In general, I found this book disappointing. Dan Remenyi does a good job of explaining the importance of business cases and the elements that should get included within a business case, but he falls short on the harder task of calculating the business value of IT projects.
Here are a few of the main points I’ve taken away from this book:
- As IT systems lack inherent value, the value of an IT system derives exclusively from its ability to improve a business process.
- IT must work with line managers and accounting to determine the value of process improvement.
- IT project investments differ from other capital investment decisions because the actual costs and value will not be fully understood until after a process of business analysis and design.
- The business case must serve foremost as an instrument for building consensus among stakeholders, which is essential for the project to succeed. The process of research and dialogue that produces this consensus is more important than the accuracy of the financial projections.
Jim Downey 
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