An effective business case, that presents realistic funding options in support of c-suite decision-making, requires a fact-based approach to the creation of these options and considers the following questions:

• What is scope?
• How will this transformation be done?
• Is now the right timing?

Considering the company’s future goals, BSG worked with the client to clearly define the scope of delivery – resulting in a clear foundation for the delivery of the project. It allowed key stakeholders to own and support direction, ensuring adequate c-suite support early in the process. Importantly, links were created through effective client ownership and inclusion of business, systems and customer orientated subject matter specialists within the client. Overall, this ensured a holistic, inclusive and integrated project.

BSG assessed the systems, operations and customer environments within the client’s business – to identify key requirements for a new system. A collaborative inside-out and outside-in approach was followed, to ensure requirements were developed holistically. The outside-in approach leveraged customer focus groups and journeys created from the client’s subject matter knowledge. This complimented and raised the voice of the client during the identification of requirements. The inside-out approach, driven through operational process and ethnographic research techniques, supported that service agents and teams key challenges and positive experiences in the existing operational environment were identified.

Working in partnership, BSG and the client refined and agreed the portfolio of requirements needed for the new system. The inside-out and outside-in approach resulted in a comprehensive view of the portfolio of requirements, leveraging a bottom-up view. Each of the requirements was linked to the future desired business architecture and capabilities. This portfolio of requirements supported the RFP process used to identify appropriate system vendors and supported the creation of relevant funding options.

Through a top-down approach, a vendor market scan was conducted to ensure globally leading vendors were included in the RFP process. The selection of a short-list of vendors was aligned to the client’s strategic goals.

The bottom-up (inside-out and outside-in) and top-down (RFP) methods ensured that viable funding options could be compared. The business case articulated three options, with each option considering:

• Strategic alignment
• Systems fit
• Operational fit
• Funding requirements

Assessing and then being able to compare the funding options gave the c-suite decision-makers confidence, with appropriate transparency, to make an informed decision. In addition, BSG’s collaborative approach and methods, supported the building of confidence as options were created and stages of the project progressed.

The final result of this project was a successful funding decision and entry into proof of concept phase with vendors.