ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) ExamDomain 2: Governance and Management of ITMedium
An organization is implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The CISA observes that the project team is highly technical, but business unit representatives are only minimally involved in requirements gathering and testing phases. From an IT governance perspective, what is the MOST significant concern?
- AThe project budget may be exceeded due to technical complexity.
- BTechnical documentation for the ERP system may be inadequate.
- CThe system may not effectively support critical business processes.
- DThe project timeline may be extended due to a lack of technical resources.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. The system may not effectively support critical business processes.
Effective IT governance requires strong alignment between IT projects and business needs. Minimal involvement of business representatives in requirements and testing significantly increases the risk that the new ERP system will not meet actual business process needs, leading to low user adoption and failure to achieve strategic objectives.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Budget overruns are a risk, but not the primary governance concern related to business-IT alignment.
- B. Inadequate documentation is a project management issue, not the most significant governance concern regarding business value.
- D. Timeline extensions are a project management issue, secondary to the fundamental governance concern of delivering business value.
Business-IT Alignment
Business-IT alignment ensures that IT strategies, projects, and operations are consistent with and support the organization's overall business objectives and priorities.
- Critical for achieving business value from IT investments.
- Requires active involvement of business stakeholders.
- Ensures IT solutions meet actual business needs.
Memory trick: Building a bridge without knowing the other side leads to a bridge to nowhere.