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Adr Format Business Case

The Business Case format is designed for decisions requiring financial analysis, stakeholder sign-off, and executive-level documentation. It includes SWOT analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and ROI assessment.

The Business Case format is:

  • Executive-focused - Clear for non-technical stakeholders
  • Financial - Includes cost-benefit and ROI analysis
  • Comprehensive - SWOT, risks, and implementation planning
  • Formal - Stakeholder sign-off section
# {NUMBER}. {TITLE}
Date: {DATE}
## Status
{STATUS}
## Executive Summary
{2-3 sentence overview}
## Business Context
{Business situation description}
## Problem Statement
{Business problem or opportunity}
## SWOT Analysis
### Strengths
### Weaknesses
### Opportunities
### Threats
## Options Considered
### Option 1: {Title}
**Cost**: {Estimate}
**Effort**: {High/Medium/Low}
**Risk**: {High/Medium/Low}
**Alignment**: {Strategic alignment}
## Decision
{Chosen option and justification}
## Cost-Benefit Analysis
### Costs
### Benefits
### ROI Assessment
## Implementation
### Timeline
### Resources Required
### Success Metrics
## Risk Assessment
{Risk table with likelihood, impact, mitigation}
## Stakeholder Sign-off
{Sign-off table}

Brief overview for executives:

  • What decision was made
  • Why it matters to the business
  • Key financial impact

Describe business situation:

  • Market conditions
  • Competitive pressures
  • Customer needs
  • Organizational goals
CategoryFocus
StrengthsInternal positive factors
WeaknessesInternal limitations
OpportunitiesExternal potential gains
ThreatsExternal risks

For each option, document:

  • Cost: Initial and ongoing
  • Effort: Implementation effort
  • Risk: Overall risk level
  • Alignment: Fit with strategic goals

Costs:

  • Initial investment
  • Ongoing operational costs
  • Opportunity costs

Benefits:

  • Short-term gains
  • Long-term value
  • Intangible benefits

ROI Assessment:

  • Expected return
  • Payback period
  • Break-even point

Include:

  • Phased timeline
  • Resource requirements
  • Key milestones
  • Success metrics (KPIs)
RiskLikelihoodImpactMitigation
{Risk 1}High/Med/LowHigh/Med/Low{Strategy}
RoleNameDateSignature
Sponsor
Technical Lead
Finance

Best for:

  • Executive-level decisions
  • Significant financial impact
  • Decisions requiring formal approval
  • Cross-departmental decisions
  • Compliance/governance requirements

Consider other formats when:

  • Purely technical decisions
  • Small scope/low cost
  • Quick documentation needed
  • Internal team decisions
  • Lead with business impact
  • Quantify benefits where possible
  • Be clear about costs and risks
  • Provide actionable recommendations
  • Include all cost categories
  • Consider total cost of ownership
  • Project multi-year costs
  • Account for opportunity costs

Template available at: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/business-case/adr-template.md