Course Description

The BCS Professional Certificate in Benefits Planning and Realisation evaluates comprehension of the processes and methods used to define, plan, and achieve business benefits. These benefits are expected outcomes of implementing business and information system changes. For business analysts involved in any stage of the business change lifecycle, understanding benefits management is crucial.

This course serves as an Business Skills module for the BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis.

Pre-requisites

There are no entry requirements for this certification.

Target Student

This certification suits professionals seeking to understand how to plan, manage, and realise business benefits from change initiatives. It's especially valuable for:

• Business analysts
• Project managers
• Programme managers
• Business managers

The certification also serves as a Business module for the BCS Advanced Diploma in Business Analysis.

Course Materials

We'll send a printed copy of the latest comprehensive course manual to your home address well before your course begins. Additionally, you'll receive an email with a link to access a digital version of the same manual, ensuring you have both physical and electronic references for your convenience and future use.

Exam

The course prepares delegates for the BCS Professional Certificate in Benefits Planning and Realisation examination. If this course is part of your BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis programme you have three further modules to choose in addition to already having completed the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

The exam is accessible only at the registered date and time. Candidates with disabilities or special considerations, including English as a second language, may request adjustments or additional time in line with BCS reasonable adjustments policy.

Learning Objectives

• Discover the context for benefits management
• Define and employ a benefits management process
• Illustrate the organisational drivers and business benefits
• Build a business case and classify business benefits
• Undertake an investment appraisal
• Show the need for stakeholder and change management
• Explain the tasks required in implementing this approach and predict future issues

Course Content

The context for benefits management

• Issues with the relationship of IS/IT delivery to benefits
• Characteristics of a benefits management approach
• Value and the value proposition
• Value chains and value networks
  • External value chain analysis
  • Internal value chain analysis
  • Alternative value chain configurations

The benefits management lifecycle

• The rationale for benefits management
• An overview of the benefits management process
  • Identifying and structuring benefits
  • Planning benefits realisation
  • Executing the benefits plan
  • Reviewing and evaluating the results
  • Establishing the potential for further benefits

Identifying drivers, benefits and establishing a benefits dependency network

• Why: Identifying business and organisational drivers
• Establishing investment objectives
• Linking business benefits to drivers
• What: the business benefits
  • Benefit owners
  • Change owners
• How: the benefits dependency network
  • Business changes
  • Enabling changes
  • IS/IT enablers

Building the business case

• The rationale of the business case
• A structure for analysing and describing benefits
  • Observable benefits
  • Measurable benefits
  • Quantifiable benefits
  • Financial benefits
• Quantifying the benefits & overcoming the measurable to quantifiable barrier
• Financial benefits
  • Cost reductions
  • Revenue increases
• Investment appraisal
  • Payback
  • Discounted cash flow/Net present value
  • Internal rate of return
• Risk assessment
• Completing the business case

Stakeholder and change management

• Assessing the feasibility of achieving the benefits
• Stakeholder analysis and management techniques
  • Power and influence
  • Benefits and change
• Completing the benefits plan
• Change management strategies

Implementing a benefits management approach

• Rationale for introducing benefits management
• Initiating and managing a benefits-driven project
• Roles within benefits management
  • The project sponsor
  • The business project manager
  • The project management office
• The benefits plan and the project plan
• Benefits management workshops
• Reviewing and evaluating results/benefits review meeting
• Establishing potential for further benefits
• Monitoring the benefits after implementation
  • embedding the benefits
  • disaggregating benefits
• A maturity model for organisational benefits

The future of benefits management

• Benefits management and strategy
• Future trends in IS/IT and the implications for benefits management