assessment will indicate the target audience, their needs, the competitive landscape, and the market size. Marker assessment will help stakeholders to understand how the market works and the possible benefits and risks of undertaking the project.

Market strategy

The market strategy highlights the marketing strategies and tactics that will be used to reach the target audience and promote the proposed product or service. This strategy will be used to gain a marketing advantage over the competitors. Additionally, the market strategy will give investors insights into achieving success in a crowded market. 

Risk assessment

Risk assessment allows executives and shareholders to understand the risks associated with the project and how they can be regulated. This segment identifies and evaluates the potential risks and reservations connected with the proposed project. The assessment indicates and explains how the identified risks may hinder and affect the company’s strategic plans and the project’s progress. 

Project stakeholders

This section of the template indicates the key stakeholders, groups, or individuals affected by the project directly. The stakeholders may include investors, partners, employees, and customers. These individuals play a vital role in the project cycle by ensuring that there are strategies to mitigate any risks and ensure the project is successful. Also, the project is usually designed to meet and satisfy the demands and expectations of these individuals. 

Business Case Vs. Business Plan

A business case is a document a project manager prepares to justify the investment in a particular initiative or opportunity. The document outlines the benefits and the potential outcome of the project in question. It also shows the financial needs of the proposed project, the risks of pursuing this opportunity, and an assessment of available alternatives to the proposed initiative. 

On the other hand, a business plan is a document that expansively highlights an organization’s mission, strategies, and operational procedures. It indicates a company’s products, services, operations, marketing, and financial projections. A plan can be used to secure funding from investors and other financial institutions. In addition, it can be used for financial development and decision-making within the organization.

Final Thoughts

A perfectly prepared business case is an instrumental tool that can be used to grow a business and help maintain its advantage in a constantly evolving and competitive market. The essence of the template is to help the organization prepare a detailed document that will help them gain financial aid to complete its project objectives. Therefore, it allows the organization to easily align its projects with the right resources and strategies to attain the desired outcomes. In addition, it offers structure and consistency that makes the decision-making process easy, accurate, and fast. 

About This Article

Jean Murray

Was this helpful?

Great! Tell us more about your experience

Not up to par help us fix it, keep reading.

SWOT Analysis

Analysis , Uncategorised

10 free swot analysis templates (word, excel, ppt).

Identity Chart Template

12 Free Identity Chart Templates

Industry Analysis

Industry Analysis: Meaning, Types, Free Templates

PEST Analysis

26 Free PEST Analysis Templates

Thank you for your feedback.

Your Voice, Our Progress. Your feedback matters a lot to us.

Business Case for Word, Google Docs, PDF

Business case template preview

Download Free Template

Available for Word & Google Docs & PDF

Your download is available!

Click to download your document template in the format you need.

Your download is ready!

Download Business Case for Word & Google Docs & PDF or email it to yourself later.

Download Business Case for Word & Google Docs & PDF.

  • Send to email

Plus, you've unlocked access to our full collection of 130 hand-built business templates!

Template Highlights

  • Available for download in Microsoft Word or accessible in Google Docs.
  • Offers a dedicated section for you to provide a detailed implementation plan and timeline, allowing you to customize your business case for clear and effective communication with your teams.
  • Assists you in gaining support from investors and stakeholders by helping you present a well-structured business case.
  • Each section of the template includes straightforward instructions, making it easy and simple for you to fill in your business case details.

What is a business case?

A business case is a document that you can use to pitch a project idea to your stakeholders. The process involves identifying a need or problem, outlining a possible solution, and explaining the advantages and disadvantages of your idea.

What does a business case include?

A business case offers details that help stakeholders evaluate your idea by understanding why you’re suggesting a certain solution and what you hope to achieve with your project.  Specifically, a business case template often includes the following sections:

  • Purpose: The business problem or need that your proposed project will solve.
  • Solution: An overview of your solution to the problem or need, which usually includes an overview of the project schedule and timeline.
  • Scope: The time, money, and human investment required for your project. 
  • Alternatives: Other strategies that could be used to solve the same problem.
  • Analysis: The benefits and risks associated with your solution and reasons why you chose your solution over the alternatives.
  • Key performance indicators (KPIs): How you plan to measure the effectiveness or success of the solution.

Importance of creating a business case document

Preparing a business case for a project empowers you to make a compelling argument for your proposed solution.  Additionally, it can increase the chances of your project’s success by enabling the following benefits:

Gaining stakeholder support

A comprehensive business case shows investors and stakeholders that you’ve done the research to prove the value of a solution. This builds trust and credibility, which means you’re more likely to win support for your idea.

Improving project selection 

Writing a business case forces you to clearly define the purpose of each project, consider alternatives, and weigh the benefits against the risks. As a result, you’re more likely to invest in projects that have the best possible outcomes and strategic advantages over alternate solutions.

Enabling proactive risk management

Considering risks is a key part of project management. In fact, two-thirds of project managers regularly take part in risk management activities. And thinking about potential risks at the beginning of a project gives you a head start on mitigating them. Instead of responding in real-time, you can take a proactive approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a business plan and a business case, is this business case template free, can i edit this business case template, related tags:.

  • Business Plans
  • Google Docs

Related Business Templates

Standard operating procedures (sop).

Describe the how, what, and where of your organizational tasks to employees with this free SOP templ...

Gap Analysis

Conduct thorough assessments of your current state vs. goals with this free gap analysis template.

Root Cause Analysis

Use this free root cause analysis template to identify the source of business issues and create a pl...

Progress Report

Share your project progress with other team members, departments, or relevant parties with this free...

Action Plan

Use our free action plan template to help get your business or project goals off the ground.

Fishbone Diagram

Identify a problem's root causes efficiently with a fishbone diagram. This visualization template ca...

Process Map

Streamline your workflow, enhance efficiency, and foster continuous improvement in your organization...

Download the free 5 whys template to identify the root cause of business challenges and develop prac...

Succession Plan

Enhance your organization’s leadership continuity, improve workforce readiness, and ensure smooth tr...

Business One-Pager Template

Use this professional one-pager template to help capture the attention of stakeholders and potential...

Decision Tree

Use this free decision tree template to understand the potential outcomes of your business decisions...

Business Label

Use this free label template to help promote your brand in marketing, packaging, and shipping.

Get this template for free!

Filter by Keywords

15 Best Case Study Templates to Use in Word and ClickUp

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

February 14, 2024

Case studies are valuable tools for sharing customer success stories and analyzing problem-solving approaches in a structured and informative manner. They can be used to provide detailed insights into specific projects, strategies, or challenges and offer valuable lessons and best practices for professionals across various fields. 

Content marketing teams often create case studies as a way to gain more customers and get new business. Case studies can give potential customers a better understanding of your company brand , what it does and how you could potentially help them. 

However, creating a compelling case study from scratch can be a time-consuming task. That’s where marketing case study examples and templates can help. 

What is a Case Study Template?

What makes a good case study template, 1. clickup case study template, 2. clickup case study design template, 3. clickup research report template, 4. clickup market research template, 5. clickup user research plan template, 6. clickup data analysis findings template, 7. clickup campaign report template, 8. clickup research whiteboard, 9. google docs case study template by wordstream, 10. word case study report template by template.net, 11. word case brief summary template by template.net, 12. word case study report template by template.net, 13. word case study research template by template.net, 14. word psychology case study template by template.net, 15. word media case study template by template.net.

Avatar of person using AI

A case study template is a pre-designed framework that serves as a starting point for creating comprehensive and structured case study documents. It provides a standardized, traditional case study format for organizing and presenting information about a particular project, problem-solving scenario, success story, or real-life situation.

Case study templates typically include sections for outlining the background and context of the case study, project documentation , describing the methodology or approach used, presenting data and analysis, and highlighting key findings and recommendations that tell the entire story. 

Business case study examples like templates can work as a guide to help content marketers, blog post writers, and anyone else creating quality content that’s customer-facing, focus on important aspects and maintain a logical flow while telling a compelling story.

Some key elements that make a case study template stand out include:

  • Clarity and organization: A well-designed template should be easy to navigate. Each section should be labeled appropriately, enabling readers to quickly find the information they seek
  • Flexibility: A good case study template should be easily customizable and able to accommodate diverse scenarios. It should be adaptable to different industries, research methodologies, and presentation styles
  • Visual appeal: Incorporating visual elements like charts, graphs, and other images can enhance a case study template’s look and make it more visually appealing. They can also aid in the comprehension of complex data. A visually engaging template can captivate readers and make the case study more impactful

15 Case Study Templates to Use in 2024

You don’t have to start from scratch when making your next case study. Instead, take a look at these carefully curated case study templates from ClickUp and Microsoft Word.

ClickUp Case Study Template

ClickUp’s Case Study Template can provide a great start for just about any type of case study you and your team want to write. It kicks off with a section for introducing both your business and the client or customer that the case study focuses on. 

After introducing both yourself and the customer, you briefly highlight the customer’s experience and the successes you achieved before delivering a more detailed description of the work you performed and the measurable results you achieved. 

The next section focuses on the objective of the case study—what the client’s goal and pain point was and why they decided you were the right company to help them achieve these goals. 

The case study template then launches into a section describing the solutions you presented and the data that backs up your success. We created this marketing case study template for a marketing agency that helps customers achieve growth through paid media campaigns, but it can easily be edited to highlight any type of solution.

ClickUp Case Study Design Template

One of the best ways of telling a customer story using a case study is by allowing the customer to do most of the work themselves. When a case study is written by current or even previous customers, it feels more sincere and honest, especially to potential customers in the evaluation process. 

If you want to try this technique out, use this ClickUp Study Design Template . You can send your customer this great case study template and allow them to fill it out themselves and basically write a case study for you. This gives you unfiltered and unbiased answers to the questions you want answered in the case study. 

The case study template helps them understand what you want the case study to look like and how the customer’s story should be described. It also helps you get great customer quotes. 

A template makes it easier for your customer to frame their experiences with you and easily explain how your product or service helped them. Hearing a peer’s success story from a firsthand perspective can be a more convincing read for prospective customers. 

Manage customers with customer database software !

ClickUp Research Report Template

Case studies are essentially customer stories, which can be told in many ways and come in many formats. A research report is another excellent way to frame a case study. 

This ClickUp Research Report Template is a step-by-step guide that can help your team create an easy-to-follow research report that allows you to clearly detail your research methods, findings, and the insights that you’ve gained from the research being presented. 

