Reviewing which of the following should be the FIRST step when evaluating the possibility of outsourcing an IT system?

Before delving into specific vendors or contractual terms, an organization must first define or review its outsourcing strategy to understand the objectives, scope, and strategic alignment of potential outsourcing initiatives. This foundational step ensures outsourcing decisions support overall business goals.

Identifying outsourced business processes is a component of the outsourcing plan, but it is guided by the overarching outsourcing strategy, not the first step in evaluating the possibility itself.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are part of the contractual process and are negotiated after the strategic decision to outsource has been made and specific services are being procured.

Assessing IT staff skill sets is important for internal capacity planning and impact assessment, but it follows the strategic decision to consider outsourcing, which is guided by the outsourcing strategy.