Business Case Example:
New Company Website
A fully worked example of a foundational project business case, demonstrating alignment and financial justification.
In this resource
§1 Worked Example: Mary’s Consulting Website
The following is a synthesised example of a completed business case, justifying capital expenditure for a corporate website overhaul. It demonstrates how to concisely map business friction to measurable strategic objectives.
Project Identification
Project Title: Mary’s Consulting – New Company Website
Date Prepared: 20 April 2026
Business Need / Problem Statement
Mary’s Consulting currently operates on an outdated digital architecture that fails to represent its global footprint of over 500 consultants. It inadequately positions the brand for enterprise-level (Fortune 500) procurement. Marketing teams are blocked from making content updates without direct engineering intervention, lead capture remains entirely manual, and the platform lacks modern mobile responsiveness and accessibility compliance. Consequently, the firm is experiencing a measurable decline in inbound opportunities and suffering brand degradation against direct competitors.
Strategic Alignment
This initiative underpins the FY2026 corporate strategy to expand the Fortune 500 client base by 15% while comprehensively modernising the firm’s digital presence. It is directly aligned with the current brand-refresh programme spearheaded by the Chief Executive Officer.
Situational Assessment
- The existing platform was deployed approximately seven years ago on a Content Management System (CMS) that is no longer supported.
- Performance metrics indicate an average page load time exceeding 6 seconds, resulting in a bounce rate of roughly 62%.
- While mobile visitors now account for 48% of total traffic, the user experience remains strictly desktop-oriented.
- Key market competitors have successfully launched modernised digital platforms within the preceding 18 months.
- The Marketing department currently carries a backlog of over 30 critical content updates, all blocked pending IT resource availability.
Alternatives Considered
| Option | Description | Cost | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Do nothing | Keep current site as-is. | $0 | Rejected: continued brand degradation and inbound lead loss. |
| 2. Patch existing site | Visual refresh deployed on the current platform. | ~$40,000 | Rejected: underlying CMS remains unsupported; yields limited operational gains. |
| 3. Build new site | New responsive, accessible, CMS-driven platform featuring integrated CRM routing. | $150,000 | Selected (Recommended) |
| 4. Outsource fully | Migration to a third-party hosted, managed marketing ecosystem. | ~$220,000+ recurring fees |
Rejected: higher Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and less granular control. |
Recommended Solution
Proceed with Option 3: Build a new company website featuring a modern responsive design framework, an editor-friendly CMS, full accessibility compliance, and CRM integration for automated lead routing. Total requested budget is $150,000 USD, targeting a launch within six months of formal charter approval.
Financial Summary (3-Year Horizon)
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-time build cost | $150,000 | — | — | $150,000 |
| Hosting and maintenance | $8,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $28,000 |
| Total Cost | $158,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $178,000 |
| Estimated incremental revenue (new leads) | $120,000 | $240,000 | $300,000 | $660,000 |
| Net Benefit | ($38,000) | $230,000 | $290,000 | $482,000 |
Key Risks
- Approval bottlenecks: The Chief Executive Officer operates as the sole approver for brand direction, creating a potential single point of failure in the design phase.
- Content readiness: Potential delays in sourcing and approving copy from globally distributed consulting staff.
- Integration complexity: Unforeseen technical friction connecting the new CMS to the existing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
- Schedule compression: Tight delivery timelines driven by predefined FY2026 marketing campaign launches.
Recommendation
Authorise the project initiation, allocate $150,000 USD from the FY2026 marketing and operations capital budget, and empower the project sponsor to formally charter the initiative with Andrew designated as the Project Manager.
Contents§2 Blank Template Structure
When drafting a new business case within the KEVOS framework, ensure the following core components are comprehensively addressed to expedite executive review.
- Project Identification: State the proposed title and the preparation date clearly at the head of the document.
- Business Need / Problem Statement: Clearly articulate the current friction, market deficiency, or operational limitation. Define the cost of inaction.
- Strategic Alignment: Demonstrate specifically how this initiative supports broader corporate objectives and specific leadership mandates.
- Situational Assessment: Provide empirical, verifiable data illustrating the current state (e.g., performance metrics, backlog figures, competitive analysis).
- Alternatives Considered: Present at least three viable options (mandating one as 'Do Nothing'). Compare costs, benefits, and justify the rejection or selection of each.
- Recommended Solution: Detail the selected approach, the total required budget, and the target delivery timeframe based on the preferred alternative.
- Financial Summary (3-Year View): Quantify one-time build costs, recurring maintenance, projected revenue or savings, and calculate the net benefit across a standard 36-month horizon.
- Key Risks: Identify dependencies, bottlenecks, and technical complexities that threaten the schedule, budget, or proposed scope.
- Recommendation: Close with a definitive request for approval, funding authorisation, and formal project chartering.