For many operational managers one of the most difficult financial challenges involves preparing a business case. Why are some seemingly unimportant projects approved, while other worthy projects never make it to the starting gate? Is there a magic key that improves the probability that your project will be financed? In the next two columns I’d like to share with you the underlying things that help a project reach the approval stage – the CFO’s guide to giving your business case the best shot. For the purposes of this column, a business case can be a:

• capital project request for new client management software,
• proposal to add new services to the existing portfolio,
• buying a competitor
• request for funds to capitalize on an existing high growth opportunity
• new productivity initiative to improve routing of service personnel
• major marketing effort to penetrate existing markets.