http://tc.eserver.org/publisher/Solution_Matrix A listing of works published by Solution Matrix in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Solution_Matrix http://tc.eserver.org/27821.html http://tc.eserver.org/27821.html No matter when or how you present your business case for review, there will be a sinister, uninvited stranger in the room. You can't bar him from the meeting. You can't prevent him from speaking to everyone present. http://tc.eserver.org/27826.html http://tc.eserver.org/27826.html There are some things you don’t want to hear when your business case is under review. http://tc.eserver.org/27827.html http://tc.eserver.org/27827.html The most frequently used calculation in business case analysis is the 'Time = Money' equation, where Benefits = (time saved) * (the cost of labor). Using this equation blindly, however, can result in seriously overstated benefits. http://tc.eserver.org/27819.html http://tc.eserver.org/27819.html A business case is a tool that supports planning and decision-making, including decisions about whether to buy, which vendor to choose, and when to implement. http://tc.eserver.org/27824.html http://tc.eserver.org/27824.html When your business case deals with a project or program, labor costs may be the largest single cost category, by far. Labor costs can even loom large in in a major capital expenditure (CAPEX) business case, if the acquisition comes with a serious need for operating and maintenance support (as in many IT CAPEX requests, for instance). How well you handle the labor costs can make or break the case. http://tc.eserver.org/27822.html http://tc.eserver.org/27822.html If you know ahead of time where the risks are, you can manage them (or at least watch them) and avoid unpleasant surprises down the road. http://tc.eserver.org/27820.html http://tc.eserver.org/27820.html ROI estimates in business fail primarily because managers give too much attention to the 'pay out' odds, and too little attention to measuring and managing 'probability' odds. A good risk and sensitivity analysis of the assumptions behind the predictions allows you to do both. http://tc.eserver.org/27823.html http://tc.eserver.org/27823.html Is someone not telling the truth? Or, has Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) simply become a meaningless concept? And what, if anything, do customers and vendors need to know about TCO? http://tc.eserver.org/27825.html http://tc.eserver.org/27825.html A business case may predict excellent results yet still fail to 'make the case.' We see project managers, IT directors, sales people, and others who have just had the painful experience: they predicted great cash flow, high ROI, and short payback - and still got a thumbs down from top management.