Tips and Tricks to Successfully Write Business Cases

1. Successfully Writing a Business Case for GIS/GPS Equipment and Getting it Approved. Tips and Tricks to Successfully Write Business Cases

2. Introduction • Mostly Engineering/Computer Aided Drafting & Design (CADD) Background • 19 years with the City of Fort Wayne • Six years with Public Works: Transportation Engineering • Design, CADD & Construction Inspection • Thirteen years with City Utilities: Engineering • Design, CADD, GIS, Manager Uriel Castillo, Program Manager Fort Wayne Utilities Engineering , Technical Services

3. Business Case Definition business case (noun) An explanation or set of reasons describing how a business decision will improve a business, product, etc., and how it will affect costs and profits and attract investments. Source: https://dictionary.cambridge.org business case (noun) A type of decision-making tool used to determine the effects a particular decision will have on profitability. Source: http://www.businessdictionary.com

4. GPS Equipment Business Case • Pre-2014: GIS Assessment & Discussions • City Utilities Engineering performed an assessment of GIS • Deputy Director of Engineering had stated GPS was the future in GIS • 2013-2015: A lot of Talk and No action (on GPS units) • Several talks about getting a better & newer GPS Unit • Several people had done research; reached out to vendors • Topic seemed to die off each time • 2016: Permission to move forward • Result: 2016 - GPS Handheld Business Case • Result: 2017 - Purchases two Leica Zeno 20 GPS Units with GNSS Glonass Receiver and External Pole-mounted antenna for centimeter accuracy.

5. When should you start a Business Case? • Upon reaching a consensus on a direction. • Give yourself time to be thorough • If you’re confident the business decision will improve your business or workflows, briefly mention it to key decision makers and influencers. Plant a seed… • Maybe place idea in form of a question.

6. Business Case Recommendations • Run demo or pilot project to verify everything and ensure the proposed business decision works as expected and within your entire environment/organization. • Who will this affect in your company/department? • Who will this affect in other companies/departments? • Will it fit and work for everyone without additional costs and heartaches? • Reach out to others who have made the same business decision and get feedback. Ask questions. • Are you completely happy with your business decision? • What is the one thing you wish would have been different? • Would you make the same business decision again if you could? • Would you recommend this business decision? • Will you send me your comments in writing? (Incorporate in business case and provide as proof or testimony if applicable)

7. Business Case Recommendations • Be thorough and objective. Make decisions from facts not emotions. Don’t develop “Tunnel Vision”. • Be thorough, but don’t take too long. Business and technology can change in one year and make your business case invalid. • Consider alternatives at any point.

8. What should a Business Case include? • Business Case Summary • Few paragraphs at most • State the current status, workflows, problems and resulting issues. • State the intent of the business decision, why it makes sense, how it fits existing progress and how it will improve business and/or workflows.

9. What should a Business Case include? • Anticipated Outcomes • Detailed information on improvements that should be expected if the business decision is carried out (ex. GPS Equipment is purchased) • State any know or verified facts and information that support anticipated outcomes

10. What should a Business Case include? • Critical Success Factors • State what must happen or be done before, during or after the business decision is moved forward for ultimate success.

11. What should a Business Case include? • Business Need • Business Context: • How the proposed business decision fits within your company and why the decision should be made to go forward. Few short paragraphs.

12. What should a Business Case include? • Business Need • Problem Statement: • Expanded statement of current issues or problems or workflows that exist in your company that the proposed business decision will take care of. • List or show an example.

13. What should a Business Case include? • Business Need • Problem Statement Example:

14. What should a Business Case include? • Business Need • Business Need: • Short summary of how your business will be improved after making the proposed business decision and implementing it.

15. What should a Business Case include? • Recommended Solution • Solution Overview: • Summary of proposed business decision and why such decision is being proposed. Costs associated with business decision, options and recommendation and reason for recommendation.

16. What should a Business Case include? • Recommended Solution • Solution Details and Benefits: • List details on the proposed business decision or solution. How it will improve things, save costs, integrate with or complement other things, possible options, to what extent the solution will be implemented and life expectancy of the solution. List the return on investment (ROI) if know.

17. What should a Business Case include? • Alternative Solutions • List other possible solutions or options that were considered, including Taking No Action, a description of each and reasons each was rejected. This shows impartiality and thoroughness. (Remember, you’ve already mentioned your recommended solution.)

18. What should a Business Case include? • Complete and Detailed Costs of recommended Solution

19. What should a Business Case include? • Optional Costs and Possible Cost Reductions

20. What should a Business Case include? • Risks & Limitations • List all possible risks associated with or that may arise with making the proposed business decision (moving forward). • List all known limitations to the business decision. Its better to be upfront and not have people find out about the later. You may also list any know solutions to alleviate the limitations.

21. What should a Business Case include? • Benefits • List other positive benefits that will be created from moving forward with the proposed business decision/recommended solution. Give a real-world example.

22. What should a Business Case include? • Implementation Details • Assumptions: • List what is expected to happen if the business decision is made and carried out. List assumed responsibilites. List to what extent the business case will improve business or workflows. List results if recommendations are not carried out. List results if any of the assumptions prove to be false.

23. What should a Business Case include? • Implementation Details • Resources: • List all available resources. List additional resources needed after making the business decision/purchase. (ex. Needed staff or other things)

24. What should a Business Case include? • Deliverables • List expected and necessary deliverable including responsibilities, owners, dependencies and status.

25. What should a Business Case include? • Anticipated Implementation Timeframe • List anticipated implementation dates and order

26. What should a Business Case include? • Final Conclusion and Recommendations • Re-iterate and summarize the recommended solution for the business decision. • One to Two paragraphs at most

27. Questions & Contact Info: • Uriel Castillo, Program Manager • 260-427-5892 • Uriel.Castillo@cityoffortwayne.org

28. Challenges: • Changes in Schema/Feature Classes/SDE • Any change in one thing, resulted in a change in other tools webmaps, etc. • CAD Standards • Consistency with layers, block names, tags, attributes, etc. • Older data not matching up with newer high-accuracy data • FME Standalone vs. Enterprise/Server • Training • Providing fast enough and specific needs • Developed how-to videos and SOPs on Network Drive