This template has a very clear structure, allowing you to simply add the following: an executive summary (brief description), introduction, the methodology used, your results, references, and any necessary appendices if supplementary material needs to be referenced in your research report. 

If you need more templates like this, check out this list of research plan templates .

ClickUp Market Research Template

Companies perform market research in order to define what their customers want and need from them. This type of research also helps you to improve product and service offers and learn more about what your competitors are doing and where the success of other businesses stems from. 

ClickUp’s Market Research Template gives you a simple-to-follow document that helps you gather and present information related to your target audience, the state of your product/service, and the state of your industry at large. 

When you perform marketing research, you are aiming to confirm your hunches about customer needs through scientific research and tangible data. 

Marketing case study examples like this are perfect because they’re very simplified and easily customizable. It offers you a section for presenting your company and why you are performing marketing research first.

The template then guides you in describing the type of research you’re doing, how you went about performing market research, data collection techniques, and what insights were garnered—whether it was from existing or potential customers.

Check out these research management tools !

Download This Template

Another type of customer-centric report that you can put together is a user research report. ClickUp’s User Research Plan Template makes it easy for you to define all of the goals and details that you want included in your user research.

The template is particularly useful for user experience (UX) teams that want to perform user persona research in order to better understand what users need and how they behave when using their product, in order to deliver a better experience to them and to new clients. 

The template starts with a “ problem statement ” where you can define the problem that the user research report is aiming to solve. Next, you’ll list the goals that you want to achieve and then clearly define the research process.

This type of marketing case study template and report can show you what a satisfied customer looks like and give you insights that help to attract and retain future customers.

Check out these user persona templates !

ClickUp Data Analysis Findings Template

Another important study that your business can perform in order to make smarter decisions is data analysis. ClickUp’s Data Analysis Findings template makes it easy for your team to perform data analysis and present it clearly to key stakeholders. 

This template also starts by setting the stage for the study and explaining it, first with a problem statement and then by explaining the significance of the study. 

Next, the template recommends that you define the scope and limitations of the study to set expectations for its potential impact. The next step is to frame your analysis methods and provide the data sources that you used in the analysis, as well as the statistical methods used.

Finally, you can present your findings in a clear and concise way. The template also includes charts and other data visualization tools you can use to make the study more engaging.

ClickUp Campaign Report Template

This ClickUp Campaign Report template is pre-built to make it incredibly easy to present the results of any ad campaign to stakeholders very easily. 

It starts with a section describing your strategy in detail, including the total costs, and the total revenue, conversions, and clicks that you expect to achieve with the campaign. 

The marketing case study template then provides charts and graphs that you can use to detail the performance of your campaigns on every single channel that you use. Case study templates like this are great for detailing information on potential customers to know how to better run your campaigns in the future.

ClickUp Research Whiteboard

Make your next user research project a collaborative, visual experience. Give everyone on your team a chance to add their thoughts and findings with virtual sticky notes using the ClickUp Research Whiteboard Template .

This is one of the more flexible case study templates in this list. Its user research tool makes it easy to take all the random bits of information your team gathers through interviews, surveys, user sessions, and other methods of feedback into one location.

Then, you can quickly organize all of that data into clear categories that make this case study template easy to see at a glance what direction you need to take your project to satisfy your customers.

Case Study Template by WordStream

If you’re writing many case studies, it’s a good idea to try out a bunch of templates over time for added inspiration. Even if you’ve found one structure works great for your case studies, changing your structure up every now and then can give you a fresh perspective on how to present a featured client. 

Another good case study you can check out is Wordstream’s Case Study Template. It has an excellent structure and provides pre-built visual cues that give you some ideas for breaking up business case study examples and making them more appealing with pictures and charts. 

Use this template to showcase particular customers’ results and share customer pain points and how they were solved. This will help you provide clear evidence to potential customers that you will be able to help them as well.

Case Study Template from Template.net

Template.net is one of the biggest websites if you’re looking for business templates. It’s especially popular for businesses that prefer creating documents in Microsoft Word and Excel.

This Case Study Template from Template.net is sparse, but it gets right to the point and is very well-structured and easy to follow.

business case study template word

This Microsoft Word case study template is a great way to get right down to business! It features a clean and organized layout with clear headings and subheadings, making it easy for readers to navigate. This template also includes space for a brief summary of the case study, perfect for giving readers an overview before diving into the details.

business case study template word

This Microsoft Word case study template is a great option for creating an in-depth report on your findings. The template includes sections for an executive summary, introduction, methodology, results, references, and appendices. It also features a clear structure to make it easy to gather and present information in a cohesive manner. The template also includes sections for an introduction, methodology, findings, and recommendations, ensuring that all the essential elements of a case study are covered.

business case study template word

This Word case study template features a professional and organized design with clearly labeled sections for the introduction, methodology, findings, and conclusion. It also includes space for charts and graphs to visually represent data.

business case study template word

Psychology case studies can be complex and detailed, making it important to have a well-organized template to present the information. The Psychology Case Study Template is perfect for this task, with clear headings and subheadings that guide readers through each section of the study. It also includes sections for summarizing key points and providing recommendations based on the findings.

business case study template word

This media case study template from Template.net is perfect for showcasing the success of a marketing or advertising campaign! It includes space for key metrics, such as reach and engagement, and also has sections for outlining the challenges faced and solutions implemented. With its clean design and easy-to-follow layout, this template is ideal for presenting media case studies to clients or stakeholders.

It’s Easy to Make a Case for Using ClickUp Case Study Templates

People trust other people. That’s why personal recommendations are one of the most effective marketing tactics. A case study provides your company with just that—a personal recommendation from a client you’ve helping, telling others that you can do the same for them. 

In the selection process of choosing a product or service to go with, companies will always look at the experiences of other organizations similar to them. Marketing case studies are sincere yet persuasive and clearly show how you help others and can be a very effective differentiator.

ClickUp was designed to serve teams in any industry and of any size. So it makes sense the case study templates we offer are just as diverse and customizable.

Best of all, they are completely free to use!  Sign up for free to ClickUp to get immediate access to a massive amount of templates, free cloud storage, and of course, industry-leading project and team management features.

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

  • Free training & 24-hour support
  • Serious about security & privacy
  • 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

Project Management Docs

Free Project Management Templates

Business Case Template

A Good Business Case captures and documents the reasoning for starting a new project. Our free Business Case Template provides a sound foundation for developing the business case for your next project.

A Business Case helps to determine whether or not a project justifies an organizations investment into a project. The Business Case defines the problem and its impact and performs a Cost Benefit Analysis for the proposed solution. It also looks at possible alternative solutions. Often overlooked, the Business Case checks to see that the project aligns with the organization’s strategic plans.

Download Template

1. executive summary.

This Business Case Template provides you with a good starting point for which to develop your project/organization specific Business Case. You can download the MS Word version of this template by clicking on the Word icon above.

This section should provide general information on the issues surrounding the business problem and the proposed project or initiative created to address it. Usually, this section is completed last after all other sections of the business case have been written. This is because the executive summary is exactly that, a summary of the detail that is provided in subsequent sections of the document.

This business case outlines how the Web Platform (WP) Project will address current business concerns, the benefits of the project, and recommendations and justification of the project. The business case also discusses detailed project goals, performance measures, assumptions, constraints, and alternative options.

This section of the business case should briefly describe the business problem that the proposed project will address. This section should not describe how the problem will be addressed, only what the problem is.

Because of an expanding client base, Smith Consulting has moved to a de-centralized business model over the last 2 years. As we continue to support more clients in more locations, the administration of our workforce has become more difficult. Until now, many of our internal requirements such as reporting, payroll activities, and resource management have been done via legacy mainframe systems. As our workforce expands in numbers and area, these legacy mainframe systems have become inadequate to effectively manage these administrative activities. This inadequacy is manifested in higher costs and increased employee turnover which we have seen over the last 12 months. In order to more effectively manage our administration, reduce costs, and improve employee turnover, Smith Consulting must move to a web-based application as outlined in this business case for the WP Project. By doing so, employees will assume a greater role in managing their administrative issues, have access to timesheets securely online, and the company can manage its administration from one central and common platform.

1.2 Anticipated Outcomes

This section should describe the anticipated outcome if the proposed project or initiative is implemented. It should include how the project will benefit the business and describe what the end state of the project should be.

Moving to a centralized web-based administrative platform will enable Smith Consulting to manage its employee payroll systems and administrative functions in a seamless and consolidated manner. This technology migration will reduce overhead costs associated with the large workforce currently required to manage these tasks. De-centralized employees will have more autonomy to manage their payroll elections, training, reporting, and various other administrative tasks. The company will also benefit from more timely and accurate financial reporting as a result of our regional managers’ ability to enter and continuously update their financial metrics. This real time access reduces errors, improves cycle time, and is readily available to any authorized user.

1.3 Recommendation

This section of our business case template summarizes the approach for how the project will address the business problem. This section should also describe how desirable results will be achieved by moving forward with the project.

Various options and alternatives were analyzed to determine the best way to leverage technology to improve the business processes and reduce the overhead costs within Smith Consulting. The approach described herein allows us to meet our corporate objectives of continuously improving efficiency, reducing costs, and capitalizing on technology. The recommended WP Project will methodically migrate the data and functions of our current mainframe system to our new web-based platform in order to preserve data integrity and allow adequate time to train all employees and managers on their responsibilities and respective administrative functions. The web-based platform is compatible with all other current IT systems and will improve the efficiency and accuracy of reporting throughout the company. Some of the ways that this technology will achieve its desired results are:

  • Employees will be able to enter and edit their timesheet data at any time from any location instead of phoning their data to their regional manager for entry into the mainframe system
  • Timesheet and payroll data will be immediately accessible for quality control and reporting purposes which will reduce the need for staff in non-billable positions to gather, analyze and compile data
  • Employees will have the ability to register for training which reduces the burden on managers and training staff

1.4 Justification

This section justifies why the recommended project should be implemented and why it was selected over other alternatives. Where applicable, quantitative support should be provided and the impact of not implementing the project should also be stated.

The migration of payroll and other administrative functions from the legacy mainframe system to the web-based platform will result in greater efficiency with regards to company resources and business processes. The WP Project is also aligned with corporate strategy and objectives since it uses technology to improve the way we do business. While other alternatives and the status quo were analyzed, the WP Project was selected for proposal in this business case because it provides the best opportunity to realize benefits in an expedited manner while also allowing for the greatest improvement in efficiency and cost reduction. Other alternatives assumed greater risk, provided less benefits, were too difficult to define, or were not suitably aligned with current corporate strategy and/or objectives.

