You have some great ideas to create successful products, but you can't convince key stakeholders within your company to take action without a high level of certainty that they are worth the investment. How these decisions are made often determines whether your organization succeeds or fails. A business case provides evidence to confirm whether or not a proposed product is a good investment. Its importance significantly increases as the cost and complexity of the product idea increases. This session will introduce you to a better approach for creating and presenting business cases that executives and senior managers within your company will respect; one that highlights the value proposition in your proposed ideas, while ensuring a comprehensive and thorough evaluation. This approach will bring enhanced credibility to all your recommendations. About the Speaker Hector Del Castillo has over 15 years of experience transforming products to wealth for technology-based companies by building and directing high performing product teams, improving core business processes and establishing strategic partnerships. He has launched several profitable technology-based products and solutions. He provides services as a consultant, contractor, coach, or trainer to companies that that want to grow by strengthening their product portfolio and creating new revenue streams. Upcoming Events For more information regarding this topic or certification courses near you, contact Hector Del Castillo at http://linkd.in/hdelcastillo. About AIPMM The AIPMM is the hub of all things product management. It is where product professionals go for answers. With members in over 65 countries, it is the worldwide certifying body of product team professionals. It is the world's largest professional organization of product managers, brand managers, product marketing managers and other product team professionals who are responsible for guiding their organizations, or clients, through a constantly changing business landscape. AIPMM's certification programs are internationally recognized because they allow product professionals to demonstrate their expertise and provide corporate members an assurance that their product management and marketing teams are operating at a high competency level. Visit http://www.aipmm.com. Upcoming Webinars: http://aipmm.com/aipmm_webinars/ Subscribe: http://www.aipmm.com/subscribe LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/aipmm Membership: http://www.aipmm.com/join.php Certification: http://aipmm.com/html/certification Articles: http://www.aipmm.com/html/newsletter/article.ph

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– Founded 1998
– World’s largest professional association for product
management, product marketing and brand management
– Provides globally recognized certifications:
• Certified Product Manager
• Certified Product Marketing Manager
• Agile Certified Product Manager
• Certified Innovation Leader
• Certified Brand Manager

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Hector Del Castillo: @hmdelcastillo
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Therese Padilla: @theresepadilla
Paula Gray: @paulagray

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Participate and Win!
• One Amazon $50 gift card
• One hour free product management
assessment or consulting session for the
first 10 people that request it

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Today’s Speaker
Moderator:
Paula Gray, AIPMM Anthropologist
Presenter:
Hector Del Castillo, CPM, CPMM
Senior Product Innovation Consultant
hmdelcastillo@aipmm.com
linkd.in/hdelcastillo

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FEATURED PRESENTATION

8. © 2013 HDC & Associates http://linkd.in/hdelcastillo
Hector Del Castillo
linkd.in/hdelcastillo

9. © 2013 HDC & Associates http://linkd.in/hdelcastillo
What We Will Discuss
1. Why You Need a Business Case
2. What Is a Business Case
3. Steps To Create a Compelling Business Case
4. Pitfalls To Avoid
5. Key Takeaways

10. Why You Need a Business Case

16. What is a Business Case?

34. Key Elements
• Executive Summary
• Market Problem
• Product
– Overview
– Value Proposition
– Marketing Mix
• Market
– Competitors
– Competing Products
– Alternative Solutions
– Key Partners & Channels
• Customers
– Customer Segments
– Target Customers
• Business
– Business Drivers
– Key Partners
– Success Criteria
– Risk Assessment
• Organization
– Key Activities and Resources
– Implementation Approach
– Constraints
• Financial Analysis
– Financial Metrics
– Assumptions
– Opportunity Costs
• Conclusion
– Recommendation
– Next Steps
• Appendix

35. Steps To Create a Compelling
Business Case

36. Nine Steps
Define market
problem
Identify customer
segments, needs
and behavior
Identify competing
& substitute
products
Define product
value proposition
Perform business
analysis
Identify
organizational
constraints
Perform financial
analysis
Make
recommendations
Obtain
management
approval

37. Tips For Creating A Compelling
Business Case

38. 1. Get buy in from executives

39. 2. Encourage teamwork

40. 3. Use checklists
Done Product Business Case Creation Checklist Owner Areas of Concern
□ Commitment for business case creation was obtained Hector
□ Core team has been identified Hector
□ Roles and responsibilities have been assigned Hector
□ Executive sponsors for approval have been identified Hector
□ Market problem has been identified Hector
□ Customers, needs and behavior have been identified Sally
□ Competing and substitute products have been identified Hector
□ Product value proposition has been defined Hector
□ Business analysis has been performed Mary
□ Organizational constraints have been identified John
□ Financial analysis has been performed Jennifer
□ Recommendations have been made Hector
□ Business case has been approved Lisa

