Business Case Seminars, Auckland, October 2007

Building the Business Case, 2 days, 17-18 October 2007
Business Case Master Class, 1 day, 19 October 2007

Presented by Solution Matrix Ltd. in partnership with Solution Matrix Pacific Ltd.

The Business Case is no Longer Optional

It's no secret that the current climate in business and in government is rapidly losing tolerance for poor decisions, while the need for rock-solid accountability is increasing. Most important spending decisions today require a business case. Everyone talks about the "business case," but surprisingly few know what this means or what makes the difference between a strong case and a weak case.

Join more than 10,000 other professionals who have taken the same training at Boeing, Cisco, Ericsson, McDonald's, and IBM.

Learn and practice the proven approach presented in the whitepaper Business Case Essentials and the best selling Business Case Guide. (See seminar agenda below).

Previous offerings of this seminar have been sold out. Enrollment is strictly limited to 24 participants for each session.

Who Should Attend

Since 1994, Solution Matrix Ltd. has helped thousands of business people and others to understand the essentials and deliver business case results that score high in credibility, accuracy, and practical value. Building the Business Case is designed for

Project managers, product managers, and program managers whose proposals need business case support
Managers with a need to bring accountability and consistency to decision making and planning in their organisations
Consultants and contractors doing business with the national government or local councils.
Consultants advising clients in decision making and planning
Those who propose major IT acquisitions or changes
Government and business people responsible for capital spending decisions
Sales and marketing people with a need to show customers that a decision to buy is a good business decision

What You Will Learn

Solution Matrix business case seminars feature "hands on" workshops with real business case examples. Most participants have little or no prior experience in finance or business planning. During the course they build the benefits rationale, cost model, and financial analysis at the heart of a professional quality business case. At "building the Business Case" you will learn:

The essential building blocks that every business case must have
What to look for in case reports that makes the difference between a strong case and a weak case
Important differences between the government business case and the case in private industry
How to build credibility as you build your case
How to legitimize and measure the full range of business benefits—even the so-called "intangibles"
How to build a financial modeling system for asking "what if" questions, finding which assumptions that drive results, and measuring risk and uncertainty in your projections
How to package and present business case results for maximum impact

The "Business Case Master Class" (one day) provides additional in-depth practical guidance and hands-on experience in:

The financial model that "makes the case" for proposed projects, programs, products, or capital acquisitions
Estimating costs and benefits realistically and credibly
Implementing financial metrics in your financial results (including NPV, IRR, Payback, and IRR)
Shortcuts and risks in spreadsheet modeling
Monte Carlo simulation, to ask "What If?" questions, measure risk, and reduce uncertainty in projected business results
Quantitative methods for bringing non-financial benefits and costs into the case
Taking the "Soft" out of "Soft Benefits"

Venue

"Building the Business Case" and the "Business Case Master Class" will be held at Otago University School of Business, 385 Queen Street, Auckland. Seminar hours will be 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM (with a one-hour lunch break) on Wednesday and Thursday, 17-18 October (Building the Business Case), and Friday,19 October (Master Class). Arrival by 8.45 each morning is requested. Further details will be e-mailed to participants upon registration. Lunch both days and refreshments are included in the seminar fee.

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city and one of its most popular destinations. Building the Business Case amd the Business Case Master Class will be held within easy walking distance of public transportation, a wide range of hotels, and some of the city's most interesting sites. Find information on hotels and Auckland attractons at http://www.aucklandnz.com/. The Auckland airport code is AKL.

Seminar Leader

Building the Business Case and Business Case Master Class seminars are led by Dr. Marty J. Schmidt, President and Founder of Solution Matrix Ltd. Dr Schmidt has twenty years business experience, managing software development, international marketing and sales support, and, (since 1987) management consulting on business issues. He is a recognized authority on the application of cost/benefit analysis and business case development.

Dr. Schmidt also taught graduate and undergraduate statistics at the University of New Hampshire, is the author of a college textbook on statistics, and publishes often on professional management and business issues (e.g., The Business Case Guide, 2nd ed., ISBN 1-929500-01-7). He holds the Ph.D. degree from Purdue University and the M.B.A. from Babson College. Click for more information on Solution Matrix Ltd. and our clients.