Initial estimates for the WP Project are:

  • 15% reduction in overhead costs in the first 12 months
  • 10% decrease in employee turnover in the first 12 months
  • 50% immediate decrease in time to generate weekly and monthly financial reports
  • 25% immediate decrease in the amount of time it takes to resolve payroll issues

2. Business Case Analysis Team

This section of the business case template describes the roles of the team members who developed the business case. It is imperative that participants and roles are clearly defined for the business case as well as throughout the life of the project.

The following individuals comprise the business case analysis team. They are responsible for the analysis and creation of the WP Project business case.

RoleDescriptionName/Title
Executive SponsorProvide executive support for the projectJohn Doe, VP Operations
Technology SupportProvides all technology support for the projectJane Smith, VP Information Technology
Process ImprovementAdvises team on process improvement techniquesJim Jones, Process Team Lead
Project ManagerManages the business case and project teamSteve Smith, Project Manager
Software SupportProvides all software support for the projectAmy White, Software Group Lead

3. Problem Definition

3.1 problem statement.

This section describes the business problem that this project was created to address. The problem may be process, technology, or product/service oriented. This section should not include any discussion related to the solution.

Since its inception, Smith Consulting has relied upon a mainframe system to manage payroll and other administrative employee functions. As the number of employees grows, so does the burden placed upon headquarters to effectively manage the company’s administration at acceptable levels. In the last two years Smith Consulting has hired 5 employees into overhead positions to help manage and run the day to day administration operations. These positions provide little or no return on investment as they are not billable positions and only maintain the status quo; they do nothing to improve the management of the company’s administration. Additionally, employees must currently call their regional managers to enter their work hours and raise any concerns regarding payroll and administrative tasks. This places a large burden on managers who much balance these requirements with their day to day billable tasks.

Reporting is another problem area associated with the legacy mainframe system. All weekly and monthly financial reports must be generated manually which allows for a high probability of error and require significant amounts of time. These manual tasks further add to the burden and expense of the company.

3.2 Organizational Impact

This section of our template describes how the proposed project will modify or affect the organizational processes, tools, hardware, and/or software. It should also explain any new roles which would be created or how existing roles may change as a result of the project.

The WP Project will impact Smith Consulting in several ways. The following provides a high-level explanation of how the organization, tools, processes, and roles and responsibilities will be affected as a result of the WP Project implementation:

Tools: the existing legacy administration platform will be phased out completely as the WP Project is stood up and becomes operational. This will require training employees on the WP tools and their use in support of other organizational tools.

Processes: with the WP Project comes more efficient and streamlined administrative and payroll processes. This improved efficiency will lessen the burden on managers and provide autonomy to employees in managing their administrative and payroll tasks and actions.

Roles and Responsibilities: in addition to the WP Project allowing greater autonomy to employees and less burden on managers, the manpower required to appropriately staff human resources and payroll departments will be reduced. While we greatly value our employees, the reduction of non-billable overhead positions will directly reflect in our bottom line and provide an immediate return on our investment. The new platform will be managed by the IT group and we do not anticipate any changes to IT staffing requirements.

Hardware/Software: in addition to the software and licensing for the project, Smith Consulting will be required to purchase additional servers to accommodate the platform and its anticipated growth for the next 10 years.

3.3 Technology Migration

This section of the Business Case Template provides a high-level overview of how the new technology will be implemented and how data from the legacy technology will be migrated. This section should also explain any outstanding technical requirements and obstacles which need to be addressed.

In order to effectively migrate existing data from our legacy platform to the new Web-based platform, a phased approach has been developed which will result in minimal/no disruption to day to day operations, administration, and payroll activities. The following is a high-level overview of the phased approach:

Phase I: Hardware/Software will be purchased and the WP system will be created in the web-based environment and tested by the IT development group.

Phase II: IT group will stand up a temporary legacy platform in the technology lab to be used for day to day operations for payroll and administration activities. This will be used as a backup system and also to archive all data from the company mainframe.

Phase III: The web-based platform will be populated with all current payroll and administrative data. This must be done in conjunction with the end of a pay cycle.

Phase IV: All employees will receive training on the new web-based platform.

Phase V: The web-based platform will go live and the legacy mainframe system will be archived and stood down.

4. Project Overview

This section describes high-level information about the project to include a description, goals and objectives, performance criteria, assumptions, constraints, and milestones. This section of the Business Case consolidates all project-specific information into one chapter and allows for an easy understanding of the project since the baseline business problem, impacts, and recommendations have already been established.

The WP Project overview provides detail for how this project will address Smith Consulting’s business problem. The overview consists of a project description, goals and objectives for the WP Project, project performance criteria, project assumptions, constraints, and major milestones. As the project is approved and moves forward, each of these components will be expanded to include a greater level of detail in working toward the project plan.

4.1 Project Description

This section describes the approach the project will use to address the business problem(s). This includes what the project will consist of, a general description of how it will be executed, and the purpose of it.

The WP Project will review and analyze several potential products to replace Smith Consulting’s legacy payroll and administration mainframe system with a web-based platform. This will be done by determining and selecting a product which adequately replaces our existing system and still allows for growth for the next 10 years. Once selected, the project will replace our existing system in a phased implementation approach and be completed once the new system is operational and the legacy system is archived and no longer in use.

This project will result in greater efficiency of day to day payroll and administrative operations and reporting, significantly lower overhead costs, and reduced turnover as a result of providing employees with greater autonomy and flexibility. Additionally, managers will once again be focused on billable tasks instead of utilizing a significant portion of their time on non-billable administrative tasks.

Smith Consulting will issue a Request for Information in order to determine which products are immediately available to meet our business needs. Once the product is acquired, all implementation and data population will be conducted with internal resources.

4.2 Goals and Objectives

This part of the template lists the business goals and objectives which are supported by the project and how the project will address them.

The WP Project directly supports several of the corporate goals and objectives established by Smith Consulting. The following table lists the business goals and objectives that the WP Project supports and how it supports them:

Business Goal/ObjectiveDescription
Timely and accurate reportingWeb based tool will allow real-time and accurate reporting of all payroll and administrative metrics
Improve staff efficiencyFewer HR and payroll staff required for managing these activities will improve efficiency
Reduce employee turnoverGreater autonomy and flexibility will address employee concerns and allow managers to focus on billable tasks
Reduce overhead costsFewer staff required will reduce the company’s overhead

4.3 Project Performance

This section describes the measures that will be used to gauge the project’s performance and outcomes as they relate to key resources, processes, or services.

The following table lists the key resources, processes, or services and their anticipated business outcomes in measuring the performance of the project. These performance measures will be quantified and further defined in the detailed project plan.

Key Resource/Process/ServicePerformance Measure
ReportingThe web-based system will reduce reporting discrepancies (duplicates and gaps) and require reconciliation every 6 months instead of monthly.
Timesheet/Admin data entryEliminate managers’ non-billable work by allowing employees to enter their data directly.
Software and System MaintenanceDecrease in cost and staff requirements as system maintenance will be reduced from once every month to once every 6 months with the new system.
Staff ResourcesElimination of 5 staff positions in HR and payroll which are no longer required as several functions will now be automated.

4.4 Project Assumptions

This section lists the preliminary assumptions for the proposed project. As the project is selected and moves into detailed project planning, the list of assumptions will most likely grow as the project plan is developed. However, for the business case there should be at least a preliminary list from which to build.

The following assumptions apply to the WP Project. As project planning begins and more assumptions are identified, they will be added accordingly.

  • All staff and employees will be trained accordingly in their respective data entry, timesheet, and reporting tasks on the new web-based system
  • Funding is available for training
  • Funding is available for purchasing hardware/software for web-based system
  • All department heads will provide necessary support for successful project completion
  • Project has executive-level support and backing

4.5 Project Constraints

This section of the business case template lists the preliminary constraints for the proposed project. As the project is selected and moves into detailed project planning, the list of constraints will most likely grow as the project plan is developed. However, for the business case there should be at least a preliminary list from which to build.

The following constraints apply to the WP Project. As project planning begins and more constraints are identified, they will be added accordingly.

  • There are limited IT resources available to support the WP Project and other, ongoing, IT initiatives.
  • There are a limited number of commercial off the shelf (COTS) products to support both payroll and administrative activities.
  • As implementation will be done internally and not by the product developers or vendors, there will be limited support from the hardware/software providers.

4.6 Major Project Milestones

This section of our template lists the major project milestones and their target completion dates. Since this is the business case, these milestones and target dates are general and in no way final. It is important to note that as the project planning moves forward, a base-lined schedule including all milestones will be completed.

The following are the major project milestones identified at this time. As the project planning moves forward and the schedule is developed, the milestones and their target completion dates will be modified, adjusted, and finalized as necessary to establish the baseline schedule.

Milestones/DeliverablesTarget Date
Project Charter01/01/20xx
Project Plan Review and Completion03/01/20xx
Project Kickoff03/10/20xx
Phase I Complete04/15/20xx
Phase II Complete06/15/20xx
Phase III Complete08/15/20xx
Phase IV Complete10/15/20xx
Phase V Complete12/15/20xx
Closeout/Project Completion12/31/20xx

5. Strategic Alignment

All projects should support the organization’s strategy and strategic plans in order to add value and maintain executive and organizational support. This section of the business case template provides an overview of the organizational strategic plans that are related to the project. This includes the strategic plan, what the plan calls for, and how the project supports the strategic plan.

The WP Project is in direct support of several of Smith Consulting’s Strategic Plans. By directly supporting these strategic plans, this project will improve our business and help move the company forward to the next level of maturity.

PlanGoals/ObjectivesRelationship to Project
20xx Smith Consulting Strategic Plan for Information ManagementImprove record keeping and information managementThis project will allow for real-time information and data entry, increased information accuracy, and a consolidated repository for all payroll and administrative data
20xx Smith Consulting Strategic Plan for Information ManagementUtilize new technology to support company and department missions more effectivelyNew technology will allow many payroll and administrative functions to be automated reducing the levels of staff required to manage these systems
20xx Smith Consulting Strategic Plan for Human CapitalEngage the workforce and improve employee retentionThis project allows the employee to take an active role in managing his/her payroll and administrative elections

6. Cost Benefit Analysis

Many consider this one of the most important parts of a business case as it is often the costs or savings a project yields which win final approval to go forward. It is important to quantify the financial benefits of the project as much as possible in the business case. This is usually done in the form of a cost benefit analysis. The purpose of this is to illustrate the costs of the project and compare them with the benefits and savings to determine if the project is worth pursuing.

