Complete the sentence A business capability is_________________________________.

A business capability defines what a business does to achieve a specific purpose or outcome. It represents a particular ability or capacity that the business possesses. This concept is a cornerstone of business architecture, abstracting away from the organizational structure, processes, or technology used to execute it. For example, "Customer Relationship Management" is a capability, representing the ability to manage customer interactions, regardless of which department or software system is involved. This focus on "ability" and "outcome" is the core of its definition.

A. This describes a business process or value stream, which details how activities are performed, not the underlying ability the business possesses.
B. This is the definition of a business goal or objective, which are high-level statements of intent, not the abilities needed to achieve them.
C. This describes a solution architecture or a specific design approach, which is a plan for implementation, not a fundamental business ability.

1. The Open Group Standard, TOGAF® Standard, Version 9.2 (April 2018). Part I, Chapter 3, Definitions, Section 3.21 defines a Capability as: "An ability that an organization, person, or system possesses."

2. The Open Group Guide, G189, "Business Capabilities" (October 2018). Section 2.1, "What is a Business Capability?", states: "A business capability is a particular ability that a business may possess or exchange to achieve a specific purpose or outcome."

3. The Open Group, "Open Business Architecture (O-BA) Standard," also known as the OGBA Standard (November 2022). Part I, Section 3.1.10 defines Business Capability as: "The ability of a business to do something to achieve a particular outcome."