case

A case is a particular instance of something. In a business context, a case is a collection of information about a particular instance of something, such as a person, company, incident or problem.

Typical business-related examples of cases include an insurance claim, a patient’s medical record, a customer complaint or a constituent problem that must be resolved. Take the example of an insurance claim filed after a car accident: In this instance, “case” refers to all the information associated with that claim, including documents, adjusters’ notes, actions taken, even records of emails or phone calls that agents or service reps have made with those involved.

Case management seeks to increase the efficiency of how case-related information and activities are handled. An emerging approach known as dynamic case management (DCM) or advanced case management (ACM) is the handling of case-based work through technologies that automate and streamline aspects of each case.

There are various types of cases within information technology (IT). A business case, for example, is the collection of information assembled to support taking some kind of action. Similarly, a use case is a collection of information documenting possible scenarios around a particular goal.

Continue reading about cases:

 > Case management: Michael Dortch looks at the big picture         

 > Real-life examples of case management