Frequently Asked Questions: BUSINESS CASE MANAGER 2.1

1. What formulas are used to calculate IRR and other financial projections?

For simplicity and to be consistent with most finance practices, BCM 2.1 uses the standard Microsoft EXCEL financial formulas.

2. Will BCM 2.1 run on a mainframe computer system?

BCM 2.1 is designed to run on the Windows PC based systems. If you use a utility to run it on a mainframe, we cannot support the operation of the product or help you with troubleshooting.

3. How difficult is it to use BCM?

Once you know Microsoft ACCESS, it is easy. There are on line help screens and an extensive user manual to provide guidance.

4. What is the Exit Strategy tab used for on the main screen?

Many business cases are presented in an "optimistic" manner on the basis that if the funding is approved, the project or initiative will automatically be successful. In real life, this simply is not true. Projects and initiatives fail all the time. The EXIT STRATEGY tab is designed to outline how we are going to extract ourselves from this project or initiative if it fails. The exit strategy should specify the risk indicators and the limits at which the plug needs to be pulled on the project. It should specify how we will dispose of the assets, deal with adverse customer impacts, provide support for discontinued products, deal with the public relations issues, etc.

5. Do all the fields need to be entered or are they optional?

There are only a few required fields, such as Case Number, Case Name, and Business Case Originator. Most fields throughout the tabs are optional, allowing end user maximum flexibility in using the system.

6. What if we already have a standard business case template. Do we have to change them all?

No. BCM 2.1 was specifically designed around the fact that many companies already have business case templates. Simply enter the summary information into BCM 2.1 and insert a link to your current business case documentation. You do not have to change anything in your current information. You may want to upgrade your current business cases with BCM 2.1 information that you currently do not require, e.g. exit strategies, accountabilities, lessons learned.

7. What if we change our corporate goals mid way through the year?

Simply flag the old goals as "inactive" and BCM 2.1 will no longer use them for comparison purposes. Please bear in mind that comparisons between business cases using different goals may be misleading.

8. What if we change the way we measure the impact of business cases on our goals?

Similarly, comparisons between competing business cases may be misleading.

9. How often do we have to backup databases?

We recommend daily backups. The backup functionality contained in BCM also compresses the database, keeping the database file size as small and efficient as possible. Large, uncompressed Access databases can affect system performance. If you are running in a client/server environment, your server will probably be backed up on a daily basis by your IT department, which will ensure a backup copy in case things go wrong. However, IT server backups DO NOT compress the database, therefore, we recommend you perform a backup at the end of each day that you enter data.

10. In your brochure, you state that file/client/server connectivity is the responsibility of the user. What does that mean?

In simple terms, BCM 2.1 has a front-end and a back-end component. The back-end contains all the data tables that hold the information on the business cases that you are working on. The front-end contains all the screens and interfaces that you use to load and retrieve the data that is stored on the back-end tables.

If you purchase a single site version of BCM 2.1, the front-end and back-end reside on the local PC. For example, a small company may have the front-end and back-end on the controller's or finance manager's desktop.

If you purchase a multiple site version of BCM 2.1, you would load the back-end on network server and the front-end on each user's PC/laptop and relink each workstation back to the server. Since we do not know the geographical distances of the network, the network configuration, or any of the other software or firewalls that your company has installed, your IT department will have to help you establish the details of how your PC/laptops will access the server that holds the back-end data tables.

Simply inform your IT contacts that BCM 2.1 is built on Microsoft ACCESS tables. It is not a standalone software product that needs to be approved for installation. If Microsoft ACCESS is installed in your company - it is standard in MS OFFICE Professional suite of products - then BCM 2.1 will function.

11. Do you provide a basic overview of what a business case is and how it should be used?

Yes. Click on Appendix A tab on the main switchboard.

12. Where can we locate our supporting business case documentation? Does it have to be within the BCM 2.1 software?

Supporting documentation for business cases can be anywhere you want to locate it. If it is in a computerized format, simply include the links in the appropriate locations in BCM 2.1. If it is all handwritten, you can even specify the filing cabinet or desk drawer!

13. Can we request customized changes to suit our environment?

Yes. The cost to program such changes will be billed on an hourly basis. Maintenance fees will also be required, since the customization will require special maintenance and support costs. If you wish to customize BCM, please contact us directly to discuss your needs.

14. What price breaks are there for multiple site licenses?

A single user license is $495. Mulitiple site licenses pricing is based on the number of users, i.e., for 10 users (10 users @ $495) less 15% discount = $4,207 total cost.

15. What does BCM 2.1 use a the basis for archiving records? Can we specify where they will be archived to?

Once you flag a business case as CLOSED, it is available for archiving. You can specify the location for those archived business cases.

16. Can we buy just one copy of BCM and deal with remotely produced business cases?

Yes, although it will be extremely manually intensive for someone. The preparation of business cases is a very iterative process that requires constant modification through the development, submission and even the funding process. If you have only one version of BCM 2.1, you will have a massive people cost of someone entering the changes to every business case that is in the system. It is cheaper, in people cost, to purchase a multiple site license and let the individual business case developers enter their data into BCM 2.1 directly.

17. How many times can we change business cases before they are submitted for funding?

Unlimited.

18. Once submitted for funding, can we continue to change them?

Yes.

19. Once a business case is funded, can we change it?

Although a business case has been funded, the case will remain in an active state because information about the case still needs to be entered at some future date. For example, if a case has an expected revenue stream of four years, then the case needs to remain in an active state during that time so that the yearly actual revenue/expense information can be entered. In addition, the lessons learned could not be completed until such time that the case expectations had been met or if the exit strategy was invoked due to failure to perform as expected.

20. How does BCM 2.1 rate a business case's impact on corporate goals for comparison with other business cases?

BCM 2.1 uses the impact metrics that you set up in the system. This allows you to assign a name for each impact (e.g., "major"), as well as a numerical quantifie (e.g., "5"). BCM 2.1 uses the numerical quantifier to rate and compare business cases for their impact on corporate goals.

21. Can I create custom reports?

No. There are extensive reporting options for selection. We can customize your version of BCM 2.1 with custom reports that you need on an hourly cost basis.

22. What are the risk limits?

Risk limits are the number of things going wrong that governance is prepared to live with. They are central to effectively managing projects and initiatives. They are also critical to managing processes and business operations effectively - so that you stay out of the fire fighting business! Please refer to our Practical Governance and Risk Management™ information on www.osterio.com to learn more about risk limits.

23. Does BCM 2.1 automatically tell you which business cases should be funded for a fixed pool of funds?

No. However, BCM 2.1 does provide all the comparison information between competing business cases to help management make that decision.

The Best of the Best for 2006

RBIA Gold Medal
Ms. Martha Mimica, Florida Power & Light

RBIA Silver Medal
Mr. Bill Egan, Scotts Company

RBIA Bronze Medal
Mr. Dan Ashley, Qwest Communications

Congratulations!
prior year winners

SOX 404 RISK CONTROL MANAGER 2.1 SOFTWARE


a cost effective way
to document controls

AUDIT TEAM MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM (ATMS) SOFTWARE


best value available for
small audit groups

Updated: February 2, 2007