Direct answer: Structure a business case analysis around one decision thread: define the organizational problem or opportunity, identify the evidence and stakeholders, compare the alternatives required by the current task, apply consistent evaluation criteria, make a recommendation that follows from the analysis, and explain implementation, risks, and measures of success when the scoring guide calls for them.
Start with the current scoring guide and decision
Read the assessment instructions and scoring guide together before drafting. Identify the decision the audience must make, the evidence the task requires, the expected deliverable, and the verbs used in each criterion. A business case should answer that current task rather than follow a fixed template that may not apply.
For broader undergraduate Business context, use the BS Business pathway. If the main difficulty is interpreting criteria or deliverables, use assessment and rubric support.
Business case versus case summary
A case summary explains what happened. A business case analysis uses case facts and other relevant evidence to support a decision. The analysis should distinguish established facts from assumptions, identify the practical problem, and show how the recommendation follows from the evidence rather than merely retelling the scenario.
Build one decision thread
A coherent business case keeps the problem, evidence, options, recommendation, and implementation logic connected. Start with the decision and success condition. Then ask what evidence is needed, which constraints matter, what alternatives are realistic, and how the preferred action will address the original problem.
Map rubric criteria to visible evidence
Create a planning map before writing. For each criterion, note the required action, the evidence or analysis needed, and where the reader will find it in the document. A criterion may require analysis, comparison, recommendation, calculation, stakeholder discussion, implementation planning, or another form of evidence. Do not invent a section, source count, number of alternatives, or model unless the current task establishes it.
Build an evidence pack
Use the case, organization data, course materials, and appropriate external sources to support the claims the task actually requires. Separate verified facts from assumptions and explain the relevance of each important source. Financial or quantitative evidence should be interpreted in business terms rather than presented as unexplained numbers.
For deeper quantitative interpretation, the financial analysis guide explains how to connect calculations, assumptions, and managerial meaning.
Compare alternatives when the task requires option appraisal
If the scoring guide requires alternatives, compare them using the same criteria. Relevant criteria may include strategic fit, cost, feasibility, stakeholder effects, timing, risk, operational impact, or another factor supported by the case. The number and type of alternatives should come from the current task and decision context, not from a universal rule.
| Evaluation question | What to show |
|---|---|
| Strategic fit | How the option addresses the defined objective or problem. |
| Evidence | Which facts, data, or sources support the option. |
| Feasibility | Resources, capabilities, timing, or constraints that affect execution. |
| Risk and stakeholders | Important tradeoffs, affected groups, and uncertainties. |
| Expected result | What outcome would indicate that the option worked. |
Form the recommendation from the analysis
State the recommended action after the evidence and comparison have established why it fits the decision. Explain the reasoning, acknowledge important tradeoffs or limitations, and avoid presenting certainty that the evidence does not support. For strategy-focused work, see the strategic recommendation guide.
Plan implementation and risk when required
When implementation is part of the assessment, identify the major actions, responsible roles, resources, sequence, communication needs, and measures. Risk analysis should connect each important risk to a plausible mitigation or monitoring response. An executive summary can then communicate the decision and rationale concisely if the deliverable calls for one.
Worked example: choosing between two CRM approaches
Assume a fictional organization is deciding whether to improve an existing CRM system or move to a different platform. The example below illustrates comparison logic only; the actual criteria and data in a student assessment must come from the assigned scenario and current evidence.
| Criterion | Improve existing system | Move to different platform |
|---|---|---|
| Problem fit | May address limited process issues with less disruption. | May address broader capability gaps if the current system cannot support them. |
| Resources | Could require fewer short-term changes. | Could require migration, training, and new operating processes. |
| Risk | May retain existing technical or process constraints. | May introduce transition and adoption risk. |
| Decision evidence | Use verified case data, cost information, user needs, technical constraints, and implementation evidence before choosing. | |
If environmental strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are part of the case, use the SWOT analysis guide to organize that evidence without substituting the framework for the decision.
Common business case mistakes
- Retelling the case instead of defining the decision.
- Choosing a preferred solution before evaluating the evidence.
- Using different comparison criteria for different options without explaining why.
- Inventing numbers, requirements, sources, or organizational facts.
- Showing calculations without interpreting their decision relevance.
- Recommending implementation steps that do not address the original problem.
- Ignoring important tradeoffs, limitations, or stakeholders.
Final business case checklist
- Does each current scoring-guide criterion have visible evidence or analysis?
- Is the decision or organizational problem clearly defined?
- Are facts, assumptions, and external evidence distinguishable?
- If alternatives are required, are they compared using consistent criteria?
- Does the recommendation follow from the preceding analysis?
- Are implementation, risk, and measures included when the current task requires them?
- Are factual, financial, market, legal, or industry claims supported appropriately?
- Does the final format match the current audience and deliverable?
Frequently asked questions
Is a business case the same as a case study?
No. A case study may provide the scenario or evidence; a business case analysis uses relevant evidence to support a decision or recommendation.
How many alternatives should I compare?
Use the number required by the current instructions or justified by the decision. There is no universal number that applies to every FlexPath business assessment.
Can I recommend an option before completing the analysis?
You can state the decision question early, but the final recommendation should be supported by the evidence and evaluation presented in the analysis.
Do I have to use a specific business-case model?
Only when the current course, scoring guide, template, or assignment establishes that model. Otherwise, organize the work around the decision and required criteria.
Evidence sources and boundaries
Current course instructions, scoring guides, case facts, and authoritative sources remain controlling for assessment-specific requirements.