INTERNAL CONSULTING OPERATING FRAMEWORK

IC Business Case
IC Services
Definitions
  • Project ROI / Cost Savings: project profitability or cost reduction are often key financial measures of projects, and critical components in the business case.

  • Business Impact / Results: standard or project-specific measures (e.g., quality, client satisfaction), or operational metrics used to articulate the expected outcomes of a potential engagement.

Satori Point of View

Internal service groups should develop measures of success and enroll their stakeholders in using these measures to evaluate their progress and the success of the group's services provided within the organization. A key factor in the successful implementation of any measurement framework is to agree on a common set of measures and use these in a regimented manner.

Many internal consulting projects require the development of a business case to articulate a qualitative linkage to the organization's goals (business impact anticipated) and/or to demonstrate that quantitative measures (e.g., ROI, cost reduction) are expected to exceed a target threshold.

Regardless of the rigor of the business case criteria (e.g., results thresholds, pay-back periods, etc.), it is important to have a process for discussing the relative and absolute merits of the projects slated. The business case serves as a focal point to ensure a common understanding of the project's objectives, benefits, criticality, dependencies and other important characteristics.

Business cases should include assumptions, and analysis of potential risks (for completion, or failure to complete). Ultimately, the business case needs to describe the opportunity is terms that the organization values and needs to conclude with a clear recommendation for action.

The business case needs to describe the project opportunity in terms that the organization values and needs to conclude with a clear recommendation for action.

Tools, Templates, Sample Deliverables