The following table captures the cost and savings actions associated with the WP Project, descriptions of these actions, and the costs or savings associated with them through the first year. At the bottom of the chart is the net savings for the first year of the project.

ActionAction TypeDescriptionFirst year costs (- indicates anticipated savings)
Purchase Web-based product and licensesCostInitial investment for WP Project$400,000.00
Software installation and trainingCostCost for IT group to install new software and for the training group to train all employees$100,000.00
Reduce HR and payroll staff by 5 employeesSavingsAn immediate reduction in overhead equal to the annual salary of 3 HR specialists and 2 payroll analysts.-$183,495.00
Managers no longer required to work non-billable payroll and administrative tasksSavings18 regional managers currently average 16 hours per week non-billable time. It is anticipated that this number will be reduced to no more than 2 hours per week. At an average of $36.00 per hour this results in ($36.00 x 14 hours/wk reduced non-billable time x 18 managers) $9072.00 increased revenue per week.-$471,744.00
System maintenance required every 6 months instead of monthlySavingsLess frequent use of IT resources working on non-value added tasks results in approximately $42,000 savings per year.-$42,000
Reduce employee turnover by 10%SavingsSavings in cost to out-process exiting employee and recruit, hire, and train new employees is approximately $50,000 in the first year.-$50,000
Net First Year Savings$247,239.00

Based on the cost benefit analysis above we see that by authorizing the WP Project, Smith Consulting will save $247,239.00 in the first year alone. This represents a significant improvement in our operating costs and is a clear indicator of the benefit this project will have on the company.

7. Alternative Analysis

All business problems may be addressed by any number of alternative projects. While the business case is the result of having selected one such option, a brief summary of considered alternatives should also be included—one of which should be the status quo, or doing nothing. The reasons for not selecting the alternatives should also be included.

The following alternative options have been considered to address the business problem. These alternatives were not selected for a number of reasons which are also explained below.

No Project (Status Quo)Reasons For Not Selecting Alternative
Keep the mainframe legacy system in place
Alternative OptionReasons For Not Selecting Alternative
Outsource the implementation of a web-based platform
Alternative OptionReasons For Not Selecting Alternative
Develop software internally

8. Approvals

The business case is a document with which approval is granted or denied to move forward with the creation of a project. Therefore, the document should receive approval or disapproval from its executive review board

The signatures of the people below indicate an understanding in the purpose and content of this Business Case by those signing it. By signing this document you indicate that you approve of the proposed project outlined in this business case and that the next steps may be taken to create a formal project in accordance with the details outlined herein.

Approver NameTitleSignatureDate
Black, J.President and COO
Brown, A.Executive VP

To download this business case template in MS Word format, click the Download Template link at the top of this page.

Drawing of Stakeholder map

Project Management Templates | FREE Downloads Word, Excel, PDF, Visio

  • Concise, focused guide that cuts through the clutter
  • Step-by-step instructions for creating a project plan in under a day
  • Master essential skills like work breakdowns and task sequencing
  • Real-world troubleshooting for 20 common scheduling challenges
  • Rapidly get up to speed if you're new to Microsoft Project
  • Includes glossary, support resources, and sample plans
  • Start planning like a pro
  • Get your copy today!

The cover of the book 'Essential Microsoft Project: The 20% You Need to Know'

Business Case Template | Free Download - for Projects and Programmes

business case template

The Business Case states the justification for a project in terms of measurable benefits versus costs . It should include the reason for the project, the options considered, a cost vs. benefits analysis, key milestones , risks and resourcing requirements. stakeholdermap.com
  • Contents of the Business Case
  • Business Case Template
  • Project templates to download

Business Case Template contents

Field description and guidance for completion.

  • Problem or opportunity
  • Alignment to the Business Strategy
  • Solution alternatives
  • Recommended Solution
  • Expected costs and benefits
  • Implementation Approach.
  • Business Vision, Strategy or Objectives
  • Business processes or technologies which are not operating efficiently
  • New Competitor products or processes which have been identified
  • New technology trends (or opportunities resulting from new technologies introduced)
  • Commercial or operational trends which are driving changes in the business
  • Changes to Statutory, legislative or other environmental requirements.
  • The reasons why the problem exists.
  • The impact it is having on the business (e.g. financial, cultural, operational)
  • Any time scales within which the problem must be resolved, or key milestones.
  • The impact of doing nothing.
  • Any supporting evidence
  • A time frame within which the opportunity will likely exist
  • The positive impact that realization of the opportunity will have on the business.
Category Benefit Metric
Suggested categories: Financial, Operational, Market, Customer, or Staff Describe the expected benefit(s), if at all possible they should be measurable. The target in measurable terms for example: x dollars reduction in costs or x percentage improvement in time to market.
Category Cost Metric Budgeted
Suggested categories: people, physical, , organisational and services. Describe the cost. Give the cost, this will usually be in terms of monetary value. State whether cost is budgeted for either Yes or No.
Funding Source Amount Notes
        
Description Likelihood Impact Mitigating Actions
Example risk: inability to recruit skilled procurement Low Very High Involve retained recruitment consultant to source team members. Consider using consultants on fixed term contracts.
Example risk: Technology solution is unable to deliver required results. Medium High Complete a pilot project against most business critical . Consider using to deliver working product in s.
Example risk: Additional capital expenditure may be required in addition to that approved. Medium Medium Monitor project spend as per the project methodology. Report on spend biweekly to the . Assign PMO Director to support Project Manager in cost control.
           
Issues are defined as anything which currently impacts the ability of the solution to produce the required outcomes stakeholdermap.com
Description Priority Resolution Actions
Example issue: Required capital expenditure funds have not been budgeted. High Request funding approval as part of this proposal.
Example issue: is not available for the meeting when this Business Case is scheduled to be reviewed. Medium CFO will be sent soft copy in advance of the Board and will submit her comments for review at the board.
        
  • There will be no legislative, business strategy or policy changes during this project as it relates to SaaS software and data security.
  • Prices of subscriptions will not increase during the course of this project.
  • Additional human resource will be available from the business to support this project.
  • Time Management
  • Cost Management
  • Quality Management
  • Change Management
  • Risk Management
  • Issue Management
  • Procurement Management
  • Communications Management
  • Acceptance Management
  • Other artifacts as appropriate for the business case
  • Problem / Opportunity research materials
  • Feasibility Study research materials
  • External quotes or tenders
  • Detailed cost / benefit spreadsheets
  • System requirements (if known)
  • Other relevant information or correspondence.

Business Case template

Word download - business case (doc), word download - business case (docx), pdf download - business case (pdf), project templates to download.

  • Project Management Templates
  • MS Project schedules
  • Prince2 Templates
  • Risk Register template
  • Software Project Plan
  • WBS examples

Share this Image

In accordance with international sanctions, the Semrush platform is no longer accessible to businesses registered or based in Russia. We’re sorry for the inconvenience and if you believe there is a mistake, please send us an email to [email protected] so our team can review.

Templates, Forms, Checklists for MS Office and Apple iWork

  • Search for:
  • Apple iWorks
  • Software Testing
  • White Paper Templates
  • Business Process Design
  • Software Development
  • A-Z (Apple)
  • Writing Tips
  • Action Plan Writing
  • Business Plan Writing

No products in the cart.

Return to shop

19 Case Study Templates (MS Word) + How to Write Tutorial

Download this Case Study Template Pack with  19 pre-formatted templates in MS Word format , which can be easily modified to meet your next project.

You also get a free 21 page tutorial on How to Write a Case Study and an Information Gathering Form for gathering data when writing your case study.

19 Case Study Templates for only $19.99

19 MS Word Case Study Templates

Artistic Case Study (Chinese Dream of the Red Chamber)

Case Study Template – Sample Pages

The following screenshots show the inside pages in the MS Word template.

Note that each MS Word document includes a cover page with image, a page with trademark, disclaimers and other legal text, then the table of contents, followed by the actual case study chapters. Each of these includes guidelines to help you and your team write the material, which of course, is also included in the 21-page tutorial.

2 Column Case Study Templates

If you want to write shorter case studies, the following templates should be helpful.  These follow the classic 2-column layout and are four pages each.

Case Study: Free Downloads

You also get the following documents in your Case Study Template Pack.

How to Write a Great Case Study

If you’ve been commissioned to write a case study, or are interested in starting a lucrative career as a marketing writer, this 21 page tutorial should give you a solid understanding of the fundamentals involved. The tutorial explains:

  • What is a Case Study
  • Why write a Case Study
  • Length, Format and Presentation
  • How to Structure your Case Study
  • Areas to Highlight

How to Write a Case Study

Case Study Information Gathering Form

Use this form to gather information for your case study, such as your client’s background, partners involved in the project, and technical aspects of the technologies deployed in the solution. Once you have this information at your disposal, you are in a much stronger position to begin your case study.

Case Study Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure that you covered, or have at least considered, the following areas that may be related to your case study. Please note that not every case study will require all of these sections; however you can consult this checklist both before and after preparing your draft to double-check that you have addressed all relevant areas.

Case Study Template Pack

The templates are in Microsoft Word and can be downloaded online for only $19.99 . The template pack includes the following documents:

Case Study Templates 19 x MS Word
Case Study Checklist 1 x MS Word
How to Write a Case Study 1 x MS Word
Case Study Information Gathering Form 1 x MS Word

All Case Study Templates for only $19.99

Product Specifications

File Format : The templates are in  Microsoft Word   (.docx) and  Excel  format (.xlsx).

File Size:  The Download file is 10 MBs.

Opening the Files:  You don’t need any special software to unzip the files. To unzip the files, right click on it, then select  Extract , and save it to your computer.

Getting Started:  Depending on your MS Office settings, the files may say Read Only when you open them. If this occurs, click  File ,  Save As  and save the files. There are no security settings on any of the files.

Images:  All of the images in the templates are copyright free.

Username or email address  *

Password  *

Remember me Log in

Lost your password?

How to Write a Business Case (with Examples & Template to Help)

How to Write a Business Case

You have a great idea. Now, you want to gather an expert team and show stakeholders that your project is viable.

