adr-format-business-case

Business Case ADR Format

The Business Case format is designed for decisions requiring financial analysis, stakeholder sign-off, and executive-level documentation. It includes SWOT analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and ROI assessment.

About Business Case Format

The Business Case format is:

• Executive-focused - Clear for non-technical stakeholders
• Financial - Includes cost-benefit and ROI analysis
• Comprehensive - SWOT, risks, and implementation planning
• Formal - Stakeholder sign-off section

Template Structure

# {NUMBER}. {TITLE}

Date: {DATE}

## Status

{STATUS}

## Executive Summary

{2-3 sentence overview}

## Business Context

{Business situation description}

## Problem Statement

{Business problem or opportunity}

## SWOT Analysis

### Strengths
### Weaknesses
### Opportunities
### Threats

## Options Considered

### Option 1: {Title}
**Cost**: {Estimate}
**Effort**: {High/Medium/Low}
**Risk**: {High/Medium/Low}
**Alignment**: {Strategic alignment}

## Decision

{Chosen option and justification}

## Cost-Benefit Analysis

### Costs
### Benefits
### ROI Assessment

## Implementation

### Timeline
### Resources Required
### Success Metrics

## Risk Assessment

{Risk table with likelihood, impact, mitigation}

## Stakeholder Sign-off

{Sign-off table}

Section Guide

Executive Summary

Brief overview for executives:

• What decision was made
• Why it matters to the business
• Key financial impact

Business Context

Describe business situation:

• Market conditions
• Competitive pressures
• Customer needs
• Organizational goals

SWOT Analysis

Category	Focus
Strengths	Internal positive factors
Weaknesses	Internal limitations
Opportunities	External potential gains
Threats	External risks

Options with Business Metrics

For each option, document:

• Cost: Initial and ongoing
• Effort: Implementation effort
• Risk: Overall risk level
• Alignment: Fit with strategic goals

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Costs:

• Initial investment
• Ongoing operational costs
• Opportunity costs

Benefits:

• Short-term gains
• Long-term value
• Intangible benefits

ROI Assessment:

• Expected return
• Payback period
• Break-even point

Implementation Planning

Include:

• Phased timeline
• Resource requirements
• Key milestones
• Success metrics (KPIs)

Risk Assessment

Risk	Likelihood	Impact	Mitigation
{Risk 1}	High/Med/Low	High/Med/Low	{Strategy}

Stakeholder Sign-off

Role	Name	Date	Signature
Sponsor
Technical Lead
Finance

When to Use Business Case Format

Best for:

• Executive-level decisions
• Significant financial impact
• Decisions requiring formal approval
• Cross-departmental decisions
• Compliance/governance requirements

Consider other formats when:

• Purely technical decisions
• Small scope/low cost
• Quick documentation needed
• Internal team decisions

Business Case Best Practices

Executive Communication

• Lead with business impact
• Quantify benefits where possible
• Be clear about costs and risks
• Provide actionable recommendations

Financial Analysis

• Include all cost categories
• Consider total cost of ownership
• Project multi-year costs
• Account for opportunity costs

Additional Resources

Templates

Template available at: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/business-case/adr-template.md