Which of the following would be MOST helpful in gaining executive support for an IT-enabled business initiative?
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A. B. C. D.D.
Among the given options, the answer that would be MOST helpful in gaining executive support for an IT-enabled business initiative is A. Framing the discussion in terms of impact to business value.
The reason for this is that executives are primarily interested in the impact on the overall business strategy and value, and they want to see how the proposed IT initiative aligns with the organization's strategic objectives. By framing the discussion in terms of business value, the IT team can communicate how the proposed initiative will improve the organization's performance, increase revenue, reduce costs, or improve customer satisfaction.
Presenting a comprehensive risk management plan (B) is certainly important, as executives are also concerned about the potential risks and challenges associated with any new initiative. However, risk management is typically a secondary concern to business value, and a comprehensive risk management plan alone may not be enough to gain executive support for the initiative.
Providing examples of risks realized by competitors for similar initiatives (C) is not as effective as option A because it may not directly address the specific concerns of the organization's executives or the unique risks associated with the proposed IT initiative. Furthermore, executives may view this as a scare tactic or may not consider competitors' actions to be relevant to their own organization's strategy.
Presenting key findings of a business impact analysis conducted by IT managers (D) is helpful, but it is not as effective as option A because executives may not trust the IT team to conduct a truly objective and independent analysis. Additionally, IT managers may focus more on the technical aspects of the initiative rather than the overall business impact.
In summary, while all of the options may be helpful to some extent, framing the discussion in terms of impact to business value (A) is the most effective way to gain executive support for an IT-enabled business initiative.