Building a Business CaseSteve Wilson

VP of Solution Design, Redwood Logistics

Flexible and Strategically Integrated

Our Companies

My Goal for this

Presentation:

This isn’t easy because:

• Ideas have to compete for resources.• All of us have experience with new initiatives that fail to

reach their potential.

• Everyone likes their own ideas better.

However:

• There are tools and techniques that have been proven successful in both modern and historical times

• You can be successful too if you are willing to put in the work

To Cultivate a Sense of Agency

Call to Action

Vision Value Proposition

Build Credibility

A Good Idea

Is Not EnoughNot Urgent Urgent

Not

Impo

rtant

Impo

rtant

Important& Urgent

Develop a Call to Action

• What has changed

• Lagging behind the competition

• Declining trends

• Unprepared to handle events

• Pain

Identify

Tools

• Financial Benchmarking / Peer Comparisons

• Operational metrics

• Process capabilities

• Third party research

• Identifying risk

• Interview

Call to Action

Vision Value Proposition

Build Credibility

Leading without situational authority requires a compelling vision.

Make it PersonalMake it RelatableSuccinct and Complete

“Those who tell the stories rule society” - PLATO

“If it could save a person’s life, could you find a way to save ten seconds

off the boot time? If there were five million people using the Mac,

and it took ten seconds extra to turn it on every day, that added up to

three hundred million or so hours per year people would save,

which was the equivalent of at least one hundred lifetimes saved per year.”

Steve JobsSteve Jobs encouraging a developer on the original Macintosh

computer to find creative ways to reduce “boot up” time

Make It Personal

Make it Relatable

Easy to Describe• Tagline / Concept: 1-3 sentences

• Treatment / Overview: 1-3 pages

• Details: Save for reference

It’s Hamlet

But with Lions

We’ll call it “The Lion King”

Amazon’s “Internal Press Release”

HeadingName the product in a way the reader (i.e. your target customers) will understand.

Sub-headingDescribe who the market for the product is and what benefit they get. One sentence only underneath the title.

SummaryGive a summary of the product and the benefit. Assume the reader will not read anything else so make this paragraph good.

ProblemDescribe the problem your product solves.

SolutionDescribe how your product elegantly solves it.

Quote from youA quote from a spokesperson in your company.

How to get startedDescribe how easy it is to get started.

Customer quoteProvide a quote from a hypothetical customer that describes how they experienced the benefit.

Closing and call to actionWrap it up and give pointers where the reader should go next.

Ian McAllister, General Manager, Amazon

Call to Action

Vision Value Proposition

Build Credibility

ValueProposition

Any project will impact customers, both internal and external.

Identify and segment your customers:

• Internal vs. external

• By function: Accounting, Operations, Purchasing, Logistics, etc.

Identify what it is that they need and value:

Understand your Customer

Understand your Customer

Each element of your solution that addresses a job, gain or pain is considered a Value Driver JobsPainWins

Value Proposition Summary

Know your customers: Jobs, Wins, Pain.

Identify how your solution impacts your customers.

These impactful solutions become your value drivers.

You can show how your value drivers have a financial impact.

Always work with others to validate financial impact

Call to Action

Vision Value Proposition

Build Credibility

Credibility = TRUST

Our influence is in direct proportion to the trust we have built.

Trust is difficult to build quickly.

Senior business leaders have learned not to trust.

Building Credibility

Building Credibility

Demonstrate your knowledge and perspective

Display loyalty

Reflect the culture

Leverage trust from someone else

Do your homework

Keep your process transparent

I’m on your side

More than understanding

Executive sponsorship and/ or team members

Transparency: Selection Criteria

Will it solve real problems?

Can it be implemented?

Is it better than doing nothing?

Are the benefits long-term?

The project must be… (specific to organization)

Ex. Work on “X” ERP, fit within the four walls, not disrupt “Y” process, show “Z” return on investment, etc.

Classic product development methodology utilizes pre-set, often called toll-gates, or phase-gates

Homework: Develop and Share AlternativesUp-front investment What will be the immediate cash outlay required?

On-going expensesWhat will be required on an on-going basis, and will it be perpetual or time-limited?

Internal resources requiredWho and for how long?

Management time and attentionWill this require consistent review and participation of senior executives?

Opportunity cost To what extent will this option prevent the organization form pursuing other projects or initiatives?

Homework: Develop and Share Risk Plans

Understand the dependencies.

Develop contingency plans.

Understand your key assumptions

Lower risk through Proof of Concept and Pilot studies…

Build Credibility Summary

Do your homework.

Be transparent.

Reflect the culture.

Leverage credibility through others.

Call to Action

Vision Value Proposition

Build Credibility

Now its Your Turn

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world:

the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”George Bernard Shaw