But how exactly do you do that?

Before your idea is approved, you need to cover how you will finance and sustain your project. That’s where a business case comes in.

A business case shows key stakeholders exactly how you will execute your idea. It’s important because research shows that ineffective business cases can cause projects to fail .

In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to build a business case that will impress your stakeholders and help your project succeed. We’ll even provide a few examples and give you a template to help.

Download Business Case Template

What is a Business Case?

Developing a Business Plan

Business cases often accompany or follow a project proposal and help show why your project is worth the company’s or client’s time, money, and resources.

When writing a business case, always define the scope and include an executive summary, detailed info about finances, and an overview of the project’s structure. Each member of the project team should contribute to the business case.

Overall, the business case should be concise and only include relevant information. It should cover the benefits, costs, potential risks, and an assessment of how the team will handle any setbacks.

The Most Important Components of a Business Case

A business case should convince key stakeholders of the importance and viability of your project. Be sure to include these things to create an effective business case:

An executive summary, which is a concise overview of your project’s definition and goals. Use this section to briefly explain the problem and how you’ll solve it.

The problem statement. Although you already addressed it in the executive summary, take some time to dive deeper into the problem. Share any relevant research that helps frame the problem as a story, and make sure you draw a strong connection to the company’s goals or mission.

Share any relevant research that helps frame the problem as a story, and make sure you draw a strong connection to the company’s goals or mission

An analysis supported by research and data to show the project is necessary. This is also a good place to include information about the team members involved in the project.

A projection of financial needs. Explain how much money you need and exactly how it will be used. This is one of the most important parts of the business case.

A strong recommendation. Explain the project you’ve chosen to pursue and why you think this is the best solution. You should also address the risks for this recommendation.

Discussion of other possible options. Offer multiple solutions to the problem. The key stakeholders will review your data and business case to help decide the best course of action.

Business Case Examples

Before you write your own business case, let’s look at a few examples.

Project Business Case Example

This example from Expert Program Management is a concise and effective business case. It includes an executive summary, financial information, analysis, and risks. It could be used for a business case in any industry. This quick overview is a great option to send to key stakeholders before meeting to discuss the project further.

Employee Engagement Business Case

In some cases, you need a longer document to present your business case. This sustainability business case from the National Environmental Education Foundation offers an in-depth look at the project. It includes detailed research and examples from other sustainability projects.

Making an Effective Business Case

making an effective business case

A business case is an important part of a successful project. By creating a business case, you show key stakeholders exactly how you plan to solve a problem.

Download the template above as a guide for a business case for your next project. As you work on your business case, focus on explaining your solutions and how you will work toward the goal throughout the entire project.

Tools Your Business Will Need To Thrive

Here is a list of HR Tools that your company will need as you grow . You will need a way to connect your employees, increase engagement and drive transparency across your organization. One of the fastest ways you can connect your employees increase collaboration, and boost employee experience is with Pingboard’s in-depth employee directory and engagement tools. Start your free trial now ! We’re always here if you need help setting up your account .

Connect your people now with Pingboard

You might also like....

20 Icebreaker Activities, Questions & Games

Sign up for a free trial today

Top Categories

Business case study template.

Edit this template

business case study template word

What are the benefits of using Business Case Study templates?

In the world of business, making informed decisions is crucial to success. A Business Case Study letter can be an effective tool for decision-making by providing a detailed analysis of a specific business situation or problem. By presenting the facts and outlining potential solutions, a Business Case Study letter can help stakeholders make informed decisions that will benefit the company in the long run.

The Convenience of Our Business Case Study Templates

At our website, we offer a variety of Business Case Study document templates that can help you create a professional and effective letter. Our templates are designed to be user-friendly and customizable, allowing you to tailor your letter to your specific needs and goals.

Saving Time and Effort

Using our Business Case Study templates offers a number of benefits. First and foremost, they can save you time and effort by providing a framework for your letter. Rather than starting from scratch, you can use our templates as a starting point and then customize them to fit your unique situation. This can help you create a polished and professional letter in less time than it would take to create one from scratch.

Ensuring Comprehensive and Effective Communication

Another advantage of utilizing our templates is that they help ensure the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of your letter. Our templates are designed to guide you through the process of writing a Business Case Study letter, from outlining the problem to proposing solutions. By following our template, you can be confident that you cover all the important details and present a convincing case to your stakeholders.

Improved Quality and Professionalism

Using our templates can also enhance the overall quality and professionalism of your letter. Our templates are professionally designed and formatted, ensuring that your letter looks polished and well-organized. This attention to detail can help you make a strong impression on your stakeholders, increasing the likelihood that they will take your recommendations seriously.

Unleash Your Productivity Potential with Our Online Document Editor!

Are you ready to take your productivity to new heights? With our Online Document Editor at Visual Paradigm Online, you have the power to create captivating documents, letters, reports, and eBooks that will leave a lasting impact. Imagine effortlessly crafting flawless content with the help of our spell checker and grammar checker, ensuring every word shines with professionalism.

©2024 by Visual Paradigm. All rights reserved.

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Security Overview

How to Write a Business Case: Examples, Templates, and Checklists

By Joe Weller | April 24, 2019 (updated February 26, 2023)

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn

Link copied

This article presents expert tips on how to write a business case. We also provide a checklist to prepare for, write, and present a business case, along with free, easy-to-use Word and PowerPoint business case templates.

Included on this page, you'll find details on how to write a business case , sections to include in your business case , a business case checklist , and business case presentation examples .

What Is a Business Case?

A business case is a formal, structured document; an informal, short document; or a verbal exchange that defines the benefits of an initiative or project.

In addition, a business case forecasts the costs, benefits, and risks of an initiative, so decision makers — and even the project initiators — can decide whether a project is worthwhile and why to choose one approach over similar strategies.

Jim Maholic has over 20 years of experience with IT strategy and business case development, including two stints as a CIO, two management positions with the Big Four consulting firms, and leadership positions at several technology companies.

He describes a business case in this way: “A business case is the full story that explains the ROI for a capital project. It begins with a statement of a business problem, then explores how we can solve it or what the value of solving it is. For example, ‘Our revenues aren’t rising as fast as they should,’ or ‘Inventory isn't turning over as fast as it should,’ or ‘Costs are too high.’ That's where the business case starts.

Jim Maholic

“Then, we find out how big this problem is. We talk to people in the company and find out what they think the value of solving the problem is. All this information is packaged into a story that says, ‘Here's the problem. Here's the value of solving the problem. Here's what it costs in hardware, software, or whatever. Here are the benefits. And here’s the whole story.’”

Business Cases Explain Why You Should Invest

A business case explains why stakeholders should invest in a project. The purpose of a business case contrasts with that of a project proposal , which provides a high-level outline of what you want to initiate and its benefits to the company, or that of a project plan , which explains how you execute a project. You should create your business case during the earliest stages of project planning .

A business case can also become a key document for a project manager when planning, creating milestones, and evaluating progress.

Other names and uses for business cases are financial justification, cost-benefit analysis (CBA) , total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis , and return on investment (ROI) analysis . Nonprofits and government entities sometimes refer to business cases as case statements .

What Is Business Case Analysis (BCA)?

A business case analysis (BCA) looks not only at lowest costs, but also at technical value and other nonquantitative factors in what is known as a best-value analysis . The BCA addresses the triple constraints of time, money, and scope, and it can include measures such as performance, reliability, viability, and supportability.

Although business case analysis is used interchangeably with business case , some experts consider the analysis to be part of the business case as a whole.

What Is a Business Case Used For?

A business case helps a company or an organization prepare for new ventures or changes. This document is a crucial building block of project success and underpins the foundations of  senior-level involvement and strong planning. Business cases summarize the benefits of an endeavor, clarifying a project’s business value to help stakeholders make decisions.

A good business case should focus less on the technology, domain knowledge, or specific deliverables and more on the users of a product and the goals of a project. In the same vein, a project manager should focus not only on creating output, but also on delivering value. An initiative can offer many types of value, including contributing to strategic aims, increasing efficiency, and supporting compliance. Insufficient attention to the details of a business case and the accompanying research can lead to poor project results.

Business cases usually describe these items:

  • A business problem or opportunity
  • Possible solutions and their benefits and disadvantages (sometimes known as disbenefits )
  • Risks associated with the main solution
  • Implementation timeline
  • Consequences for implementing a solution and for retaining the status quo
  • Resources required for the initiative or project

Advantages of a Business Case

A business case may seem like just another document destined for the shelf or the shredder, but it can offer real advantages:

  • All stakeholders have similar expectations concerning the value and benefits of an initiative to an organization.
  • You can convert a business case into a project plan with milestones. You increase the chances of a project’s success with planning.
  • A business case becomes a gauge for determining whether an endeavor continues to offer value during execution and after a team produces a deliverable.
  • Project planners can more easily establish objectives and goals.
  • You can more easily discern success.
  • Teams apply the right resources more efficiently.

Who Prepares a Business Case?

You might think that business cases are the purview of financial officers and accountants. In fact, people who have direct knowledge of processes and teams should be responsible for creating these documents.

Some pundits say that the individual who advocates change must enact the change, so anyone in any role could assume the responsibilities for producing a business case. This includes consultants, line managers, or IT managers. In some organizations, the project sponsor or project manager may guide the preparation of the business case and include input from relevant departments and SMEs.

When Do You Need a Business Case?

It’s no longer enough to complete a project and present a deliverable. In an economy that often seems as unstable as it was in 2008, stakeholders want to see that a deliverable creates value and benefits for an organization. This is particularly true for complex projects or those that  require justification for enlisting external resources. Public sector projects frequently need business cases.

What's in a Business Case?

A business case outlines for a decision maker the benefits and business value of a proposed initiative. The term business case frequently refers to a written document that is submitted for review or presented at a meeting, but can also apply to an informal, spoken proposal.

What Should Be in a Business Case?

A well-written business case flows logically from presenting a problem or opportunity through the advantages and disadvantages of solutions to describing the recommended solution. When you require great detail, you can chunk text into sub-sections so that the content is easier to scan, as well as faster and less overwhelming to read. Following are the common sections of a business case in sequential order:

  • Executive summary
  • Problem statement
  • Analysis and financial details
  • Recommendation

Many organizations have pre-established templates for writing business cases. If your organization doesn’t, search online for free, easy-to-use business case templates for construction business cases, one-page business cases, and more. Depending on the narrative needs of the business case, it can contain many possible sections:

  • Preface: A preface may indicate the intended audience and any related documents.
  • Table of Contents: If your document is delivered as a PDF file, consider hyperlinking your table of contents to the appropriate sections.
  • What is the problem?
  • What do you believe is the value of solving the problem?
  • How much are you asking for?
  • When will we start seeing benefits?

