It's Not War and Peace.

The article presents guidelines in developing proposals for information technology (IT) projects. Virtually all IT projects started off as written proposal that sold the endeavor to upper management. Poorly written proposals usually result in unsupported projects, while a well-written plan can make the job of chief information officers much easier. To make IT proposals compelling sales pieces, it is recommended to presell the proposal first. It includes having conversations about the project with other senior executives to gauge their reactions and hear their concerns. Preselling also includes creating a strong partnership with the business units involved. Credibility is an essential ingredient for selling the proposal. It is also important to get feedback from the right group of users, the ones whom management trusts. It is also important to keep the proposal focused on business. Key points of the business case should include organizational impacts such as change in business processes or the number of job reductions, time frame, costs including initial investment and ongoing operational costs once the technology is implemented, and payback metrics which might include return on investment, net present value or internal rate of return.