An IS auditor is evaluating the system readiness review conducted before go-live of a replacement payroll application. Which statement BEST describes the PRIMARY purpose of a formal system readiness review in implementation governance?
- ATo obtain documented confirmation from business and IT stakeholders that exit criteria have been met before cutover proceeds. Correct
- BTo rerun user acceptance testing on a sample of high-risk transactions and confirm that residual defects have been remediated.
- CTo capture lessons learned from the project and feed them into the next release cycle and project management methodology.
- DTo recalibrate the business case by comparing forecast benefits with actual costs incurred during build and test stages.
Why A is correct: Correct. A readiness review is a structured go or no-go gate where defined exit criteria, covering testing, training, data, infrastructure and support, are reviewed and signed off before cutover is authorised.
Why B is wrong: Re-executing UAT is part of test management before the readiness gate. Candidates confuse it with the readiness review because testing evidence is consumed there, but the review evaluates evidence rather than producing new test results.
Why C is wrong: Lessons learned belong to post-implementation review, which runs after stabilisation. Candidates confuse the two because both happen near go-live, but the readiness review precedes cutover and the post-implementation review follows it.
Why D is wrong: Benefits realisation reviews recalibrate the business case after benefits have started flowing. Candidates pick this because benefits are referenced in readiness packs, but the readiness gate is about cutover criteria, not benefit measurement.