Which action should an IT department take if an organization decides to expand its business by selling products online?

The IT department's primary responsibility in an e-commerce initiative is to ensure the technical feasibility, functionality, and security of the online platform. This involves architecting a system capable of handling online transactions, which includes payment gateway integration, database management for products and customers, ensuring server capacity for expected traffic, and implementing robust security measures to protect customer data and financial information. This task is a core competency and direct operational mandate of the IT department, translating the business strategy of online sales into a functional technical reality.

B. Ensure that the strategic goals aligned with the organization's mission statement: This is a high-level governance and strategic planning function, typically performed by executive leadership and the board of directors, not the IT department.

C. Market the company’s products or services: This is a core function of the Marketing and Sales departments. The IT department provides the tools, but does not execute marketing campaigns.

D. Manage capital to ensure a successful website: This is a financial management responsibility belonging to the Finance department or CFO. The IT department manages its allocated project budget, not the organization's overall capital.

1. Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2020). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm (16th ed.). Pearson. In Chapter 10, "E-commerce: Digital Markets, Digital Goods," the text details the process of building an e-commerce presence, explicitly outlining the technical decisions and system functionality (e.g., shopping carts, payment systems) as key components managed by the information systems or IT function.

2. ISACA. (2018). COBIT 2019 Framework: Introduction and Methodology. The COBIT framework's goals cascade links enterprise goals to IT-related Alignment Goals. An enterprise goal to enter new markets would translate to an Alignment Goal such as AG01, "Managed IT-related business risk," and AG07, "Delivery of IT services in line with business requirements," which directly involves ensuring the e-commerce platform is functional and secure for transactions (p. 39-40).

3. Turban, E., King, D., & Lang, J. (2018). Introduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce (5th ed.). Springer. Chapter 14, "E-commerce Security and Fraud Protection," and Chapter 15, "Implementation: Building and Operating E-commerce Websites," detail the technical infrastructure, software, payment processing, and security measures that are the direct responsibility of the technical/IT teams when launching an e-commerce site.