Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:
The CGEIT Review Manual 8th Edition, in its Benefits Realization domain, focuses on evaluating IT investments to estimate and realize benefits. Estimating benefits for a SaaS application requires quantifying expected financial and operational outcomes to justify the investment.
Option C: Expected monetary value is the best method. This approach calculates the probable financial benefits (e.g., cost savings, revenue growth) by weighting potential outcomes by their probabilities. For a SaaS application, it might estimate benefits like reduced IT maintenance costs or increased productivity, factoring in uncertainties. The manual likely references COBIT 2019’s APO05-Managed Portfolio, which includes value estimation techniques for IT investments.
Option A: Monte Carlo analysis is used for risk assessment, not direct benefit estimation, as it models scenarios with probabilities.
Option B: Total cost of ownership (TCO) focuses on costs, not benefits, though it complements benefit analysis.
Option D: Heuristic methods rely on subjective judgment, lacking the precision needed for benefit estimation.
Double Verification: The answer aligns with COBIT’s value management processes and the CGEIT domain’s emphasis on quantifying benefits. Expected monetary value is a standard financial technique in ISACA’s frameworks.
ISACA CGEIT Review Manual 8th Edition, Domain 3: Benefits Realization (focus on benefit estimation).
COBIT 2019, APO05-Managed Portfolio.
ISACA Glossary (for definitions of expected monetary value), available at