What Others Say about the Book

Advance Praise for Making the Compelling Business Case

Corporate Leaders

"A useful, pragmatic, how-to-do-it book. The value proposition of a corporate investment has always been about reducing costs or increasing revenue. Messner shows companies how to ensure that projects are really doing that. It is this process of leveraging project expenditure which makes organisations successful."

– Heinz-Paul Bonn
Vice President
BITKOM (Germany)

"This superb text provides a powerful ensemble of formula, techniques, and guidelines for business case success. Comprehensive and complete, it is the long-thought link between financial business case mathematics and stakeholder management."

– Horst Ellermann
Editor in Chief
CIO Magazine (Germany)

"It is amazing how much the quality of business cases varies in both preparation and subsequent execution. Messner brings the voice of experience resulting in a clear, comprehensive, and up-to date guide on building solid business cases. You should have it on your bookshelf and consult it frequently."

– John Knowles
CIO
Allianz Insurance (U.K.)

"Today's information technology landscape is increasingly multifaceted and at the same time increasingly critical to business success. Its complex projects come with significant costs and are not easy to weigh up against each other. Funds are restricted and the company's financial management keeps on challenging project justifications. A business case is the one and only instrument for the project originator to present all necessary facts: costs, benefits, risks, and strategic options. But it does not end here - even the best business case with the best net present value still needs to be presented to senior management for the ultimate go-decision. Messner has created a thorough and systematic book; it gives you new inspiration and guidance to champion your projects professionally and successfully. I personally use these concepts and techniques in my position as CIO."

– Bernd Kuntze
CIO
Haas Food Equipment (Austria)

"This book very clearly brings out careful use of both quantitative analysis and several qualitative factors that are essential for key investment decisions. Drawing on a wealth of case studies and examples, Messner provides fresh ideas, profound advice, and useful structures that can be quickly applied in today's fast-moving business environment, where succinct and reliable information is the key to success."

– Som Mittal
President
NASSCOM (India)

"Messner took the concept of investments and the creation of business cases to a new level. His new book blends his deep hands-on project management and investment experience in emerging markets like India with an excellent understanding of modern investment theory. He emphasizes the need to consider risk and uncertainty in investment decisions; the frameworks and methods explained are most valuable for companies investing into business-growth areas and new markets. A must-read business book!"

– Clas Neumann
Senior Vice President & Head of Global SAP Labs Network
SAP (China)

"Making the Compelling Business Case belongs at the top of the reading list of account managers who want to turn selling around and become a trusted consultant. Customers do not buy from you because your product offers great features; they choose the offer with the best value proposition to their business as well as on a personal level. A business case in sales is a way of communicating this message and helping clients get what they need and want."

– Dirk Palder
Vice President
Capgemini Consulting
& Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Grieshaber Logistics Group (Germany)

"Leaders thrive on results. This excellent book should be of great interest to all executives who need to have continued success with their investment decisions. The approach described not only aligns organisations to take the right decisions, but to sustain delivered benefits over time."

– Dr. Baru Rao
Principal Group Director
Capgemini (U.S.)

"Can we really end the litany of challenged projects? This wonderful book is full of fresh ideas and describes in simple terms how to analyse and evaluate investment propositions - decisions we have to face each day in running and growing our business."

– Enrico Rühle
Managing Director
TÜV Rheinland (India)

"Messner's new book Making the Compelling Business Case gives a very insightful look into the corporate decision making process in today's competitive business environment. Being comprehensive and complete, it helps to remove the doom and gloom of the business case process."

– Swaminathan K
Vice President & Head of IT and BPO Solutions
Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (India)

"Making the Compelling Business Case provides both essential advice and innovative ideas that can be directly applied by corporate managers when assessing an investment proposition and its alternatives. Using an inspiring wealth of case studies and examples, Messner's new book offers a compelling blueprint for decision making techniques.”

– Dr. Michael Schulte
Group Principal Director
Capgemini (Germany)

Academic Thought Leaders

"Making the Compelling Business Case is for both students of postgraduate business management and also practising managers who today cannot fail to be aware of how risk impacts on business and the manner in which decisions of all kinds are made. The book links topics from financial investment appraisal, decision making, and risk assessment that are not always considered in one source; it underpins them with case examples, illustrations, and statistical formula. When an organisation targets growth, the benefits of risk taking by seeking innovation and comparative advantage are crucial – yet often overlooked in corporate practice. Scenario analysis could replace single point conclusions as these make increasingly little sense in the current choppy economic climate.”

– Anthony Mitchell
Client & Programme Director
Ashridge Business School (U.K.)

"This is a great book that should be on the bookshelf of every senior executive. It is packed with real examples, concepts, frameworks, and techniques for preparing and evaluating business cases. The book is easy to read, and the figures and diagrams add to the flow of the text. Messner has distilled his academic and business experience into a fine contribution."

– Dr. Avinash Mulky
Professor of Marketing
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (India)

"Messner's comprehensive approach to investment decisions will help managers assess the financial aspects more carefully while preparing business cases. This step-by-step guide to comprehensively evaluate alternatives will help managers think through their plans before trying to persuade their CxOs who are always concerned about returns on their capital spending. In today's challenging business environment, persuasive business cases are even more relevant and Messner’s book is an extremely useful guide for corporate managers."

– Dr. G Shainesh
Professor of Marketing
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (India)

"Making the Compelling Business Case tackles the most difficult part of a project, programme, or corporate investment – how to analyse the pros (benefits, strategic options) and cons (costs, risks), prepare the underlying business case, and advocate the idea to the CFO and other decision makers by using their financial language. Messner’s new book is one of the most extensive works on business cases available; it is very inspiring, includes many interesting cases, and covers everything from fundamentals to hands-on techniques.”

– Dr. Yinshan Tang
Senior Lecturer of Business Informatics
Henley Business School, University of Reading (U.K.)

"Making the Compelling Business Case is not only relevant for any company hoping to unlock growth and remain competitive in a rapidly changing business environment, but offers serious students a deeper dive into key areas too. Thoughtful executives will find the ideas in this book insightful, the examples influencing, and the frameworks a good compass for building actionable business cases.”

-- Dr. Shalini Urs
Chairperson
MYRA School of Business
& Executive Director, International School of Management
University of Mysore (India)