     “I’ve had some presentations that don't get beyond that first page,” Maholic muses.

  • Description of the Product or Service: When proposing a new object or concept, detail what the deliverable is and how it works.
  • A Problem Statement or Mission Statement: By describing the problem or the mission of the organization, you can contextualize the proposed initiative.
  • Business Drivers for the Initiative: Indicate what benefits will contribute to the strategic aims of the organization.
  • Finance Section: Explain how much the project will cost and whether it is affordable. Detail the cash flow. Describe the expenses to execute (or not execute) the project in a cost comparison against forecasted benefits. Conduct a sensitivity analysis , a technique for determining how the different values of an independent variable affect a dependent variable.
  • Financial and nonfinancial benefits
  • Quality improvements
  • Cost savings through efficiencies
  • Added revenue
  • Competitiveness
  • Improved customer services
  • Options: What are the possible solutions to the problem? Usually, you narrow this list to 3 to 5 viable choices. Frequently, you include a “do nothing” option and a benchmark option. Some organizations require the do-nothing option; others require it only if the do-nothing option is a legitimate possibility. Quantify the benefits of each potential solution. Also, outline the risks, issues, and interdependencies for each solution.
  • What is required?
  • How is it done?
  • Who does what?
  • When will things happen?
  • Assessments or Analysis: Your analysis should list assumptions and consider cash flow and costs. Describe the risks of the project and the plans to deal with them. Also, discuss how you will leverage opportunities. Describe the context of your undertaking using PESTLE (political, economic, sociological, technological, legal, and environmental) analysis.
  • Project Approach: Detail the organization of the project, including governance and accountability, roles and responsibilities, and the schedule of progress reporting. Describe the purchasing strategy for completing the endeavor. Will you lease equipment? Rent office space? Hire contractors or employees?
  • Recommendation and Next Steps: Note the recommended solution and immediate required action.
  • Appendix: Add supporting documentation here, such as spreadsheets, charts, or drawings.

Considerations for Executive Presentations

The sections that comprise a business case may vary depending on your house style and the type of initiative. Jim Maholic says, “I package my business cases this way: I set up a one-hour meeting, so I have maybe 20 slides, but 10 to 15 slides are plenty. In reality, I might have 100 slides, but I add those in an appendix.” You may have credible supporting information, but you don’t want to bore your audience of decision makers by slogging through each slide.

“They might allocate an hour, but honestly, you're going to get their attention for 10 to 15 minutes, and then they'll start checking email and stuff,” Maholic adds. “You really have to be crisp in how you do this and know where you're going.

“Start with, ‘We have this problem,’ followed by, ‘Here are the people that we talked to who validated that this is a problem. They offered ideas about solving this problem, so we could see this substantial benefit,’” he notes.

“What matters in an executive meeting is that I answer the main questions: What is the problem? What is the cost of not solving it? What are the benefits of solving it? And when do we see the benefits? You may address additional questions later in the meeting or after the meeting, on an individual, offline basis,” Maholic says.

Business Case Templates

Using templates, you can more easily create business cases because you can focus on your research and fill in the blanks. The following free, downloadable templates are customizable for your organization’s needs.

Business Case Presentation Template

Business Case Presentation Template

You can lengthen this short PowerPoint presentation template to accommodate more detail. The business case presentation template includes spaces for describing the following elements: the project name, the executive summary, the project description, the financials, the recommended solution, the assumptions and dependencies, the options, and the benefits.

‌ Download Business Case Presentation Template - PowerPoint

Simple Business Case Template

Simple Business Case Template

A simple business case template serves a small project or a small organization. It can cover extensive details if necessary. It includes spaces for describing the following elements of the case: the title, the executive summary, the business objective, the target users, the financials and costs, the assumptions and dependencies, the implementation strategy, the required resources, and the project governance and reporting.

Download Simple Business Case Template

Word | PDF  | Smartsheet

Healthcare Business Case Template

Healthcare Business Case Template

A healthcare business case template helps you explain the current setup and how the proposed solution can create improvements. It provides space for a one-page executive summary, context for the problem or opportunity, a description of the current situation, an explanation of the proposed changes, and details of how the changes can affect your organization and any other entities.

Download Healthcare Business Case Template

Word | Google Docs

New Product Business Case Template

New Product Business Case Template

A new product business case template explores the business landscape for a new product or service. In addition to the meta information, such as the title, the author, and the executive summary, the template includes space to describe the current mission statement, the proposed product or service, the marketing strategy, an analysis of competitors, SWOT analysis , an overview of the implementation plan, and financial details.

Download New Product Business Case Template

Preparing to Write the Business Case

You can expedite your business process by understanding business case structure and using a template. In addition, having the correct perspective and following best practices can contribute to your success.

Why Are You Doing the Project?

Before you start researching and writing, understand why you want to initiate a project. The goal of a project is to solve problems. What is a problem? A problem prevents your organization from achieving its full potential. To begin, determine what problem the project is trying to solve.

Projects have deliverables, whether tangible or intangible. Think of an outcome as the result created by the deliverables. Benefits represent quantifiable improvements derived from an outcome. When a customer or team member can leverage these benefits, they become advantages.

Do Your Business Case Research

To start, review the mission statement(s) for the organization or the project. Identify the sources of data for your business case. One way to encourage the acceptance of your proposal is to discuss your rough estimates of the costs and resources with a project sponsor or customer before you embark on the business case. This helps you and the sponsor understand each other’s expectations and lessens the chance of sticker shock during the executive presentation. Then interview the people who conduct the day-to-day work and get their perspective on problems and possible solutions.

Do the Business Case Math

You must consider whether the returns justify the request. “If we're asking for $3 million, we've got to show that the project benefits far exceed that amount,” asserts Maholic. “With returns of $10, $15, or $20 million, you're going to get their attention. If you say the benefits are $300 million, they're going to think you've fallen off the truck somewhere, because that's not realistic. On the other hand, if you show benefits of $3.5 million for a cost of $3 million, that's probably not going to beat the projected return of any other project that comes across their desk.”

Consider Who the Business Case Is For

Whether the business case comes in document form or as a presentation, the project sponsor and key stakeholders will study it. Consider the key audience for each section of your document and write with that audience in mind.

The most convincing arguments for projects are those that your team can initiate and wrap up within six months, as well as produce considerable quantifiable results. Especially when big money is on the table, your proposal will compete with others from different departments. “No company has all the money it wants to invest in everything — it has to prioritize. The business case helps evaluate what the return will be for each of the projects that comes across the board's desk for approval,” explains Maholic.

Furthermore, a business case presents estimates. A business case should be built on sound research, but no one has a lock on certitude. “I think first-time business case writers in particular get caught up in building some great story. But seasoned executives get requests all the time, and they're not buffaloed by clever-sounding words or fancy spreadsheets,” Maholic cautions.

“Your ideas have to be rooted in something sensible, not just, ‘I bet we can raise revenues by 15 percent,’” he explains. Grand plans may be possible, but the key, according to Maholic, is to help decision makers understand how it is possible.

How Do You Write a Business Case?

When you have the main questions in mind and a sense of the required sections and format, you can begin to write. Consider limiting the number of authors to ensure an effective writing effort that’s consistent in style and voice. Then follow these tips:

  • Concisely cover the core content with enough detail, so stakeholders can make an informed decision.
  • Compare options, so decision makers understand the landscape.
  • Be clear, concise, and captivating.
  • Avoid jargon as much as possible.
  • Demonstrate the value of the project to the business by creating a credible and accurate argument.
  • Clearly describe the landscape for the initiative, including its dependencies. Enumerating these dependencies is crucial because contextual changes can alter the project parameters or eliminate the need for the project altogether.
  • Focus on the business and the business value rather than the knowledge domain covered by the intended project deliverable.

How Do You Know You Have Enough Detail?

You determine the length of your business cases according to the scope and complexity of your proposed endeavour. A complex project means a long business case; a small, short project means a short business case.

However, Maholic cautions against adding too much detail — conciseness can be a challenge. “You may take 4 to 6 weeks to create a business. You might talk to 50 or 100 people. There's this gnawing urge in some people to show everything they've collected in the executive presentation. Look how hard we worked. Look how smart I am . That's just awful.

“You have enough data and slides when you can answer those 4 or 5 basic questions. There may be 100 other slides, but those are supporting detail,” he says.

Common Mistakes in Writing Business Cases

You can strengthen your business case by avoiding common mistakes:

  • Forget What Your White Papers Say: Maholic finds that when salespeople create cases for customers, they frequently rely on the benefits outlined in a product’s white papers. He notes, “Saying your product cuts costs by Y percent is a great place to start, but it has to be balanced by what's in front of you regarding a particular customer.” He continues, “As a salesperson, you may say that your product can increase revenue by 5 percent. That may be true for past customers, but this particular customer may have three straight years of declining revenues. It's silly to say that a product is going to both arrest a decline and bump up revenue by 5 percent. You have to think things through. That’s the analysis part. You can't just mouth off.”
  • Spreadsheets Are not the Main Show: "Too often, I think, people hear business case , and they jump right to building a spreadsheet,” Maholic says. “They're eager to build the mother of all spreadsheets and show how smart they are by demonstrating the mother of all spreadsheets. While certainly spreadsheets are necessary to show the math, the spreadsheet is only a small part of the solution. Spreadsheets don't really articulate the problem or indicate who you talked to or what you analyzed to get to that solution,” he adds.
  • Arguments Do not Equal More Money: Sometimes, people believe that a strong case justifies a more generous price tag. Not so, says Maholic: “As a decision maker, having a better business case doesn't mean I'm going to roll over and say, ‘Sure, you can charge me an extra million dollars.’ A good business case means the project has the value to go forward. Now, we're going to start negotiating and I'm still going to work to get the best price I can. People who've done business cases before know that. But people who are new to them don't completely understand that.”
  • Remember That It’s About Value, Not About Toys: For startups, the coolness factor of the technology or product may carry some weight, but for most organizations, a business case must focus on the business value without getting lost in the domain knowledge and technical details. Maholic explains: “Nobody at the executive level cares what the throughput ratio is of this process or that stack. What they want to know is, ‘Do I get revenue more quickly? Do I cut costs more deeply? Tell me what the value of doing X is, and then you can go off and buy whatever toys you want to in order to do X.’”

