What is optimization in systems engineering?

In systems engineering, optimization is the process of identifying the most effective way to achieve a system's performance goals, often by balancing conflicting objectives or adjusting subsystem parameters.123

Because complex systems often involve multiple, competing requirements—such as maximizing speed and payload while minimizing cost and environmental impact—engineers must perform trade-off studies. These studies analyze how limited performance in one area can be offset by superior performance elsewhere to reach the most economical or desirable overall result.13

Optimization is essential throughout the project lifecycle:
* Design and Modification: It is used to refine new concepts or to reoptimize existing designs to meet new conditions or requirements.2
* Mathematical Modeling: Engineers use mathematical models to quantitatively describe system interactions, allowing them to calculate how variables affect the system's operation.1
* Goal Setting: Optimization helps determine if a proposed performance goal is reasonable, potentially revealing that a modest reduction in one area could lead to radical savings in cost or that a system is capable of better performance than originally anticipated.1