41. 4. Use a standard document guide
Customer
• Target customers
• Customer overview
• Customer segmentation
• Customer segments
Product
• Value proposition
• Place
• Promotion
• Price
• People
• Process
• Physical evidence
• Product positioning
Financial Analysis
• Revenue streams
• Cost structure
• Estimated P&L
• Assumptions
• Risk assessment
Organization
• Scope & schedule
• Communication plan
• Impact assessment
Market
• Competitive landscape
• Opportunities
• Threats
• Market segments
• Competitors
• Positioning
• Market strategy
Business
• Business strategy
• Business model
• Competitive advantages
• Barriers to entry
• Advantageous barriers
Recommendations
• Stop, Recycle, Acquire, License, and/or Build
Problem Statement
• Market opportunities
• Unmet needs (pain points)
Source: Business Case Canvas, H. Del Castillo, AIPMM, © 2010-2013, All Rights Reserved.
Business Case Canvas

42. 5. Expect iteration early and often
Business
Case
PRD
Roadmaps
MRD

43. 6. Establish realistic success criteria
1. Why should we invest?
2. What happens if we don’t?
3. What are we going to build?
4. Who needs to be involved?
5. How long will it take?
6. What is the window of opportunity?
7. How much will it cost to implement?
8. What is the unit price?
9. What are target customers willing to pay for a solution?
10. How many unit sales to reach profitability?
11. Who are the competitors?
12. What other alternatives do customers have today?
13. Who else is likely to enter this market?
14. What is the marketing effort required to achieve target ROI?

44. 7. Identify and track risk factors
Source: swsi.moodle.tafensw.edu.au

45. Pitfalls To Avoid

51. © 2013 HDC & Associates http://linkd.in/hdelcastillo
Key Takeaways
• Helps make smarter decisions, better results1
• Helps prioritize investment opportunities2
• Reduces time to market3
• Establishes clear direction and objectives4
• Allows you to guide key product decisions5

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My Next Webinar
Transform Your Career With An AIPMM
Certification
Tuesday, Sep 3rd, 1 pm ET

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Upcoming Workshop
Making The Case For Your Product
Wednesday, Sep 25th, 12-2 pm ET

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Free Consulting Session
• First ten people to submit information via
email
• Please include background on product or issue
• Must include name, title, email address,
phone number, and company info

55. © 2013 HDC & Associates http://linkd.in/hdelcastillo
Hector Del Castillo
• Senior consultant with over 15 years of experience transforming
products to wealth for technology companies
• AIPMM Body of Knowledge (ProdBOK®) Contributor
• Established companies
– Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lucent Technologies, MEI Technologies
• Small companies and startups
– Nextone Communications, Smith Micro Software
• Launched 30+ Products for global deployment
– HW/SW, Telecom, Enterprise Mobility, Information Security
Services, Professional Development
• Certified PMP®, CPM® and CPMM®
• University of California at Santa Barbara, MS EE
• University of Texas at El Paso, MS EE, BS EE
55

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Q & A
Moderator:
Therese Padilla, AIPMM President
Presenter:
Hector Del Castillo, CPM, CPMM
Senior Product Innovation Consultant
hmdelcastillo@aipmm.com
linkd.in/hdelcastillo

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Upcoming Course
Certified Product Marketing Manager®
9th & 10th September 2013
Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur
160, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
marcus evans professional training
Tel: 603 2117 4888 Fax: 603 2145 7732
www.marcusevans.com

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Upcoming Courses
Course & Location Dates Days Time
ACPM® Certification Prep Course & Exam
Seattle, WA
McLean, VA
Aug 26, 2013
Sep 16, 2013
M 8:30 am – 5 pm
CPM® Certification Prep Course & Exam
Seattle, WA
McLean, VA
Aug 27-28, 2013
Sep 17-18, 2013
T, W 8:30 am – 5 pm
CPMM® Certification Prep Course & Exam
Seattle, WA
McLean, VA
Aug 29-30, 2013
Sep 19-20, 2013
Th, F 8:30 am – 5 pm
Contact Melissa Holtzer, melissa@280group.com, for more information.
Additional certification prep courses are available in Austin, San Jose, and London.

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Upcoming Courses
Course & Location Dates Time
CIL® Certification Prep Course & Exam
Athens, Greece Oct 10-11, 2013 9 am – 6 pm
CPM® Certification Prep Course & Exam
Athens, Greece
Singapore
Oct 8-9, 2013
21-23 Oct, 2013
9 am – 6 pm
8 am – 5 pm
CPMM® Certification Prep Course & Exam
Athens, Greece
Singapore
Oct 14-15, 2013
28-30Oct, 2013
9 am – 6 pm
8 am – 5 pm
Follow the links provided to get more information regarding these courses.

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For More Information About
• AIPMM membership benefits
• Certification courses near you
• How to prepare to take a certification exam
Hector Del Castillo, CPM, CPMM
Senior Product Innovation Consultant
hmdelcastillo@aipmm.com
linkd.in/hdelcastillo

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