Seminar Co-Facilitator

Seminar Co-facilitatior is Jeff Jackson, CA, CMA, FNIZM, AMP 86. Jeff is Currently the Managing Director of Solution Matrix Pacific Ltd a consulting firm specialising in strategic performance management. Jeff has many years of business and industry experience at director and senior management level as Chief Executive and Director of a number of New Zealand companies involved in agribusiness, textiles, energy, biotechnology and human capital. Jeff is a Chartered Accountant, a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management, and a Harvard Business School - Advanced Management Programme alumni. Jeff is a Strategy Coach for the Institute of Strategic Leadership and lectures on Corporate Governance for the University of Otago EMBA Programme.

Price

Enrollment in each seminar is strictly limited to 24 participants in each seminar, and available space will be filled in the order registrations are received. Seminar Fees:

Building the Business Case (2 days): NZ $1750 (US $1,340) Early bird registraion: Register four weeks or more in advance (by 19 September 2007) and attend for NZ $1600 (US $1,230).

Business Case Master Class (1 day): NZ $875 (US $670) Early bird registration: Register four weeks or more in advance (by 21 September 2007) and attend for NZ $800 (US $615).

The seminar fee for each seminar includes:

Classroom training
All training materials
One copy of the Business Case Guide, 2nd ed (PDF edition)
The Business Case Templates Package (MS Excel and MS Word)
Financial Metrics Pro (MS Excel)
Lunch and refreshments on training days
Participants in the Business Case Master Class also receive a copy of Financial Modeling Pro.

Download your copies of these resources immediately after registering!

Team Discount: When five participants from the same organisation register with payment at the same time, the fifth participant attends free. Send requests for a free fifth participant by email to smatrix@solutionmatrix.com. Please identify the participant, his or her contact information, organization, and names of the other four registered participants.

No Hassle Money-Back Guarantee: If you are not completely satisfied with Building the Business Case or Business Case Master Class, please let us know in writing within 15 days after seminar completion, and we will refund 100% of your seminar fee. Reservations may be cancelled up to 15 days before the seminar, subject to a NZ$150 cancellation fee. Substitutions may be made at any time up to the start of the seminar.

Registration

Submitting a registration request affirms that you have read and accept the seminar cancellation and substitution policy (above).

Register online for Auckland Seminars

The links below take you to our secure online shopping cart page, where you will be asked to provide the name of the registered participant(s), contact information, and credit card details to complete payment of the seminar fee. Online registration is processed in US$

Register one participant for 17-18 October 2007 Auckland seminar, Building the Business Case

Register one participant for 19 October 2007 Auckland seminar, Business Case Master Class

Register one participant for both seminars (17-19 October) in Auckland

To register by mail or fax click for printable registration form (PDF Format)

Join the Leaders

A few of the New Zealand organisations and companies in previous seminars include

Adult Services, Tairawhiti District
Altis Consulting
Altitude Group
Asteron
Auckland City Council
Carson Group
Design Technology
Eagle Technology
Eastland Energy
Eastland Infrastructure
Equinox
Fontera Co-operative

Fulton Hogan
Gisborne Chamber of Commerce
IAG
Infinity Solutions
Jade Software
McCullochs New Zealand
NZ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Otago University School of Business
Tairawhiti Polytechnic
Toll NZ
Wairoa District Council

For more information please contact:

Jeff Jackson, Managing Director, Solution Matrix Pacific, Auckland, NZ
jeff@solutionmatrixpacific.com Ph +64 9 366 2250
Marty Schmidt, President, Solution Matrix Ltd., Boston, USA
mschmidt@solutionmatrix.com Ph +1 617 267 9607

Building the Business Case Agenda - Day 1

Day 1 Morning (900 - 1200)

Introductions and Overview
• Introductions, participants and instructors
• Business case overview (the view from 39,000 feet)
• 5 keys to a successful case (overview from 2,000 feet)
• Review essential financial concepts Part I
     – Measuring business performance
     – Income statement (Statement of operations)
     – Balance sheet (Statement of financial position)
     – Planning and budgeting concepts
     – The time value of money

Designing the Case
• The business case introduction
• The subject statement:
     – What is the case is about?
     – Which business objectives does the subject addressed?
     – Which business problems does the subject solve?
• The purpose statement:
     – Why the case is being built?
     – Who will use it? For what purpose? When?
     – What information do they need?
• Case scope and boundaries:
     – Whose costs and whose benefits will be included?
     – What time period will the analysis cover?
• Case studies (Other case studies added at participant request)
     – Justifying a major software system (ERP system)
     – Estimating marketing program ROI
     – Deciding whether or not to launch an e-business venture

