Which of the following would BEST help to prevent an IT system from becoming obsolete before its planned return on investment (ROI)?

Obtaining independent assurance that the IT system conforms to business requirements is a validation step, important at the beginning but not a continuous mechanism to prevent obsolescence over its entire life cycle.

Defining IT and business goals to ensure value delivery is a crucial initial step but merely defining them does not, by itself, guarantee that the value will continue to be realized and the system will remain relevant throughout its operational life.

Actively managing benefit realization throughout the entire life cycle of an IT system ensures that the system is continuously monitored, adapted, and optimized to deliver its intended value and achieve its planned return on investment (ROI). This proactive management includes tracking performance, gathering feedback, making necessary adjustments, and potentially evolving the system to remain relevant and valuable, thus preventing premature obsolescence.

Ordering an external audit for the IT system early in the roll out is a point-in-time check that can identify issues, but it's not a continuous strategy for sustained value delivery and obsolescence prevention across the system's entire life.