Free resource
Agree the value of an AI project before you fund it
The Value Case worksheet is a free, one-page template for agreeing the business value of an AI project before any money is spent. You fill in five fields with your finance team and one accountable owner: the baseline, the target, the owner, the levers and a review date after the work ends.
Free resource · PDF · 2 pages · A4
Get the Value Case worksheet
A one-page template to agree the value of an AI project with your finance team, before you fund it.
The one-page Value Case
The metric you want to move, then five fields with prompts: baseline, target, owner, levers and review. Print it or fill it in.
A worked example
A completed Value Case for an order approval process, so you can see the level of detail that holds up in a steering meeting.
Six questions to test it
The checks a finance team will make before they sign: is the baseline agreed, is there one owner, would anyone notice if it failed?
How to run the first conversation
A 45-minute agenda for agreeing the Value Case with the business owner and finance, in one meeting.
How to use it
Getting started
- 01Pick one process where AI is being discussed, and write down the number you would want to move.
- 02Agree the baseline with your finance team, using a system they already trust.
- 03Name one executive who owns the number, and list the levers that will move it.
- 04Put the review date in the calendar now, 90 days after the work is due to end.
Questions
Questions about the Value Case worksheet
Is the Value Case worksheet free?
Yes. Enter your name and work email and we'll send the PDF to your inbox. We only send you anything else if you tick the box to ask for it.
How is a Value Case different from a business case?
A business case argues for funding. A Value Case is the agreement that comes with it: one number, one owner, the levers that move it and a review date after the work ends, so you can check whether the value showed up.
Who should fill in the Value Case?
The executive who owns the number, with someone from finance who can confirm the baseline. The team doing the work should help define the levers, but they shouldn't own the target.
Can I use it for projects that aren't about AI?
Yes. It works for any change that should move a business number. We designed it for AI because that is where the gap between a working demo and real value is often widest.
Let's find your Value Case
A conversation with a senior partner. We'll bring a view of where AI could move your numbers.