Workshop Practical Exercise 1: Subject, Purpose, and Scope
     – Writing the business case subject statement
     –  Determining the case purpose
     – Setting the case scope and boundaries

Lunch (1200 - 1300)

Day 1 Afternoon (1300 - 1700)

• Essential financial concepts Part II
     – Financial decision criteria
     – Financial metrics in the business case
     – Net present value (NPV) and discounted cash flow (DCF)
     – Return on Investment (ROI)
     – Payback period
     – Internal rate of return (IRR)
     – Other financial metrics to meet the case purpose

Designing the Case (Continued)
• Methods and assumptions
• Scenario design
• Data sources
• Precisely what do 'cost' and 'benefit'' mean?
• The cost model Introduction
     –  Rules for deciding which cost items belong in the case
     – Ensuring that different scenarios are compared fairly
     – A tool for cost analysis
     – Showing that all relevant costs are included
• An activity-based cost model
• A resource-based cost model
• Identifying assumptions / Making assumptions

Workshop Practical Exercise 2: The Cost Model
     –  Choosing the approach: Activity-based or resource-based model?
     –  Designing the cost model structure
     – Identifying cost impacts
     – Turning cost impacts into projected cash flow

Building the Case
• Analysing costs and benefits
• Cost models for the case studies
• The road ahead: Benefits rationale and cash flow projections

Day I Summary and Wrap Up

Building the Business Case Agenda - Day 1

Day 2 Morning (900 - 1200)

• Review of Day 1, overview of Day 2

Building the Business Case (Continued)
• Analysing costs and benefits (continued)
• The full range of business benefits
• Building the benefits rationale:
     – Benefits begin with business objectives
     – Common conceptions about hard and soft benefits
     – Problems with so-called intangible benefits
     – Legitimising benefits for the business case
     – Measuring value in financial terms
• The benefits rationale for case studies

Workshop practical exercise 3: Benefits
     – Identifying business objectives for action
     – Determining benefits (contributions to objectives)
     – Making objectives and benefits tangible
     – The value of reaching objectives
     – Assigning value to benefits

Lunch (1200 - 1300)

Day 2 Afternoon (1300 - 1700)

Building the Case (Continued)
• The Financial model
• Cash flow statements
     – Full-value cash flow statement for each scenario
     – The incremental cash flow statement
     – The baseline for measuring savings, increases, and improvements
• Building the financial model
     – Static vs. dynamic models
     – Assumptions and the dynamic model
     – 'Costing' and 'valuing' from the assumptions
• Analysing results

Workshop Practical Exercise 4: The Financial Model
     – Designing the financial model
     – Spreadsheet implementation
     – Testing the model

Packaging and Presenting the Case
• Asking 'What if?' questions · Sensitivity, risks, and contingencies
     –  Sensitivity analysis: Which assumptions are most important?
     – Simple sensitivity analysis
     – Sensitivity analysis: rigorous
     – Risk analysis: How likely are projected results? Other results?
• Risk and sensitivity analysis with Monte Carlo simulation
     – Reducing uncertainty in projected results
     – Measuring and reporting uncertainty
     – Confidence intervals for projected results
     – Implementing your own Monte Carlo simulation
• Non financial results in the business case
     – The difference between 'intangible' and 'non financial' results
     – Linking non financial results to business objectives
     – Comparing financial and non financial results

Workshop Practical Exercise 5: Non Financial Results
– Non financial contributions to business objectives
– Comparing financial and non-financial results on the same basis

Recommendations and conclusions
• Meeting business objectives: What it's all about
• Contingencies: What must we mange, to bring in the predicted results?
• Risks: Which risk factors must we watch?
• Practical guidance for management

Your next steps

Course summary and wrap up

Register one participant for 17-18 October 2007 Auckland seminar, Building the Business Case
Register one participant for 19 October 2007 Auckland seminar, Business Case Master Class
Register one participant for both seminars (17-19 October) in Aucklandseminars (17-19 October) in Auckland
To register by mail or fax click for printable registration form (PDF Format)