Steps to Produce a Business Case

Your organization may have a tribal understanding of the best process for creating a business case. Some employees may advocate for following the Ds , which refer to the steps to produce a business case. The Ds can include as many as six steps, but generally focus on these four:

  • Discover your problem or opportunity.
  • Design your solutions and alternatives.
  • Develop the details that describe the pros and cons of each potential solution.
  • Deploy the business case.

Some advocates add the Define step to the beginning of the process and the Deliver step to the end. For best results, create your business case in the following order:

  • Determine your problem or opportunity.
  • Research the context for your proposal as appropriate: When developing a new product, your research may focus on the market; when acquiring new training or software, you may review current internal processes; and when making a new purchase, you may interview dozens of team members who use current tools and procedures.
  • Compare alternative approaches and recommend the most appropriate strategy.
  • Gather supporting data and evidence for the recommended approach.
  • Write the business case.
  • Write the executive summary.
  • Edit your business case draft.
  • Present your business case to either the final authority or the personnel who will be instrumental in implementing the case plan.

‌ Download Business Case Process Checklist  

The Business Case in Project Development

Contrary to what you might imagine, the business case can be a living document. Starting with the review process, stakeholders may reject, cancel, postpone, accept, or adjust the business case. To some extent, the business case becomes the guidebook for your initiative. Stakeholders and the project manager should refer to the business case throughout the lifecycle of the project to ensure that efforts (and intentions) remain on track.

What Are the Features of a Project Business Case?

A well-considered business case offers the following characteristics: an easy-to-understand description of the business value of the initiative and the immediate benefits of the project, including details of the positive impact on organizational strategy.

How Do You Analyze a Business Case?

In university-level business schools, business case studies (or case studies) function as teaching tools to help students use their analytic skills. Case studies describe a company and how it employs a solution. Following is the suggested approach for students analyzing a case:

  • Review the case in detail. Identify the key issues.
  • Determine 2 to 5 essential problems.
  • Look for solutions to those problems.
  • Describe your recommended solution.

What Is a Full Business Case?

A business case is a structured, detailed document that presents the justification for the commitment of financial and other resources to an endeavor. Business cases help you gain the support of management and other stakeholders, as well as approval for projects and programs.

What Is a Business Case in Project Management?

An approved business case can have a long life. Although the project sponsor ultimately owns the business case, it is the project manager who uses the business case as the guidebook for expectations and dependencies. In addition, the business case becomes an important document in an organization’s project portfolio management process. During this process, a company balances its resources with its strategic objectives to determine the livelihood of all the projects it undertakes.

History and Origins of Business Cases

The formal business case has its roots in 19th-century Europe, particularly with the work of French-Italian engineer-economist Jules Dupuit. His contribution included statistical tools to identify, measure, and value the benefits beyond merely determining the lowest bidder. Specifically, Dupuit is credited with inventing what he called the benefit-cost analysis . Today, professionals recognize the value of business cases outside of public works and government. Both nonprofit and for-profit organizations regularly use business cases.

Resources and Examples for Creating Your Business Case

If you’re new to business cases, you don’t have to start empty-handed. We offer resources to help you begin writing. Please see the following examples and templates:

  • Here’s an example of a business case in a classic document format . This particular business case argues against a capital investment.
  • This example presents three business cases for one higher education department . The  presentation comes in a slide format.
  • In this article, Jim Maholic offers a template for creating your business case .

Improve Your Business Cases with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover why over 90% of Fortune 100 companies trust Smartsheet to get work done.

  • Real Estate

Home » Business » Free Case Study Templates & Examples (Word, PDF)

Free Case Study Templates & Examples (Word, PDF)

A case study template is used to make a report of an event, problem, or activity in an effective way. With the help of this template, you don’t have to think that what to include in your report. However, you just have to focus on a person, group, or event you are studying.

Table of Contents

What is a case study?

Generally, a case study is a kind of research methodology and usually used in social sciences. If people do a case study then they have to study an issue from a real-life perspective. Moreover, such type of studies demands in detail analysis of a person, a group, or an event. You may also like Remote Work Policy Template .

Different Types of Case Study Templates?

There are different types of templates that you can use for your case study;

  • Student case study template
  • Nursing case study template
  • Clinical case study template
  • Basic psychology case study template
  • Treatment injury case study template

In addition, you can also create these templates on your own or you can download them from any website. There are no specific formats for these templates. You have to create or download those templates that suit your own needs.

What are the benefits of using a case study in business?

Using case study in the business provides you several benefits such as;

  • A case study assists you to influence customers more efficiently. It makes you able to raise awareness on how to fulfill the requirements of customers more efficiently.
  • Next, the information in the report will help you to encourage empathy in its readers. If you use the real-life issues and then explain how your product solves those issues will encourage the customers to use your product.
  • Moreover, when you discuss the customers’ issues and questions in your case study it shows that you care and understand the customers.
  • With the help of this report, you can strengthen your brand. Hence, it depends on real-life situations, it becomes relatable. You can also develop an emotional relationship with your customers. Furthermore, this report shows that you have everything that customers need.
  • Above all, you can use this report to create other written works for your business. You should also check Employee Clearance Form Template .

Basic Psychology Phase One Case Study Template

Blog and case study template, clinical case study template, community engagement case study template, firebird sql case study template, grow’s case study template, ibm case study template, jisc case study template, memorial hospital case study template, nursing case study template, school education case study template, social values and health priority setting case study template, student case study example template, ultimate case study template, how to write a case study.

Here are some guidelines that you bear in mind during or before writing a case study;

At first, you should identify what type of case study you are going to perform. You should strategize your case study well.

Next, in business, you have to pay attention to customers. If you are going to sell products or services, then think about your customers and their needs.

Most importantly, gather extensive knowledge about your project before making a case study. Without enough knowledge, you won’t be able to create an effective document. You may also see Employee Handbook Template .

If you want to present, the best side of your business then finds those customers who have the best experience with your product or services. Then, include their testimonials in your report.

In conclusion, case study templates make you able to create a study that surely makes your business stand out.

You May also Like

Sharing is caring!

I am Ryan Duffy and legal writer. I received a bachelor of business administration (BBA) degree from London Business School. I have 8+ years of writing experience in the different template fields and working with ExcelTMP.com for 7 years. I work with a team of writers and business and legal professionals to provide you with the best templates.

Create designs that inspire

Trending searches, productivity, social media, fresh picks.

Hitting the beach blue modern-simple

Celebrate an occasion

Rainbow clout white modern-geometric-&-linear

Food and drink

Treat yourself to a smoothie Orange Modern, Bold, Abstract

How it works

Image of various 3D stacked browser windows with organic elements

1. Start with the perfect template

Image of 3D browser windows and design tools

2. Customize it with help from AI

See the templates for:

Image of 3D elements and stacked web pages

3. Share your creation with the world

cover image

What is Social Media Marketing? The Short and the Long of It

This complete guide will help you get started with social media marketing and follow the right best practices from day one.

cover image

Social Listening vs. Social Monitoring: How To Use Both in 2024

Discover the differences between social listening vs social monitoring and how to use both to engage with your audience and protect your online reputation.

cover image

The Complete List of Social Media Holidays [2024 Edition]

Not every social media holiday is worth celebrating, but if you find the holidays that fit your niche, you can increase your organic reach.

cover image

2024 Social Media Image Sizes for All Networks [CHEATSHEET]

The most recent image sizes for different social media networks, including Instagram, X (f.k.a. Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and more.

business case study template word

How To Create Better Buyer Personas [Free Template]

A well-defined buyer persona—also called a customer persona, audience persona, or marketing persona—will help you target your ideal customer.

business case study template word

B2B Social Media Marketing Tips to Attract New Customers

B2B social media marketing is one of the best ways to build your brand and find your audience. Here’s how to get started.

cover image

Social Listening: The Best Way To Understand Your Audience

Social pros use social listening to proactively monitor social media channels for mentions of their brand, competitors, product, and more.

cover image

Social Media Automation: 8 Time-Saving Tools for 2024

Social media automation uses tools or software to manage repetitive tasks, like posting content or producing reports, without manual labor.

cover image

What Are Social Media KPIs? 25 Examples + How to Track Them

Setting smart social media KPIs will help your team focus on the metrics that really matter and track performance over time.

Become a better social marketer.

Get expert social media advice delivered straight to your inbox.

Experiments

cover image

Experiment: How Many Instagram Stories Should You Post?

Which earns more reach: a single Instagram Story per day or many Stories per day? Is there even a “right” number of daily Stories to post?

cover image

Experiment: Where Should Your Instagram Hashtags Go?

Do Instagram hashtags belong in the caption or comments? Does hashtag location even matter? Time to put on our lab coats and start testing.

cover image

Experiment: Do Long-Form X Posts Give You More Reach?

What gives you better reach on X: a good old-fashioned tweet thread or one long-form post? Here’s what we found.

Cover image

Experiment: Do Longer LinkedIn Comments Drive More Connection Requests?

Does being original on LinkedIn generate faster growth? Here’s a thrilling social experiment that answers the question.

Hootsuite HQ

cover image

Hootsuite CEO Reveals How Long She Spends on Social Media Every Morning

Irina Novoselsky, Hootsuite CEO, shares how she has found her niche as a social CEO at Collision 2023—and much more.

business case study template word

The Story Behind Hootsuite’s ‘Proud Mamas’ Mother’s Day Tribute

Hootsuite social media manager Trish Riswick’s tribute to her mom for supporting her career (even when she doesn’t always understand it).

Image of a person with their head face-down in front of a keyboard in frustration.

Creative Block Is Inevitable—Here’s How Our Social Team Beats It

All out of social media ideas? We know the feeling. Discover how to overcome creative block with these 9 tips from our in-house experts.

Meet Irina Novoselsky, Hootsuite’s new CEO

Irina Novoselsky shares her thoughts on why she’s excited to join the Hootsuite team as Chief Executive Officer.

All Formats

Case Templates

19+ case study templates – pdf, docs, word.

