The core of IT-business alignment is explicitly linking IT capabilities to business outcomes. A value proposition document directly connects technical features to strategic business objectives (like increasing market reach), which speaks the language of business leadership and demonstrates strategic thinking. The other options are either too technical-first, reactive, or lack strategic focus.

The Waterfall methodology is defined by its linear, phase-gated sequence (requirements, design, implementation, verification, maintenance). It is notoriously inflexible to changes once a phase is complete, which aligns perfectly with the scenario’s description of struggling with updates and missed deadlines due to its rigid structure.

In the IaaS shared responsibility model, the CSP is responsible for security *of* the cloud (physical infrastructure, network, hypervisor). The customer is responsible for security *in* the cloud, which includes managing the OS, applications, data, and configuring the provided security groups/firewalls. Patching the guest OS is a classic customer duty in IaaS.

Net Present Value (NPV) is specifically designed for this purpose. It calculates the difference between the present value of cash inflows (benefits) and the present value of cash outflows (costs) over time. A positive NPV indicates that the projected earnings (in today’s money) exceed the anticipated costs, thus justifying the investment as adding value. ROI is a simpler percentage, TCO focuses only on costs, and IRR is the discount rate that makes NPV zero.

The core risk of a lost/stolen device is unauthorized access to corporate data and applications. A mandatory strong authentication method (password/biometric) with a short auto-lock timer is the most direct and effective technical control to mitigate this risk by creating a primary barrier to access. The other options address different risks (malware, network monitoring, asset cost) but are not the primary defense against physical device compromise.

Complaints about workflow efficiency, number of clicks, and impact on productivity are classic indicators of poor User Experience (UX) and Usability. The system may be functionally correct (data integrity) and available (uptime), but if its design is not intuitive and efficient for the end-user, it fails in this critical dimension of success.

A key strategic benefit of BYOD is improved employee satisfaction and potential productivity gains, as users are comfortable with their personal devices. This can lead to higher adoption rates of corporate applications and more flexible work. The other options are incorrect: BYOD *requires* MDM for security, *increases* the complexity of security management (does not reduce software needs), and leads to less standardization, not more.

The fundamental purpose of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is to take the entire project scope and break it down into smaller, more manageable components (deliverables and work packages). It is a deliverable-oriented hierarchy, not a schedule (which is done after the WBS) or a resource assignment chart. It forms the foundation for cost estimating, scheduling, and resource planning.

The core problem is data silos preventing a unified customer view. A data warehouse or Customer Data Platform (CDP) is specifically designed to integrate data from multiple source systems (e.g., CRM, ERP, web analytics) into a single, coherent repository for reporting and analysis. This directly enables the desired 360-degree customer view. The other options address hardware, endpoint, or web presence, not data integration.

The core of IT-business alignment is explicitly linking IT capabilities to business outcomes. A value proposition document directly connects technical features to strategic business objectives (like increasing market reach), which speaks the language of business leadership and demonstrates strategic thinking. The other options are either too technical-first, reactive, or lack strategic focus.0