The Case for Drone Business Cases

The following is an excerpt from “Making a Successful Business Case for Drone Technology,” a whitepaper that provides guidance for developing a business case that articulates the problems with the current situation and demonstrates the benefits of the drone technology. Download the full whitepaper to learn how to develop your own business case for drones.

Adopting a new technology is naturally complicated—from gaining executive buy-in to implementation and training, to ensuring the technology delivers on key objectives. Process oversights, inconclusive value assessments, insufficient support from the right parties, and general delays can derail the project and de-motivate even the most experienced operational manager. A strong and complete business case can make all the difference.

The purpose of a business case is to outline the rationale for adopting new technology--in this case drones--and provide a means to continually assess and evaluate the project’s progress. A good business case needs to address key concerns for executives and peers, but in general should answer four basic questions:

1. What is the project’s goal?
2. How do we reach the goal?
3. What type of change is required?
4. What’s the degree of certainty this solution will solve the problem?

A business case typically has much more detail than a project proposal and should be reviewed by key stakeholders before being presented to executive decision makers. Preparing the business case involves assessing a business problem or opportunity, identifying the specifics of the drone technology solution, and understanding the benefits, risks, costs (including an investment appraisal), implementation timeline, impact on operations, and the organization’s ability to deliver the outcomes. Ultimately, your business case needs to both articulate the problems with the current situation and demonstrate the new business vision’s benefits.

This series is designed to provide specific guidance for operational managers who want to do just that. It covers a variety of business case topics like setting short and long-term goals, documenting costs, assessing the business impact, and communicating drone program benefits.  Organized so you can consume only what you need, this guide provides a generic business case template as well as examples, both of which you easily adapt for your specific needs, company, and industry.

Download our white paper “Making a Successful Business Case for Drone Technology” to read more.