Of course, comparing a business case study written in college with the one done in the workplace may seem unreasonable. The difference between them is humongous, especially regarding the difficulty level. But in other aspects? “Not so dissimilar,” state financial gurus with loads of experience in investments and business.
And they are right. Although having differences–with a college case study, you don’t need to appear at a place to be able to write a comprehensive project, for starters–they have much more similarities. Therefore, students have to use every chance to learn how to write an excellent and unparalleled business case study as early in their academic career as possible. Knowing the ins and outs of this task will give graduates plenty of credit and let them compose coherent and insightful case studies right after they land a job.
Should you be assigned a case study, the following guide will help you address the task. Read on to learn more.
Qualities of a great business case
Professors, qualified case study writers, and people who operate in the business world are all on the same page concerning an impeccable case study. They all confirm that a good business case is:
- Curious: It is eager to know the analyzed company’s operation methods, project options, resources, and opportunities used, lost, and gained.
- Ambiguity aware: No case can include the only correct answer, as many ways exist in business that can flatten the curve of expenses and a wide array of other issues.
- Competent: The document, along with the author, must portray a command of the subject and be able to describe every matter accurately and professionally.
- Understandable: Every reader or listener should comprehend what’s before them; if the writing style is complicated, the writer is obliged to describe the case.
Following the suitable case model
Although business case study writing includes multiple strategies and models, using one of the following four approaches will help students pick the proper method depending on stakeholders’ wishes, preferences, and financial interests. Here are common case techniques:
- The financial case: Commercial cases primarily focus on suppliers and internal resources to boost the brand’s financial state and quarterly or annual income.
- The economic case: This type expands its function area, including environmental and social considerations. Here, stakeholders focus on the best value for the business.
- The management case: Stakeholders interested in management expect to learn how to effectively deliver, track, and assess a specific product or service.
- The strategic case: Strategic planning is key in business, entailing everything from the above cases and more. This case is the most overarching and aims to meet the brand’s objectives.
Elements to include in a case study
The act of business case study writing isn’t easy and quick. Besides doing a thorough analysis of the company, you need to structure your report and include a dozen relevant sections. Before looking at the following essential elements of a successful business case study, it’s imperative that you get familiar with the task’s requirements.
Teachers can modify the document’s structure and make it less demanding for first- or second-year students. If your instructor hasn’t asked you to follow a different structure, your business case study will most likely include these components:
- Executive summary: The section briefly describes the case, methods used, and the results.
- Background: Background includes info about the subject, reasons for analyzing it, other works related to the case, etc.
- Project specifics: Outlines minutiae of the project, including its description and problems intended to solve.
- Option presentation and evaluation: Provides a set of options and highlights the ones the author has used.
- Presentation of the preferred option: Presents and evaluates the chosen option and explains why it’s best.
- Strategic alignment: Studies encompassing more giant corporations should elaborate on a strategy and detail how the project aligns with significant objectives.
- Benefits: Here, the writer provides the benefits of an option and explains why the project is advantageous.
- Risks: It’s crucial to provide risks and the chances these risks can eventuate; the author must be clear and informative in this section.
- *Project implementation plan: More proficient students may be asked to write this plan and outline the vision of the project implementation and necessary resources.
- Financial analysis: The section involves an in-depth analysis of the necessary financial resources to implement the plan.
- Resources required: This entails intellectual resources, finances, assets, marketing efforts, etc.
- References: Relying on credible thoughts and sources requires references completed in the proper citation style
- Appendices: The last section collects all the media and figures that help better understand the entire case study.
Knowing the case study elements and their order will help you do a more effective company analysis and write a coherent draft. Once you complete the draft, it would be best to take a step back and look at every section in a broader scope. Usually, the editing and proofreading processes are quite challenging, so ensure to reserve time for these activities.
Be ready for the act of presentation
Writing a case study is often paired with presenting it to the audience, where classmates are improvised stakeholders that you need to convince. If the presentation is part of your assignment, here are four practical ways to stand out:
- Pick the most effective delivery method: First, you need to research your audience to know what approach will impress them. A brief video usually works efficiently.
- Come up with a bolstered elevator pitch: Experienced stakeholders value their time. You should provide an informative and detailed elevator pitch to let them make a decision.
- Develop a great opener: Appealing to the audience’s emotional state is critical to shortening the distance between you. Explain the benefits of the study and make those perks pertinent to people’s wants.
- Answer and ask questions: Making the case interactive will tip the scales in favor of your project. Answering and asking various questions will let you feel more confident and complement your slides.
Finally, don’t hesitate to return to particular slides and explain their contents once again if the audience asks you so. Not only will you help your colleagues better comprehend the topic, but you will also improve your knowledge and be able to generate new ideas.
Writing a business case requires time and effort, but it’s a vital task to become knowledgeable and skilled. Use the mentioned tips, and you will manage to complete this task promptly.
