Valuation of adaptability in system architecture

Technology evolves and stakeholder desires change over time. Systems that fail to respond, fail to fulfill potential life-cycle value. Adaptable architectures offer the means to alter system properties and react to changes. While the cost associated to enabling adaptability are very apparent during the conceptual design phase, the benefit is rarely expressed monetarily. The developed VASA framework supports a systematic valuation of adaptability in the system architecture phase under uncertainty based on Monte-Carlo simulation. The value of adaptability is defined as the output of a system in terms of the products or services it generates. Quantitative or emotional value aspects are converted into monetary terms according to their impact on utilization and the market. The VASA framework is evaluated along several case studies, which illustrate its application in practice in different industries and contexts.