We know they’re an essential part of the systems engineering process. Trade studies help us fully explore the design space to ensure that a proposed solution best meets conflicting performance and cost requirements. But many of us don’t know that you can analytically and objectively conduct your trade studies well before you engineer anything.

Using a model-driven approach with IBM Rational® Rhapsody® software, you can determine which solution will best capture stakeholder requirements while also justifying your engineering decisions. Rational Rhapsody enables you to calculate the trade study via the “perform trade analysis” feature.

This paper describes a multivariable decision problem based upon the selection of a power source for an environmentally conscious but cost-effective family-size vehicle for the European/U.K. marketplace.