Problem
Most business cases are project documents pretending to be decisions. They contain pages of background, one preferred answer, a vendor quote, and a financial number built on assumptions nobody can see.
The executive is left to find the real choice, test the economics, and finish the recommendation. More pages do not fix incomplete thinking.
Solution
Name the decision in one sentence. Present the status quo and two or three credible alternatives. For each option, show total cost, expected benefit, time to value, operational impact, risk, and the assumptions behind the numbers.
Then recommend one move. Explain why it wins, what could change the recommendation, and the first decision required to begin. Put supporting detail behind the decision, not in front of it.
Action
- Write the decision as a choice with a deadline: what must be approved, selected, stopped, or funded, and by when?
- Compare the status quo and real alternatives using the same criteria. Include internal time, transition effort, ongoing support, cost of delay, and uncertainty.
- End with one recommendation, the evidence behind it, and the next decision needed. Do not ask the executive to finish your thinking.
Evidence
UK Government. The Green Book requires appraisal of costs, benefits, risks, uncertainty, alternative options, and business as usual before identifying a preferred option.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO's guide emphasizes documented assumptions, risk and uncertainty analysis, sensitivity analysis, independent review, and updates using actual performance.