Which of the following would provide the MOST useful information to measure the alignment of IT with the enterprise?
Correct Answer: A
A balanced scorecard is a strategic management tool that measures the alignment of IT with the enterprise by using four perspectives: financial, customer, internal process, and learning and growth. A balanced scorecard helps to translate the enterprise vision and strategy into IT objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives. It also helps to monitor and evaluate the IT performance and value delivery in relation to the enterprise goals and stakeholder expectations. A balanced scorecard provides a comprehensive and balanced view of the IT contribution to the enterprise success. The other options are not as useful as a balanced scorecard for measuring the alignment of IT with the enterprise, because they are either too narrow or too subjective. A control self-assessment (CSA) is a technique that involves the participation of staff in assessing the effectiveness of internal controls and risk management processes. A CSA can provide some insights into the IT alignment with the enterprise, but it is not a systematic or holistic approach. A gap analysis is a method that compares the current state and the desired state of a process or a system and identifies the gaps or discrepancies that need to be addressed. A gap analysis can help to improve the IT alignment with the enterprise, but it is not a measurement tool. Audit reports are documents that present the findings and opinions of an independent auditor on the adequacy and compliance of an audited entity. Audit reports can provide some evidence of the IT alignment with the enterprise, but they are not a comprehensive or consistent measure. References := The art of measurement in enterprise and business architecture, Benchmarking strategic alignment of business and IT strategies, The Importance of Business & IT Alignment, 7 ways to effectively ensure IT-business alignment