Business Problem & Opportunity Statement

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BA Hub Template

A clear problem statement is the foundation of every great business case. This template guides you through capturing what's broken, who's affected, and why it matters — then builds your statement automatically.

8 steps · ~10 min

1

Step 1 of 7 — Project Context

What project are you working on?

Give your statement a home. A clear project name and sponsor ensures everyone knows who owns this problem and what initiative it belongs to.

Project name

Project sponsor / owner

Organisation / department

2

Step 2 of 7 — Current Situation

What is happening right now?

Describe the as-is state — the current process, system, or behaviour. Be factual and specific. Avoid jumping to solutions.

Describe the current situation

0 / 300 characters

Who is most affected? (stakeholders / users)

How long has this been an issue?

Newly identified

< 6 months

6–12 months

Over a year

Several years

3

Step 3 of 7 — Impact

What is the impact of this problem?

Quantify where you can. Numbers make problems real. Even estimates ("costs approx. £50k/year") are more compelling than vague descriptions.

Select all impact types that apply

💰

Financial

Cost, revenue, fines

⚙️

Operational

Efficiency, capacity, quality

👥

Customer / User

Satisfaction, churn, NPS

🎯

Strategic

Competitive position, growth

⚖️

Compliance / Risk

Regulatory, legal, reputational

🙋

People

Staff wellbeing, retention

Describe the impact in more detail

0 / 250 characters

4

Step 4 of 7 — Root Cause

Why is this happening?

Understanding the root cause stops you solving the symptom. Use "5 Whys" thinking — keep asking why until you reach the real underlying issue.

What is root cause analysis?

The 5 Whys technique

Root cause analysis (RCA) identifies the underlying reason a problem occurs — not just its visible symptoms. Without RCA, you risk implementing a solution that masks the real issue.

Example: Symptom: customers complain about late deliveries. Root cause: the warehouse management system doesn't trigger pick lists until payment is confirmed (a design flaw from 2018).

A customer service team is receiving 50 complaints/week about invoicing errors. What is the correct first step?

The 5 Whys is a simple iterative technique. Ask "Why?" five times to drill down to the root cause.

Why are customers waiting 5 days? → Why is onboarding taking so long? → Why is manual data entry needed? → Why aren't systems integrated? → Why hasn't this been prioritised? → Budget constraints in 2022 blocked the integration project.

Primary root cause

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Contributing factors (optional)

5

Step 5 of 7 — Desired Future State

What does success look like?

Paint a picture of the to-be state. Be specific about outcomes — not the solution itself. "Customers complete onboarding in under 24 hours" is better than "build a new system."

Describe the desired future state

0 / 300 characters

Key measures of success (KPIs / targets)

Target date or timeframe

6

Step 6 of 7 — Your Statement

Here's your problem & opportunity statement

Built from your answers — edit the statement below to refine the wording before saving.

Complete the earlier steps to generate your statement here.

↑ Your statement — review and refine the editable version below

Editable statement

Statement type

Problem statement

Opportunity statement

Combined

7

Step 7 of 7 — Strategic Alignment

Why does this matter to the business now?

Connecting your problem to strategic priorities transforms a local complaint into a business imperative. Decision-makers approve things that align with the organisational agenda.

Which strategic objectives does this support?

Customer experience improvement

Operational efficiency / cost reduction

Revenue growth / market share

Regulatory compliance / risk management

Digital transformation

Employee experience / talent retention

What happens if we do nothing? (cost of inaction)

Urgency driver

Regulatory deadline

Competitive threat

Cost escalation

Strategic initiative

Org change

No specific urgency

8

Complete

Your statement is ready 🎉

Your completed statement will appear here.

Use this statement to kick off your business case, briefing document, or stakeholder conversations. A strong problem statement is the single most important investment you can make at the start of any project.