Business Case Studies
Business Case Studies have specific elements that essential in producing a quality case study. The development of the knowledge
necessary to produce a strong business case is critical
to student success in a variety of different disciplines.
The basic case outline presented by Paper Masters Writers is based
upon the recommendations of Erskine et al, 1999. While
the specific requirements for a business case may differ
according to the needs of a particular goal or purpose
of the overview, this provides a broad, general outline
that will be useful in most instances.
Writing A Business Case Study
The structure of a business case is divided into ten sections. First, the title page presents the report’s author, the class it was prepared for, and the case’s title. The title should be short and clear to maximize the comprehension of the reader.
The second part of the business case is the table of contents. This provides the reader with a clear outline of all of the sections of the case with page numbers. Immediately following the table of contents is the executive summary. Also sometimes called an abstract, the executive summary provides a succinct explanation of the main points of the business case. It should offer a brief introduction to the topic and summarize the most important points in the case. The executive summary may or may not contain citations to other sources. This section of the case is generally 100 to 150 words long.
The next section is the problem statement. This is the first section of the main body of the case. The problem statement should give a concise explanation of the topic or challenge being addressed by the case. It may include an explanation of specific questions if required.
The next section is the data analysis section. This section will generally present the relevant data collected from the business case in a form that supports a particular argument or conclusion. This section will be followed by the key decision criteria, which is a short section that explains how the best solution to the case should be determined.
Next, the case should discuss alternative options. These alternatives may be alternative frameworks for analysis or alternative solutions. The focus of this section is to demonstrate that the author’s choice is well thought out, has considered all other options, and is the best selection available.
This discussion leads to the recommendations section. In this section, the author clearly states their final decision, solution, or recommendation for the business case. This may include an action or implementation plan. This final section may be the longest and most detail part of the report. The report concludes with the presentation of data, including any charts, graphs and references used.
References
Erskine, Leenders, Maufette-Leenders, Learning with Cases, Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, 1997.