Who Writes the Business Case? Roles, Ownership and a Simple Template

A business case explains why an organisation should invest in a project. The person who writes the document may be a product manager, project manager, founder or business analyst. The business sponsor owns the decision and the case for change, even when someone else drafts it.

Who does what?

• Business sponsor: Defines the desired outcome, confirms the priority and presents the request for funding.
• Product or project manager: Often coordinates the draft, options, milestones, dependencies and delivery assumptions.
• Business analyst: Validates the problem, processes, evidence and requirements.
• Finance: Challenges cost estimates, cash flow, assumptions and return calculations.
• Operations, sales, marketing and technology: Supply practical evidence and assess feasibility.
• Approver: A founder, executive team or investment committee decides whether to proceed. Approval does not replace ongoing measurement.

A practical one-page business case

1. Problem: What happens today? Include a baseline such as time lost, missed enquiries or conversion rate.
2. Goal: Define a measurable result and deadline.
3. Options: Compare doing nothing, improving the current process and investing in a new solution.
4. Costs: Include setup, subscriptions, training, maintenance and staff time.
5. Benefits: Separate measurable savings or revenue from less certain benefits. State the assumptions.
6. Risks: Explain adoption, integration, compliance and execution risks with owners.
7. Decision: Name the sponsor, proposed budget, success metrics and next review date.

Example: an Indian small business

A clinic receives 300 enquiries a month but takes hours to respond to some of them. The owner sponsors a case to improve appointment response and booking. The operations manager records current enquiry volume and missed bookings; finance checks software and training costs; the project lead compares a manual process change with booking and follow-up software. The owner approves a limited trial only after agreeing on measures such as response time and confirmed appointments. These example figures illustrate the method, not a forecast.

Common mistakes

Do not present speculative revenue as guaranteed, ignore staff time, omit the “do nothing” option, or write a proposal without an accountable sponsor. A useful business case makes assumptions visible so that the team can revisit them after the pilot.

FAQ

Does a business analyst always write the business case?

No. A business analyst may draft it, but a sponsor should own the proposed outcome and a decision maker should approve the investment.

Can a founder write it alone?

Yes, especially in a small company. Ask finance and the people doing the work to challenge the numbers and delivery assumptions.

Considering an AI assistant, CRM or booking workflow? Pragatic AI can help you map a measurable pilot before a wider rollout.