How to Build a Business Case for Global Trade Management: A Step-by-Step Guide

In this post I will take you through a four-step process for building a business case for GTM.

This process will help you define the business issues, analyze alternatives and select the best option, create the business case, and present to stakeholders.

By following this process, you will be well on your way to bringing behavioral change that will result in improved outcomes on an individual, departmental and organizational level.

Step 1: Define the business issues

The first step in building a GTM business case is to identify the business opportunity and issues to be solved. You will need to create a succinct description outlining objectives that align with organizational goals and senior management priorities. An example might be “reduce operating expenses” or “decrease corporate risk”.

Next, you will need to develop an opportunity statement that describes the benefits. For example, “reduce international supply chain costs while improving product availability”.

Step 2: Analyze alternatives and select the best option

Once you’ve defined the business issues, you will need to identify and collect information on possible alternatives. This includes researching case studies of companies that have faced similar challenges to yours.

Once you’ve done your research, weigh the alternatives against one another in financial terms, intangible benefits and risk level. For the financial terms, a payback period and ROI analysis are common tools. A payback period illustrates how long it will take to recover the initial investment. ROI shows the monetary impact your investment is predicted to yield.

Step 3: Create the business case

After analyzing the alternatives, you will need to prepare the written business case. You should rely on a template with a simple and sound structure:

• Executive summary

• Current situation

• Analysis & recommendation

• Conclusion

Step 4: Present the business case

Finally, it’s time to present your business case. Be sure to rehearse your persuasion and influencing skills. Select the time, place and approach that best suits the stakeholders. Keep your presentation focused and concise, and be prepared to deal with questions such as:

• Have you ever implemented a similar solution?

• What else might be needed that is not identified in the business case?

• What assumptions have you made that your stakeholder may disagree with?

Interested in learning more about building a business case for GTM? Download our brand new eBook, An Executive’s Toolkit for Global Trade Management: A Buying Guide to Building the Case for Change and Mobilizing Stakeholders.