A balanced scorecard is used as part of assessing financial viability by:

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a strategic performance management framework. Its primary function in assessing financial viability is to connect financial outcomes with their performance drivers across the organization. It achieves this by managing performance across four key perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Business Processes, and Learning & Growth. By measuring and managing the non-financial aspects (like process efficiency and customer satisfaction), an organization can directly influence and improve its financial results. Therefore, the BSC provides a comprehensive model for managing performance within any business structure or process to ensure strategic financial goals are met.

A. This is too specific. The BSC is a high-level strategic tool for an entire organization or business unit, not just for analyzing a single product's attributes.

B. This describes a tactical financial decision (budgeting for features), which is an output of a strategy, not the core function of the BSC framework itself.

D. This describes a different technique, such as cost-benefit analysis or options analysis, which may inform strategy, but is not the function of the BSC.

1. International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). (2015). A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide), Version 3. Section 10.4.1, Description. The guide states, "The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic planning and management framework... It is used to manage performance in any business model, organizational structure, or business process." This directly supports the wording and intent of option C.

2. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1992). The Balanced Scorecard—Measures that Drive Performance. Harvard Business Review, 70(1), 71–79. This seminal article introduces the BSC as a tool that "provides managers with the instrumentation they need to navigate to future competitive success" by balancing financial measures with the drivers of future performance from the other three perspectives.

3. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1996). The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. Harvard Business School Press. Chapter 1, "Measurement and Management in the Information Age," explains that the BSC links performance measures to allow companies to track financial results while simultaneously monitoring progress in building the capabilities that drive future growth.