What does Viable mean in evaluating a solution?

• A. Is the solution the most cost-effective?
• B. Is the solution ethically acceptable?
• C. Is the solution the easiest to implement?
• D. Is the solution capable of working successfully?

Answer: (D)

Viability is about whether a solution can realistically work in practice, given real-world constraints like resources, time, and how well it fits with existing systems. The correct idea here is that a viable solution is capable of working successfully—meaning it can be implemented, operate as intended, and produce the expected results under normal conditions. It accounts for practical challenges, such as maintenance, scalability, and feasibility, not just the concept in isolation.

Other considerations like cost-effectiveness, ease of implementation, or ethics are important too, but they address different questions. A solution might be cheaper, easier to implement, or ethically acceptable, yet still fail to function reliably or scale appropriately. Viability foregrounds whether the solution can actually succeed in the real world, which is why it’s the best choice when evaluating potential solutions.