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AI initiative business case

Template id: business-case Responsible skill: opportunity-management:business-case

A proportionate case for one significant AI initiative. Choose the size first: for a light case, complete sections 1 to 6 and 9 briefly; for a full case, complete everything. The programme-level funding case uses the investment-case template instead. Draw on existing records (the opportunity-canvas, the value hypothesis and the effort assessment) rather than writing new content. Anything not yet known stays marked [To confirm: ...].

1. Decision requested

Field	Value
Opportunity reference and backlog stage	[To confirm: reference and stage]
Case size (light or full) and why	[To confirm: size and reason, for example cost, risk tier, reach or cross-unit funding]
Decision requested, of whom and by when	[To confirm: one paragraph]
What happens if the answer is no	[To confirm: consequence]
Business owner presenting the case (by role)	[To confirm: role]

Field

Value

Opportunity reference and backlog stage

[To confirm: reference and stage]

Case size (light or full) and why

[To confirm: size and reason, for example cost, risk tier, reach or cross-unit funding]

Decision requested, of whom and by when

[To confirm: one paragraph]

What happens if the answer is no

[To confirm: consequence]

Business owner presenting the case (by role)

[To confirm: role]

2. Problem and outcome

Field	Value
Framed problem statement	[To confirm: from the canvas]
Affected roles and approximate numbers	[To confirm: roles and numbers]
Strategic outcome supported	[To confirm: outcome or "none"]
Risk tier and reviewer gates required	[To confirm: tier and gates]

Field

Value

Framed problem statement

[To confirm: from the canvas]

Affected roles and approximate numbers

[To confirm: roles and numbers]

Strategic outcome supported

[To confirm: outcome or "none"]

Risk tier and reviewer gates required

[To confirm: tier and gates]

3. Options

At least three, including doing nothing and a non-AI or lower-rung option.

Option	Description	Expected value (range)	Cost (build, assure, run)	Main risks
Do nothing	[To confirm: what continues]	[To confirm: none or range]	[To confirm: cost of doing nothing]	[To confirm: risks]
Non-AI or lower-rung option	[To confirm: process change, automation, training or adoption scenario]	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: costs]	[To confirm: risks]
Recommended AI option	[To confirm: pattern and scope]	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: costs]	[To confirm: risks]

Option

Description

Expected value (range)

Cost (build, assure, run)

Main risks

Do nothing

[To confirm: what continues]

[To confirm: none or range]

[To confirm: cost of doing nothing]

[To confirm: risks]

Non-AI or lower-rung option

[To confirm: process change, automation, training or adoption scenario]

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: costs]

[To confirm: risks]

Recommended AI option

[To confirm: pattern and scope]

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: costs]

[To confirm: risks]

Why the recommended option beats the non-AI option: [To confirm: reasoning]

4. Costs of the recommended option

For a stated period. Licence and consumption figures come from the organisation's agreements or a licensing partner.

Cost	Range	Confidence	Owner (role)
Build (design, configuration or code, knowledge preparation, integration)	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: high, medium or low]	[To confirm: role]
Assure (testing, evaluation, reviews)	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: confidence]	[To confirm: role]
Run per year (owner time, knowledge upkeep, review cycles, support, consumption)	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: confidence]	[To confirm: role]
Adoption (learning, communications, Champions support)	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: confidence]	[To confirm: role]
Retirement	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: confidence]	[To confirm: role]

Cost

Range

Confidence

Owner (role)

Build (design, configuration or code, knowledge preparation, integration)

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: high, medium or low]

[To confirm: role]

Assure (testing, evaluation, reviews)

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: confidence]

[To confirm: role]

Run per year (owner time, knowledge upkeep, review cycles, support, consumption)

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: confidence]

[To confirm: role]

Adoption (learning, communications, Champions support)

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: confidence]

[To confirm: role]

Retirement

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: confidence]

[To confirm: role]

5. Benefits

From the agreed value hypothesis only.

Field	Value
Mechanism of change	[To confirm: mechanism]
Primary measure and baseline (with date and method)	[To confirm: measure and baseline]
Expected range and timing	[To confirm: low to high, and by when]
Cashable and non-cashable split, agreed with finance	[To confirm: split and finance role]
Position at the low end of the range	[To confirm: summary]
Benefit owner (role)	[To confirm: role]

Field

Value

Mechanism of change

[To confirm: mechanism]

Primary measure and baseline (with date and method)

[To confirm: measure and baseline]

Expected range and timing

[To confirm: low to high, and by when]

Cashable and non-cashable split, agreed with finance

[To confirm: split and finance role]

Position at the low end of the range

[To confirm: summary]

Benefit owner (role)

[To confirm: role]

6. Risks

Risk	Likelihood and effect	Mitigation	Owner (role)
Delivery	[To confirm: assessment]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]
Adoption	[To confirm: assessment]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]
Knowledge or data readiness	[To confirm: assessment]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]
Security and privacy (per risk tier)	[To confirm: assessment]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]
Responsible AI (tier 3 and 4: impact assessment and oversight)	[To confirm: assessment]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]

Risk

Likelihood and effect

Mitigation

Owner (role)

Delivery

[To confirm: assessment]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

Adoption

[To confirm: assessment]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

Knowledge or data readiness

[To confirm: assessment]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

Security and privacy (per risk tier)

[To confirm: assessment]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

Responsible AI (tier 3 and 4: impact assessment and oversight)

[To confirm: assessment]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

7. Evaluation and quality (full case)

Field	Value
How quality will be tested before release	[To confirm: approach]
Acceptance threshold agreed with the business owner	[To confirm: threshold]
How quality is re-checked after changes	[To confirm: approach]

Field

Value

How quality will be tested before release

[To confirm: approach]

Acceptance threshold agreed with the business owner

[To confirm: threshold]

How quality is re-checked after changes

[To confirm: approach]

8. Sensitivity (full case)

Scenario	Effect on the case
Adoption at half the planned level	[To confirm: effect]
Run cost at the top of the range	[To confirm: effect]
Benefits at the low end of the range	[To confirm: effect]

Scenario

Effect on the case

Adoption at half the planned level

[To confirm: effect]

Run cost at the top of the range

[To confirm: effect]

Benefits at the low end of the range

[To confirm: effect]

9. Exit points and decision

Checkpoint	Date	Result that would stop or redesign the initiative
[To confirm: for example end of pilot]	[To confirm: date]	[To confirm: disproof condition from the value hypothesis]
[To confirm: for example six months after release]	[To confirm: date]	[To confirm: condition]

Checkpoint

Date

Result that would stop or redesign the initiative

[To confirm: for example end of pilot]

[To confirm: date]

[To confirm: disproof condition from the value hypothesis]

[To confirm: for example six months after release]

[To confirm: date]

[To confirm: condition]

Field	Value
Reviewer findings (blocking or advisory)	[To confirm: findings, or "none required at this tier"]
Finance review (role and date)	[To confirm: role and date]
Decision and conditions	[To confirm: decision and conditions]
Decided by and date	[To confirm: body and date]

Field

Value

Reviewer findings (blocking or advisory)

[To confirm: findings, or "none required at this tier"]

Finance review (role and date)

[To confirm: role and date]

Decision and conditions

[To confirm: decision and conditions]

Decided by and date

[To confirm: body and date]

Credit: Template from CopilotForge by Simon Foote (https://github.com/SimonFoote-greensparx/CopilotForge), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Keep this credit when you share or adapt the template; in your own completed document you may keep it as a footer or remove it.

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