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The Case Study and How to Shorten It
Case studies (or case histories
as they’re sometimes called) are a highly effective way to promote a
business. They can show how a product is used and what it can accomplish
for the user.
They can relate the history of a consulting assignment and detail the
results. They can even provide references from a third party that serve
as a ‘testimonial’.
Case studies are useful as the basis for a mailing piece or a handout at
trade shows. They can be used singly or in a compilation of case studies
that forms a reference manual. Many websites have a section titled ‘Case
Studies’ in which prospective customers can find examples of
applications they can relate to their own requirements.
The major difficulty with most case studies is that they are too long,
filled with information that’s of greater interest to the writer than to
the reader. Instead of structuring a case study as a blow-by-blow
description, think of it as an article that has to get and hold the
reader’s attention throughout. One or at the most two pages is enough.
A good place to start preparing your own case study is to review case
studies prepared by others, preferably in your own field of business.
Find those that are concise and that present all their details in a way
that both tells the story and leads to a conclusion for the reader.
There’s a five-step process for
writing a case study that is flexible and permits an uninterrupted flow
of information from start to finish. It’s essentially a dot-point
outline that lets you incorporate as much or as little information as
you like, and it’s very useful as a guide for preparing promotional
materials:
1. Where the business was
2. Problem
3. Solution
4. Implementation
5. Results
Each section leads into the one that follows, and each lets you put as
many dot points below the heading as you need. It works equally well for
relating how a consultancy was called in to provide strategic advice to
a business, as it does for describing how a new piece of equipment
increased production at a factory.
Where the Business Was
This part of the case study describes the business as it was prior to
the solution taking place. It tells the type of business, ownership,
history and any other facts that are relevant to the case study.
Problem
Describe the problem or problems the business was experiencing. Say what
it is that required a solution and why this was important to the
business. How did the problem manifest itself and what would happen if
it wasn’t addressed?
Statistics are useful here: “Interest bill of $250K p.a. exceeded
income”, “Downtime was 23% and rising” quickly help the reader grasp the
seriousness of the problem.
Solution
This can include the analytical process of finding the solution and
details of the solution itself. What steps were taken to address the
problem and identify the solution? This is where your product or
services come to the fore.
Implementation
Once the solution has been determined it has to be implemented. Tell how
this was done, who managed the process, the timeframe involved, and
whatever else is needed to show what was done.
Results
The outcomes of implementing the solution go here. This is the ‘close’
of the case and can be used as a point of comparison with metrics from
‘Where the business was’ to quantify the improvement. It is a summary of
success and should relate to the improved prospects for the business.
A good case study is an exercise in accuracy and thoroughness. It should
not contain any ‘puffery’ or self-promoting text; the solution is the
hero and its worth must be evident in the results.
Be scrupulously accurate and provide as much detail as you think is
needed to clarify for the reader just how the problem was analyzed and
the solution was identified and implemented. Use statistics wherever
possible as validation.
Quotes from the beneficiaries of the case study are always helpful. If
the customer is praising the solution and telling the reader what it did
for their business it’s far more effective than simply putting the
statistics down by themselves. |
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