Page 58 -

The Process to Build the Case 37

Presentation of the Case

The business case for DG is a business document. Even if the CIO is handling this task, you need to
avoid three-letter acronyms, techno-babble, and exotic and abstract pictures. You are sellingdand any
salesperson will tell you that you must be crystal clear and concise.

HELPFUL HINT
Do not depend on a single presentation to sell the DG program. You should be vetting ideas and benefits long before
the final PowerPoint blast. Know your audience (i.e., who will be nodding, shaking, or nodding off) before you even
schedule the final presentation. The best theme for a final business-case presentation is a 30-minute review with
key decision makers and their acknowledgement that everyone is okay to move ahead.

A few themes must dominate the business case:

• DG is a program. (Even if the ultimate goal of DG is to become woven into the enterprise, it is still
programmatic in its rollout and lifespan.) You are funding a long-term, permanent change in
mindset and behavior but the organization won’t embark on this journey without some form of
return or perceived benefit.
• DG is supportive of many projects but, most importantly, it is the control and audit function for
information asset management.
• Governance and change is mandatory to address the issues that created the need for this meeting.
Make sure those issues and history are understood.
At the highest level, a short and concise presentation is required. My guideline for a CEO-level briefing
is ten slides or less. If the presentation is done well, the DG team will expect an expression of interest,
commitment to proceed, and feedback. The feedback must be an acknowledgment or correction of the
business alignment items, and must convey an understanding of the risks and impacts. If this pre-case
material is presented to those at lower levels in an organization, then add details around impacts,
business benefits, and risks.

THE PROCESS TO BUILD THE CASE

What follows is a brief outline of the process to develop the business case for DG.
Fully Understand Business Direction

Whether you have explicit access to corporate strategy or need to read the annual report, you must
form the DG business case in the context of your organization. That means not accepting a boilerplate
justification from a conference brochure. Why is DG relevant to your business? If you are forming DG
as part of a broader EIM effort via MDM, BI, or both, then confirm that the DG team knows where the
business wants to go.

Identify Possible Opportunities

Business strategy begets information opportunities. Again, if an EIM program is being implemented,
you may have this information handy. A common direct benefit of governance is in the areas of