This Business Case template is the input document to obtain approval of an Enterprise Solution request.
Instructions in blue italics are included for each section. They may be removed prior to document
submission.
Indicate whether it is a software or hardware business case.
SOFTWARE BUSINESS CASE
IMPLEMENT RE MODULE OF RAISER’S EDGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
After document is completed, go to References > Update Table > Update page numbers only.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 2
1.
Problem Definition ......................................................................................................................................... 2
2.
Addressing Problem with CWU existing tools and products (i.e. PeopleSoft) ................................................. 2
3.
Organizational Impact .................................................................................................................................... 3
4.
Benefits .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
5.
Strategic Alignment ........................................................................................................................................ 3
6.
Cost ................................................................................................................................................................ 4
7.
Alternatives (add lines as necessary) .............................................................................................................. 4
8.
Timing / Schedule (add lines as necessary) ..................................................................................................... 4
9.
Technology Migration/Resource Identification .............................................................................................. 5
10.
Product Life/Application Sunsetting or Decommissioning .......................................................................... 5
11.
References ................................................................................................................................................. 5
12.
Recommendation ....................................................................................................................................... 6
13.
Approvals ................................................................................................................................................... 6
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This section should state the purpose of the business case, a high level summary of the problem and
state the main benefits of the recommended solution. Usually, this section is completed last after
all other sections of the business case have been written. This is because the executive summary is
exactly that, a summary of the detail that is provided in subsequent sections of the document.
University Advancement currently uses a database called The Raiser's Edge to collect alumni and donor
information. All financial transactions are extracted from RE and manually fed into FMS, and other
functions such as endowment management, budgeting and cash management are done entirely on
excel which is prone to error and inefficient. There is currently a significant disconnect in reporting such
that the FMS reports do not even closely match the financial reports from RE.
Complete the following information:
Sponsoring Department(s):
CWU University Advancement
Date of Business Case Preparation:
9/10/13
Contact Person Name/Phone: Joel Klucking 963-1555
New Product/Service
If there is a draft or sample contract, please provide a copy.
Renewal of Existing Product/Service – if checked, include background information.
If there is a site license agreement, existing contract or new contract draft, please provide a
copy.
1. Problem Definition
This section should briefly describe the business problem that the proposed product/service
request will address. This section should not describe how the problem will be addressed,
only what the problem is.
University Advancement currently uses a database called The Raiser's Edge to collect alumni and
donor information. All financial transactions are extracted from RE and manually fed into FMS,
and other functions such as endowment management, budgeting and cash management are
done entirely on excel which is prone to error and inefficient. There is currently a significant
disconnect in reporting such that the FMS reports do not even closely match the financial
reports from RE.
2. Addressing Problem with CWU existing tools and products (i.e. PeopleSoft)
This section should include an explanation of what existing CWU tools/products were
reviewed as potential solutions and the results of that review.
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3. Organizational Impact
This section should describe:
-research done to determine what other departments, divisions, units have similar needs
and/or have any existing solutions.
-identify and consult all stakeholders
-who will be the primary users of the product/service
-if/how this will impact or benefit students
-contributors to requirements for this business case
-impacts that this product/service will have on the organization in terms of staff, resources,
role changes, work flow
-if training will be required
-changes that may be required to existing IT systems
-other effects that may result from implementation of this product/service

All Stakeholders

Potential Partners/Primary Users

RFP Requirements Contributors (add lines as necessary) – This section may or may
not be required
Department
Name
4. Benefits
This section should describe the benefits that will result from the acquisition/implementation
of this product/service. It should include addressing the issues that were stated in the
Problem Definition section.
Benefits may be realized in the following areas:

Business advantages, for example, reduction of staff turnover

Costs benefits, for example, cash flow increases

Process benefits, for example, consolidating multiple processes

Resources benefits, for example, reduced training requirements

Technical benefits, for example, few software licenses required
5. Strategic Alignment
This section should include how this proposed product/service request ties to CWU’s
Strategic Plan. Specific references should be cited. Link to CWU Strategic Plan:
http://www.cwu.edu/resources-reports/sites/cts.cwu.edu.resourcesreports/files/documents/2012%20CWU%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf
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3-2: Increase the external funding received for research, scholarship, and creative
expression by faculty, staff, and students.
5-1: Maximize the financial resources to the university, and assure the efficient and effective
operations of the University through financial stewardship.
5-4: Provide the facility and technology infrastructure and services appropriate to meet the
university objectives, while maximizing sustainability and stewardship.
6. Cost
This section needs to include Source of Funding (Project ID) or a Description of the Source of
Funding and the Cost Breakdown. Cost breakdown should include the one-time cost,
recurring costs and a five year ownership cost for the applicable cost types (consulting,
hardware, application software)

Source of Funding (Project ID) or Description of the Source of Funding.

Cost Breakdown
7. Alternatives (add lines as necessary)
All business problems may be addressed by any number of alternative solutions. While the
business case is the result of having selected one such option, a brief summary of considered
alternatives should also be included—one of which should be the status quo, or doing
nothing. The reasons for not selecting the alternatives should also be included.
Alternative
Reasons For Not Selecting Alternative
8. Timing / Schedule (add lines as necessary)
This section should provide a proposed timeline for the product/service that is being
requested. It should include the major steps to achieve the goal of this product/service
request.
Task
Target Date
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9. Technology Migration/Resource Identification
This section should provide a high level overview of how new technology will be
implemented and how data from any legacy systems will be migrated. It should also include
outstanding technical requirements/staffing requirements, training plans and obstacles
which need to be addressed.
Resource Identification
Identify the total number of resources (e.g., personnel, equipment, and facilities) that will be
needed for the project. For personnel, identify each type of role and describe the skill-set
requirements when appropriate. Identify the estimated timeframe (start to finish) for project
commitment.
Resource
Requirements
Timeframe
Personnel
Equipment
Facilities
Resource Loading Chart
Use a chart to illustrate the estimated hours required by month for each resource on the project.
*EXAMPLES of Possible Resources
Resource
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Project Manager
Business Analyst
Snr. Programmer
Tester Manager
Database Admin
Test Manager
Technical Writer
Training Manager
Configuration Mgr
LAN Engineer
Total Hours
10. Product Life/Application Sunsetting or Decommissioning
This section needs to include information about the expected life of the product/service and
provisions for sunsetting or decommissioning of the product/service.
11. References
This section needs to include information gathered from other users, institutions or other
organizations who provided information about the solution being recommended.
5
Dec
12. Recommendation
This section should summarize the approach for how the product/service request will
address the business problem.
We believe that these reporting discrepancies can be eliminated by implementing a module
of RE called The Financial Edge that would interface with the existing database and
systematically manage our endowments, cash management and reporting. There would be
significantly less non-value add and error prone manual data transfer between RE and FMS.
The CWU Foundation would no longer be using FMS for financial transactions, however
summary data could be loaded onto FMS in Fund 000 if needed.
13. Approvals
This section should be left blank.
The following actions have been taken by the appropriate Sub-Council (ATAC or NonAcademic Sub-Council) and University Enterprise Team:
Date
Action
By
08/27/13
Approved to move to EISC
Non Academic Sub Council
Upon approval by the Enterprise Team (ET) or one of the two Sub-Councils (Academic or NonAcademic), CWU procurement policies and procedures should be used to initiate a purchase.
Please contact the Purchasing office at x1001 with any questions regarding the procurement
process.
If you have any questions, please contact Sue Noce 963-2927 or Tina Short 963-2910.
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