Business Case
The argument for investing in an AI project, set out so a finance function can judge it. A strong one names the weakest gap, attaches a plan for closing it and ties the spend to a defined business outcome.
What it means in practice
The production article says a structured assessment does three things before budget is committed: it scores where the organisation stands on data, process, ownership and skills, names the weakest of the four, and sequences the fix. That output is what turns a spending decision made on enthusiasm into one made on an evidenced gap. The return on investment page covers the value side of the case and total cost of ownership the cost side.
How we use it
The production article says an audit is where that assessment and sequencing happen, and the audit methodology ranks each opportunity with the reason it sits where it sits. The case is then tied to business outcomes someone already tracks, rather than to a general aspiration.
FAQ
Questions about Business Case
When should a Business case for AI be written?
After the assessment, not before. The production article says to assess an AI initiative before writing a business case for it, because the assessment tells you which gap to close first rather than guessing. It treats a low first score as a sequencing problem rather than a stop sign.
Can AI Training have a Business case?
Yes. The training article reports that organisations investing in structured AI training see a 40% improvement in measured employee productivity. It says that figure is what turns training from a cost into a business case, with a return traced to the business outcomes it was meant to move.
What it means for a Business
A request built on competitor pressure or general enthusiasm is hard for a finance function to judge, because nothing specific is attached to it. The production article says specific evidence and a sequenced plan are what most finance functions respond to.
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