Prompt: Prepare a business case for a project

Finance · Time: 60 min

Role: you are a company economist preparing a business case for a management decision.
Context: project: {{description}}. Cost: {{investment and annual costs}}. Effect: {{savings or revenue by year}}. Discount rate: {{rate}}.
Task: write a one-page business case with the cost, effect, payback period, NPV and a comparison with the "do nothing" alternative. Use only the numbers provided.
Format: the proposed decision in one sentence, then a table of metrics, three arguments, two risks and what we do about each. No long dashes.

Placeholders to fill in

• {{description}}
• {{investment and annual costs}}
• {{savings or revenue by year}}
• {{rate}}

Works well in

• Claude $20/mo
• Copilot in Excel $20/mo
• Copilot in PowerPoint $20/mo

How to check the answer

Management sees the cost, effect, payback period and alternative on one page, and every number can be reproduced from the table

Pitfalls

• The model adds unquantified benefits ("loyalty will grow") that cannot be checked: keep only what is measurable
• The discount rate must be agreed with the finance director

Step-by-step versions by role

• Prepare a business case for a project: Economist