As part of Blytheco's "Are You Ready for Replatforming?" online class series, this presentation walks through the whys, hows, and specifics of how to create a winning business case for ERP transition.

1. www.blytheco.comwww.blytheco.com
Are You Ready for
Replatforming?
Webinar 2:
How to Build a Business Case

2. Agenda
Recap: What is Replatforming?
Why Build a Business Case?
What is a Business Case?
Next Steps and resources for today

3. Introductions
Alicia Anderson
Strategic Marketing
Atlanta, GA-based
19 years in ERP sales,
service and marketing

4. Moving to automation for the first time.
Transitioning to a new system.
Upgrading an existing system.
What is replatforming?
This series is designed to give
you the tools and knowledge
needed to make ERP transition
smooth and minimize risk.
Industry analyst Mint
Jutras reports that 73%
of surveyed companies
said that “management
driven change was
requiring moderate to
substantial ERP change”

5. Series Introduction – May 7
How to Build a Business Case - TODAY
How to Scope Your Project - Wednesday, July 9
How to Evaluate Solutions and Build Your Evaluation Committee -
Wednesday, August 6
Cloud vs. On-Premise - Wednesday, September 3
Know Your Payment Options - Wednesday, September 24
The Series

6. Build a Business Case
1

7. You have identified a missing piece in your business
ERP projects fail because of inadequate planning and risk
management
The business case is a tool to help formalize the idea or argument
and create the evidence to move your project to the front burner
Move your idea to the “front burner”
According to one recent
report, more than 29% of
ERP implementations fail to
achieve even half the
planned business benefits.

8. Describe the business challenge
Assess the potential benefits of the investment
Assess the potential costs of each option
Assess risks and issues that might arise during the implementation
List the pros and cons of potential solutions
Describe the implementation approach
Measure potential and actual ROI
What is a Business Case?
A business case is a document that helps you weigh the pro’s and con’s of a
solution and understand if there is a cost benefit to changing your solution.
It will help to:

9. Establish a baseline of how things are now
Anticipate risks of change
Define roles
Get buy-in
Record feedback from all departments
Align your project with the defined company strategy
Why a business case?
A business case helps you establish a baseline and
make sure there is alignment to your strategy.

10. The Test Case
Acme Distribution Company
Mid-sized wholesaler
Expanding into global
markets
Using legacy systems and
siloed spreadsheets
Growing organically
Let’s walk through building a business case for a sample company to help
illustrate how this will benefit your company

11. The Stakeholders
Joe Jones,
Controller
Jane Smith,
Operations
Manager
Bill Williams,
IT Manager
The stakeholders are those that have recognized a need in the business and will be
involved in documenting the requirements, communicating with teams, and facilitating
the project.

12. Define Team Member Roles
Assign Ownership of the Document
First things first
First you need to start by defining the team that will be responsible for the
documentation and unbiased gathering of the information. piece about why these things first

13. The stakeholders
Joe Jones, Controller
• Role: Project Manager
• Owns the Document
Enjoys Excel spreadsheets, small,
fluffy dogs, and walks on the beach.

14. Jane Smith, Operations Manager
• Role: Process Improvement
• Advises team on process improvement
techniques
Coffee addict, enjoys 80s music
and crossword puzzles.

15. Bill Williams, IT Manager
• Role: Technology Support
Plays guitar in a band on the
weekends, enjoys zombie movies – a
little too much.

16. A New Stakeholder
Bob Robinson, COO
• Role: Executive Sponsor
• Advocates for the plan
• Gets approval from other Executives
• Removes roadblocks
Golf nut, dedicated grandfather,
battling a Diet Coke addiction.

17. Formalize the idea
Support it with data
Outlines the justification for the
project
Provides a common language
Can easily be updated as new
information is gathered
Use the template to get started!
Why Create a Document for your Business Case?
Formulizing the business case helps create common
language for you to assess your project

18. Executive Summary
Business Case Analysis
Team
Problem Definition
Project Overview
Strategic Alignment
Cost Benefit Analysis
Alternatives Analysis
Approvals
Sections of the Business Case

19. Issue
Anticipated outcomes
Recommendation
Justification
Executive Summary
The Executive Summary provides general information on the issues surrounding the
business problem and about the proposed project to solve it. It can be done last. piece
about why these things first

20. Business Case Analysis Team
This section 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.
about why these things first

21. Problem Statement
Organizational Impact
Transition Approach
Problem Definition
This section documents the current problem to be solved, its impacts,
and a high-level overview of any specific requirements.about why these things first

22. Project Description
Goals and Objectives
Project Performance
Project Assumptions
Project Constraints
Major Project Milestones
Project Overview
This section 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.

23. Strategic Alignment
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.

24. Cost Benefit Analysis
Costs of the project
Compared to benefits
and savings
Determine project
viability

25. Alternatives Analysis
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.

26. 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.

27. Buy-in from the important stakeholders in your business
A connection between your project to the core business strategy
A clear plan for going forward
Knowledge of how to make the project successful
Confidence in the chosen solution
A Completed Business Case will give you…

28. What is your role on the Business Case Team?
Executive Sponsor
Technology Support
Process Improvement
Project Manager
Audience Poll
The business case team develops the requirements that will become your new
system

29. Define your project
team
Use the
Worksheet!
Your Homework for Next Time

30. Available on our blog at http://blog.blytheco.com/?p=4423
Business Case Document Template
Business Case Team Worksheet
Reading List
Copy of this presentation
“7 Steps to Building a Business Case for ERP” Whitepaper
Resources for today’s class

31. Next Classes…
How to Scope Your Project - Wednesday, July 9
How to Evaluate Solutions and Build Your Evaluation Committee
- Wednesday, August 6
Cloud vs. On-Premise - Wednesday, September 3
Know Your Payment Options - Wednesday, September 24
Sign up here.