Adaptability

Adaptability (Latin: adaptō "fit to, adjust") is a feature of a system or a process describing the capacity to adjust in response to new conditions. adaptability in the field of organizational management can be generally seen as the ability to change something or oneself under conditions of the environment. In ecology, adaptability has been described as an organism's ability to adjust and thrive under the conditions of its own environment, see adaptive behaviour (ecology).

In business and manufacturing, adaptability is increasingly seen as an important factor towards efficiency and economic success. In contrast, in biological and ecological systems, adaptability and efficiency tend to be opposites of each other; thus, requiring a trade-off, since both are critical factors in system success.

Adaptability can be measured through characteristics, including responsiveness, flexibility, and stability. Responsiveness refers to how quickly a system can detect and react to a change in the environment, like changes in demand or changes in the amount of resources available. Flexibility refers to the ability of a system or a process to adapt to a change without fully disrupting the system or process. Stability refers to the ability for a system or process to maintain certain functions after a change in the environment.