Key things to consider when building a fleet business case
There’s no question that a business fleet is a significant investment for a company. A clear business case (whether you’re championing a transition to electric, or investment in fleet infrastructure, or something else) can help you secure approval for the budget or resource you need from senior stakeholders.
If you’re in the process of building your case, or yet to start, here are the key factors to consider.
What makes a strong business case?
Before you start writing...
Check your company process
Different companies have different approaches to decision-making, so before you invest significant time, check whether there is a framework, template, or process already in place for you to follow.
For example, if you are in a Public Sector organisation you may need to follow the ‘5 Case Model’ methodology.
Try to secure an internal ‘sponsor’
This first step involves demonstrating the business opportunity and clearly defining how your proposal supports one or more of your company’s strategic objectives.
You might then present this to a potential project ‘sponsor’ (a senior stakeholder who will help support your case to other decision-makers) for approval before moving on to building the detailed case.
What should be covered in your fleet business case?
How much detail you go into, both in researching and building the business case depends on the level of investment (both financial and in terms of resources) required. In general, the following sections should be covered:
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Executive summary
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Background information/context
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Vision and objectives (incl. how this supports the business strategy)
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Benefits and limitations
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Option identification and selection (what other options are there, and on what grounds have you identified this as the best one?)
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Scope, impact, dependencies (what will be covered? which parts of the business will be affected? what else is needed for it to work?)
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Investment required and likely return on investment (profit/savings generated)
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Risks/sensitivity analysis (e.g. what is the impact if petrol pump prices rise by X% vs Y% vs Z%)
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Outline plan to deliver (including who, what, how, when)
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Key Performance Indicators
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Reporting (what, how often, to whom)
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Appendix
