Adaptability (glossary)

(1) An adaptive system is one that is able to change itself or its environment if its effectiveness is insufficient to achieve its current or future goals or objectives. (Ackoff) 1971)

(2) Attributes of software that bear on the opportunity for its adaptation to different specified environments without applying other actions or means than those provided for this purpose for the software considered. (INCOSE 1998)

(3) The ability of a system to acclimate physically and functionally to a new operating environment with a minimal degree of degradation to capability performance. (Wasson, 2006)

Source(s)

(1) Ackoff, R.L. 1971. "Towards a System of Systems Concepts." Management Science 11 : 11

(2) INCOSE 1998. INCOSE SE Terms Glossary. In: INCOSE Concepts and Terms WG (ed.). Seattle, WA, USA: International Council on Systems Engineering.

(3) Wasson, Charles S. . 2006. System Analysis, Design, and Development. Edited by A. P. Sage, Wiley Series in Systems Engineering and Management. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Discussion

(1) A system science definition, which applies to any level of system

(2) The term in a software context where it is frequently used, the same idea could apply to human systems. The 1998 INCOSE SE Terms Glossary is an authoritative source.

(3) A more general definition, which applies to complex engineered systems. The book by Wasson is a standard systems engineering textbook.