Anyone can use a case study templates to conduct a collective study. The case template is free to download, so you don’t have to spend time creating it on your own. So, what exactly is the importance of this template? The template is designed to help you write a report about a person, a study, or an event as a whole. Remember that a case study cannot study a single entity or one person alone; it studies the behavioral changes of a group. You may like Business Case Templates .

business case study template word

Case Study Template Word

free case study template word

  • Google Docs

Simple Case Study Template Word

case study report template

Case Study Sample PDF

case study analysis template

Case Study Report Template Word

psychological report

One Page Case Study Template Word

case study template free download

Construction Business Case Study Template

business case study template

Free Graphic Design Case Study Research Template

graphic design case study template

Free Ultimate Marketing Case Study Template

ultimate case study example template free download

Free School Students Presentation Case Study Template

student case study example template free download

Free Nursing Descriptive Case Study in PDF Format

nursing case study pdf format template free download

Free Clinical UX Case Study Sample in PDF Template

clinical case study pdf template free download

Free IBM Mental Health Case Study in PDF Template

ibm case study free pdf template download

Free Memorial Hospital Private Equity Case Study Template

memorial hospital case study free pdf template download

Free Citibank Short Case Study Sample in Word Format

citibank case study word template free download

Free Basic Psychology Phase One Page Case Study

basic psychology phase one case study pdf free download

Free Medical Treatment Injury Case Study in PDF Format

treatment injury case study pdf template free download

Free IPE Six Narrative Case Study Sample Template

ipe six case study pdf template free download

Free Education Case Study Based on Actual Patient

case study based on actual patient pdf free download

Free Firebird Architecture Project Management Case Study

firebird case study word template free download

Facts about Case Studies

convert case template 788x

More in Case Templates

Business Case Study Template

Medical case study template, education case study template, case study outline template, case study format template, social work case study template, one page case study template, nursing case study template, case study layout template, healthcare case study template.

  • 12+ Case Study Examples
  • FREE 10+ Case Study Release Form Templates in PDF | MS Word
  • FREE 10+ Nursing Case Study Templates in PDF | MS Word
  • 10+ Business Case Study Templates in PDF | DOC
  • 7+ Case Study Report Templates in Google Docs | PDF | DOC | Pages
  • 8+ Case Study Analysis Templates
  • 31+ Case Study Samples – Word, PDF
  • 18 Use Case Templates in Word
  • 37+ Case Study Templates – Word, PDF, Pages
  • 9+ Use Case Templates
  • 9+ Business Case Templates in Word
  • FREE 10+ Business Case Templates in PDF
  • 10+ Sample Case Study Templates
  • 9+ Free Case Templates
  • 29+ Business Case Templates

File Formats

Word templates, google docs templates, excel templates, powerpoint templates, google sheets templates, google slides templates, pdf templates, publisher templates, psd templates, indesign templates, illustrator templates, pages templates, keynote templates, numbers templates, outlook templates.

IMAGES

  1. Business Case Study Template in Word, Google Docs

    business case study template word

  2. 19+ Case Study Templates

    business case study template word

  3. 3 Free Case Study Templates

    business case study template word

  4. Free Word Template: Business Case Study Template

    business case study template word

  5. 49 Free Case Study Templates ( + Case Study Format Examples + )

    business case study template word

  6. 19 Case Study Templates (MS Word) + How to Write Tutorial

    business case study template word

VIDEO

  1. Elon Musk I The greatest human alive I #elonmusk

  2. Case Study (Handwritten) in Hindi on Child || बच्चे पर केस स्टडी || PDF

  3. How to write a Use Case Description with a template?

  4. Business Case Study Template Ppt

  5. How to use an Advanced Business Plan Template by Paul Borosky, MBA

  6. Business Analysis Case Studies Course

COMMENTS

  1. Business Case Template for Word (Free Download)

    Download a free business case template for Word to manage your projects better. Learn what a business case is, why you need one and how to use our template with examples and tips.

  2. Free Business Case Templates

    Simple Business Case Template. ‌ Download Simple Business Case Template. This simple business case template in Word addresses all the essential areas needed in a business case. Add as much information to each section as is necessary, or include other sections to reflect your own organization's requirements.

  3. 8 Free Microsoft Word Case Study Templates

    Download the Blank Marketing Case Study Template for Microsoft Word. When to Use This Template: Marketing managers, content marketers, and sales teams can use this template to showcase the success of marketing initiatives to internal and external stakeholders. Download the sample version to get a quick start on crafting your case study report.

  4. 8 Free Business Case Templates

    As a business specialist or manager, you are majorly responsible for important business decisions. Therefore, it is necessary to understand and know how to create a well-structured case. A business case is a fundamental document that plays a significant role in the organization's decision-making processes. It is advisable to use a template when creating such a case. The template will ...

  5. 10 Free Case Study Templates

    Download a Sample Case Study Report Template for Microsoft Word | Google Docs . Download a Blank Case Study Report Template for Microsoft Word | Google Docs . When to Use This Template: Choose this case study report template when you need to create an in-depth, detailed analysis of a marketing case.It's especially useful for marketing managers and product managers who need to delve into ...

  6. Free Business Case Template for Word

    Template Highlights. Available for download in Microsoft Word or accessible in Google Docs. Offers a dedicated section for you to provide a detailed implementation plan and timeline, allowing you to customize your business case for clear and effective communication with your teams. Assists you in gaining support from investors and stakeholders ...

  7. 15 Best Case Study Templates to Use in Word and ClickUp

    11. Word Case Brief Summary Template by Template.net. Via Template.net. This Microsoft Word case study template is a great way to get right down to business! It features a clean and organized layout with clear headings and subheadings, making it easy for readers to navigate.

  8. Business Case Template

    A Good Business Case captures and documents the reasoning for starting a new project. Our free Business Case Template provides a sound foundation for developing the business case for your next project. A Business Case helps to determine whether or not a project justifies an organizations investment into a project.

  9. Business Case Template

    Project Management Templates. Business Case Template. The Business Case states the justification for a project in terms of measurable benefits versus costs. It should include the reason for the project, the options considered, a cost vs. benefits analysis, key milestones, risks and resourcing requirements. stakeholdermap.com.

  10. Case Study Template in Word

    Your Case Study May Be Descriptive, Explanatory, Exploratory, Intrinsic, Instrumental, or Collective. No Matter the Type, Template.net Offers a Free Selection of Case Study Templates in Microsoft Word (Doc) to Cater to Your Needs. Each Word Document Template Offers a Sample Case Study Report Your Can Use for Any Business Case, Existing or Upcoming Project, and Anything Else.

  11. Detailed Case Study Template

    Identify an accomplishment you'd like to highlight, whether your own or someone else's (like a friend or client's) Download the free Case Study Template on this page. Follow the instructions in the template and fill in the blanks, adding plenty of detail. Paste the template into the content editor of your website, format it and add images.

  12. 19 Case Study Templates (MS Word) + How to Write Tutorial

    19 Case Study Templates (MS Word) + How to Write Tutorial. Download this Case Study Template Pack with 19 pre-formatted templates in MS Word format, which can be easily modified to meet your next project. You also get a free 21 page tutorial on How to Write a Case Study and an Information Gathering Form for gathering data when writing your case study.. 19 Case Study Templates for only $19.99

  13. How to Write a Business Case (with Examples & Template to Help)

    Overall, the business case should be concise and only include relevant information. It should cover the benefits, costs, potential risks, and an assessment of how the team will handle any setbacks. The Most Important Components of a Business Case. A business case should convince key stakeholders of the importance and viability of your project ...

  14. 18+ Business Case Templates

    The strategic business case PDF template free download is a very popular business case template among the business men, as it clearly point out the strategies to be used by the business.. A business case is the best way to assess whether a project aligns with an organization's strategic plan of action. These Case Outline Templates won't just provide you with a simple business case template ...

  15. Free Word Template: Business Case Study Template

    The Convenience of Our Business Case Study Templates. At our website, we offer a variety of Business Case Study document templates that can help you create a professional and effective letter. Our templates are designed to be user-friendly and customizable, allowing you to tailor your letter to your specific needs and goals.

  16. 37+ Case Study Templates

    Jewel Case Templates - 10+ Free Word, PDF, PSD, EPS. 14+ CD Case Templates - Word, PDF, PSD, EPS, InDesign. 10+ Free Microsoft Word Case Templates Download. Write a compelling and well-researched case study to convey and foreground the importance of your product or service. Use the case study templates to help you attain such goal.

  17. How to Write a Business Case

    Download New Product Business Case Template. Word | Google Docs. ... In university-level business schools, business case studies (or case studies) function as teaching tools to help students use their analytic skills. Case studies describe a company and how it employs a solution. Following is the suggested approach for students analyzing a case:

  18. Free Case Study Templates & Examples (Word, PDF)

    Community Engagement Case Study Template. Firebird SQL Case Study Template. Grow's Case Study Template. IBM Case Study Template. JISC Case Study Template. Memorial Hospital Case Study Template. Nursing Case Study Template. School Education Case Study Template. Social Values and Health Priority Setting Case Study Template.

  19. Business Case Template Word

    9+ Business Case Templates in Word. A business case is what you put forward to the decision-makers in your organization to push a project. This is done as a written report that justifies the effort and expense of the proposed undertaking, given its potential benefits. You can think of this in the way of a business proposal, with the only ...

  20. Free templates for social media, documents & designs

    Search for anything—style, topic, image, or color—or look around the catalog for inspiration. You'll find professionally designed templates for whatever you need to create. Find your template. 2. Customize it with help from AI. Change design, text, and video elements to match your style or brand, or use powerful AI features in our intuitive ...

  21. Social Media Marketing Advice From Experts

    How a Social Media Makeover Helped a Small Business Drive a 108% Increase in Sales. Read case study . See it in action with a free 30-day trial. Sign up now . Pricing ... [Free Template] A well-defined buyer persona—also called a customer persona, audience persona, or marketing persona—will help you target your ideal customer. ...

  22. Business Case Study Template in Word, Google Docs

    Marketing Case Study of Successful Events Template. Marketing Product Launch Case Study Compilation Template. Marketing Global Market Case Study Template. Instantly Download Business Case Study Template, Sample & Example in Microsoft Word (DOC), Google Docs, Format. Available in A4 & US Letter Sizes.

  23. 19+ Case Study Templates

    PDF. Size: 389 KB. Download Now. The nursing case study PDF format template free is a well-designed and well-detailed sample case study template that uses a different design format to create the case study. You may also see Business Case in Word Templates.