Have a quick look at it!
The goal of the initial investigation stage is to examine the proposal as quickly as possible (say, within one to six weeks) and evaluate it against the existing business plans of the company to determine if what is intended is likely to be viable in financial, operational, technical, and customer terms.
The goal of the initial investigation stage is to examine the proposal, as quickly as possible, (say, within one to six weeks) and evaluate it against the existing business plans of the company. You need to determine if what is intended is likely to be viable in financial, operational, technical, and customer terms. You will need to:
Remember, this is only an initial assessment; do not run ahead of yourself by working to too much detail. Think in ranges, rather than absolutes. For example, “this project will cost between £75,000 and £200,000, take four to eight months, with cost savings of the order of £100,000 to £200,000 per year”.
The initial business case contains the business rationale for the project. It is the document which outlines WHY you need the project, WHAT options you intend to work on, HOW you will do it, and WHO is needed to make it happen. It also answers the question HOW MUCH? and hence is used to authorize the funding for at least the next stage of the project. The initial business case does not comprise a full analysis, but only sufficient detail to enable you to decide if continuing the project is worthwhile. The full business case, which is completed in the next stage, will provide the definitive appraisal for the project. The initial business case includes:
The initial business also enables the evaluation of the project against the existing strategies and goals of the company to confirm its fit and determine if it is likely to be viable in business, technical, operational, and customer terms.
The project plan is a key appendix to the initial business case and defines the schedule, cost and resource requirements for the project. This is defined in summary to completion of the project and in detail for the detailed investigation stage.
Deliverable | Prepared by | Review by | Approved, prior to gate, by |
Initial business case | Project manager | Impacted stakeholders or benefiting functions and business units | Project sponsor |
Project plan | Project manager | Impacted or benefiting functions and business units | Project sponsor |
Note: These are minimum roles and deliverables only. Each project manager should define the full set prior to the start of the stage. At the discretion of the project sponsor or manager, a separate initial investigation report and/or blueprint may also be produced.
Initial investigation gate. This gate is the point when a decision is made as to whether an initial investigation (business, technical, marketing, and operational) should be undertaken and if there are resources to do it. If the Proposal is authorized, the initial investigation stage is started. See checklist in Workout 6.1.
The initial business case is submitted for gate authorization for the detailed investigation gate.
Workout 7.1 - Checklist for starting the detailed investigation stage
Business need and strategic fit
Deliverables
Health check!
Accountabilities
Operational and technical
Health check scores
Issues
Risk
Executive action