BCA: Business Case Analysis
Featuring the 8 Day BCA!
Jim Brannock is a principal and partner in a prestigious management consulting firm based in the Northern Virginia-Washington D.C. area. He holds a double bachelor’s degree in economics and history, a MBA, and a Ph.D. with a concentration in business management. His Ph.D. study was concentrated in socio-technical systems theory. He has authored and coauthored numerous management studies, journal articles and professional business analysis presentations. Dr. Brannock was prompted to write this book after observing, repeatedly, that otherwise professional business managers had little background in the basics for even the most simple business case analysis procedures and techniques. Time and again, clients were either already committed to, or about to make expensive business decisions without even reviewing the rudimentary basic facts and economic comparisons of alternatives.
As you will see in this book, business case analysis is not that big a deal - its not ‘rocket surgery’. Jim takes the reader through a very simple ‘8 day BCA’ that demonstrates most of the basics. He then reveals, in detailed examples, many of the ‘secrets’ that expensive consultants use for all sorts of business analysis situations. Following these basic approaches and techniques will help you learn how to conduct your own business case analysis, or alternatively, what you should expect from consultants. You will learn how to find, evaluate and select potential opportunities and to assess risks for important business decisions.
Why Not Perform Your Own BCA?
Wouldn’t you like to help you office get its fair share of new equipment and training? Often there is ample ‘fall out’ money to say, upgrade your computers, office decorum, etc. But somehow, "those other offices" seem to get all the goodies. A good BCA can help. Every day modern businesses face dozens of decisions about which projects to fund. Competition for resources and funds is keen and those who dole out the monies often have no clue about your office’s "real needs". You do! Nobody knows your business area like you. This is where a good BCA comes in. It ‘gets across’ program needs in a ‘universal language’ format to ‘bring your good ideas to life’ (not to mention getting you noticed as a professional manager). If you want to learn more about performing BCAs, or how to monitor professional consultants for larger projects, this may be the book you are looking for.
Jim Brannock is the author or coauthor of over 20 critical works for business case studies. He has over 23 years experience in management consulting. His PhD study was concentrated in socio-technical systems theory. In this book he includes comprehensive, yet surprisingly easy to learn examples, concepts, and techniques - many you can apply almost immediately.
You will discover how to:
Present your ideas for study approval.
Develop a professional BCA.
Understand many little known, sophisticated metrics and techniques used by expensive consultants.
Understand social and technical aspects of a situation to achieve understanding and ‘buy-in’ for key decisions.
Develop and relate practical examples of many economic and management science techniques, including:
BPR - business process reengineering.
Economic analysis of alternatives such as breakeven, PV payback, and Savings/ Investment Ratios (SIRs).
Statistical confidence intervals.
Human decision emulation - policy capturing.
Forecasting techniques - relational and extrapolative.
Network analysis - such as the traveling salesman problem and PERT.
Linear programming -optimal distribution networks.
Inventory theory and location analysis.
