Make sure you develop a business case in the first place that consists of a minimum of three options put into the spotlight and one recommendation. Those alternatives unveiled could possibly be, for instance, #1 public cloud, #2 private cloud, #3 hybrid cloud, #4 business as usual or do nothing – assuming what your organization needs is, for instance, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

In detail, a business case is a written document typically containing material related to a NEW business or business improvement idea intended to convince the respected decision-makers to take any action. Into the bargain, it is aimed to justify the investment of resources and finances then obtain the stakeholder’s approval based on research, analysis and facts.

According to the commonly accepted industry practice, the business case shall constitute:

1. Executive Summary

A high-level view explaining the problem the proposed alternative is intended to solve, major considerations, desired deliverable, as well as the predicted business and financial aspects the recommendation shall achieve.

1. Problem/Opportunity Description

What problems to solve by implementing IaaS or what opportunity will your office rejoice the benefit from with IaaS deployment?

1. Solution Options

Four alternatives MENTIONED earlier are slated here.

1. Business VALUE Analysis

A structured approach in which we can compare the solutions for effective decision-making SPEAKS volumes. Example: SWOT analysis, Real Options Decision Tree.

1. Cost-Benefit Analysis

An advanced level of analysis is needed to evaluate whether the solution being pursued is also financially viable e.g. Cost-Benefit Analysis/Ratio (CBA or CBR), Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Return on Investment (ROI).

1. Risk and Mitigation

Identify risks of each option (public, private, hybrid, stay as is) and how to deal with them through mitigation activities.

1. Implementation Plan

Provides a realistic picture of how each proposed alternative will be rolled out in high-level point-of-view including its approach, timeframe, benefits, costs, and quality.

1. Assumptions and Dependencies

Assumptions should be validated and confirmed since the viability of alternative is dependent on them. The similar treatment goes to dependencies because they will become the prerequisites for a specific alternative/solution.

1. Recommendations

Disclose one from four alternatives that have been assessed with Business Value Analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis as the recommended option.