Babble brought together top tech leaders and valued customers in Birmingham on the 20^th of June for a dynamic Lunch & Learn. The highlight of the event was a riveting IT Leaders Panel discussion featuring some of our most valuable player (MVP) customers: Gurjit Singh Bahia (GB), Mark Povey (MP), and John Underwood (JU). Their long-standing business with us and ability to drive impact through IT in their organisations made them the perfect panelists to share their invaluable insights and perspectives on the latest trends and challenges in the IT industry.

Reading time: 8 minutes

What This Blog Covers: 

• Gurjit’s Guide to Winning CEO Support 
• Mark’s Advice on Crafting a Compelling Case 
• John’s Tips on Articulating Value  

Business cases for IT expenditure bridge the gap between showcasing the value of NextGen solution adoption for your business and securing the funding needed to effectively implement it. We believe that a compelling business case has the power to transform the IT department from a cost-run function to an investment-run operation. The trick is capturing the value of technology in a way that resonates with people outside of the tech space.  

This means emphasising that when invested in, technology can drive the bottom line while keeping the business productive and protected. In the previous blog, we discussed the many insights the Leading Beyond Tech panellists shared about securing stakeholder engagement to move IT from being an operational function to a driver of transformation and innovation. Now we’re going to unpack the solution-based tips the panellists shared to help you – the tech leader – translate the return on investment of leveraging cutting-edge IT solutions for businesses and acquire leadership buy-in. 

Gurjit’s Guide to Winning CEO Support 

Avoid overwhelming or frustrating your CEO 

Put a process behind how you craft and share your business case. Ensure that you’re speaking your CEO’s language by touching on what they deem as most important. For example, if they are statistically driven, strengthen your case with some stats and figures. If possible, try to stick to one business case a year to avoid overwhelming the leadership team.  

“You cannot bring your business case over just candidly, it has to be as the demand and need is.” – Gurjit Singh Bahia 

Create a business case template 

Not only will creating a template streamline the creation process, but it will also ensure that your business case will include leadership’s ‘must-haves’ – no matter what the scope of the project is. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself when putting your template together: 

• What are you trying to achieve? 
• What problem(s) does this solution fix? 
• How are you going to implement and leverage this new technology?  
• How are you going to communicate the value that it brings to your organisation? 
• How do you measure this value? 

Reiterate you vision 

Once created, raise awareness of your business case by having conversations with the relevant stakeholders about what you’re trying to achieve. Remember, you’re an integral partner in the organisation, so the business tech support you provide needs to coincide with what the CEO aims to solve or achieve. 

Align your business case to the business’s strategic plan 

Frame your business case as the middleman that sits squarely between the problems the business is currently facing and your organisation’s vision and strategic goals. This will secure the stakeholder engagement needed to actualise your ideas. 

Commit to the long-term investment required 

Crafting a compelling business case is the starting point on the roadmap to transformation. You are planting the seed of what will eventually become a source of productivity and protection. Rome was not built in a day and digital transformation does not happen overnight. This means that you will have to commit to achieving what you had set out to do by staying in close alignment with the purpose of the company.  

Tip: Download our Business Case Template for Getting CEO Buy-in for IT Spend here to get started today.

Mark’s Advice on Crafting a Compelling Case 

Be consistent in your business cases  

Whether it’s using a certain format or creating a template, ensure that there is consistency across all your business cases. Lay everything out as clearly and succinctly as possible – leaving no room for misunderstanding or confusion about what your goal is. 

Take it seriously, so leadership will  

While some people can ask for a Copilot licence over coffee with their CEO, doing so doesn’t illustrate the gravity and importance of the solution. When communicating about your business case, treat it as a serious document that essentially serves as the key to unlocking an area of potential in the business. 

“Know your subject area: any question you get you want to be on it, you want to be able to show that you believe in what your business case is.” – Mark Povey 

Proactively address the ‘what ifs?’ 

An important element to include in your business case is painting the sombre picture of what will happen if the technology you’re advocating for is not adopted. This is especially crucial for potential cyber security projects – spend some time explaining the risks involved should the CEO choose not to fund this type of initiative. 

Be an advocate  

Given that most of the decision-makers won’t be well-versed in the latest technology trends, this is your chance to showcase your expertise (with the added benefit of bringing more recognition to the IT department). 

Conduct peer reviews 

Get feedback from your peers before distributing your business case to leadership. This cross-departmental approach will ensure that the solution you’re advocating for will alleviate the productivity blockers the Finance or Sales department is facing. You want to make sure that the value of this solution will be seen across the business. 

“[Your business case should be a] logical extension of [the business’s] strategy and the conversations [you’ve had with leadership about the main] challenges. What you’re really discussing [is] whether it’s the right solution, or whether it’s the right price – but not whether it’s the right fit.” – Jeremy Langley  

John’s Tips on Articulating Value  

Be clear in your strategy alignment  

You need to be able to articulate why the solution in your business case is a great idea and why it is worth the price that it is. You want to cut out as much jargon as you can and focus on showcasing the value of this solution. Also, include relevant use cases to further explain what this business case means for the company. 

Monitor progress 

Be sure to track the changes that have been made after implementing the strategy you’ve suggested in your business case. It may be helpful to develop a rubric to help you gauge whether the new solution has served its purpose yet or not.  

Don’t let your ideas collect dust  

Some ideas need more time than others to develop, while others are not on the CEO’s agenda and are not an immediate business priority. Nonetheless, develop a system that keeps these ideas of innovation in a central place – then get into the habit of periodically reviewing them. Asking yourself the following questions will help you decide whether a certain idea is ready to become a business case: 

• Is this idea now more relevant? 
• Has it changed in the business or the industry? 
• Has a competitor released a similar product feature?  
• Would it fit in our budget?  

Be flexible 

The world of modern work is extremely fast-paced and conditions are constantly changing. This means that even if your business case is accepted, it is still susceptible to be tabled at any time. Don’t be too tied up in the bureaucracy or the fact that leadership has changed their minds (again), and instead appreciate the fact that your business case was acknowledged in the first place.  

“We only do a portion of the business cases so that people haven’t done a whole bit of work only for them – for it to get dropped because conditions have changed.” – John Underwood  

Focus on solving the problem 

Ultimately, your business case addresses one thing: what type of problem are you trying to solve? It’s important to remember that what may work for one company may not work for yours. Also take into consideration that just because a certain tool is the new hot topic in the tech industry, doesn’t mean that it aligns with your business strategy. When having conversations with the leadership team about the challenges in the company, discuss the following questions:  

• What problems are there that need our attention? 
• What problems does leadership recognise that we could solve right now? 

Master the Art of the Business Case 

By crafting compelling business cases that speak the language of business leaders and IT buyers, you can secure the funding needed to unlock the transformative power of NextGen tech. However, it’s not about jumping on the latest tech trend – it’s about solving real problems and driving the bottom line. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint – your ideas will take flight in due course.