Systems engineering and cost as an independent variable

The cost as an independent variable discipline is receiving increased emphasis in system design and development due to competitive pressure and the need to provide high performance products at lower cost. Successful implementation of this discipline depends on stakeholder buy-in, effective communication, and application of the proper tools. The purpose of this article is to describe how and why CAIV belongs within the systems engineering area. Many of the processes involved are already being used by systems engineers including cost modeling, quality function deployment, and design for manufacturing and assembly. Integrating these and other standard tools into an effective cost reduction discipline is a job best performed by systems engineers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 4: 233–241, 2001