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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Copyright 2005, RAN ONE Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from www.ranone.com,