One Factor At A Time
One Factor At A Time (OFAT) is an experimental design methodology used in optimization and process improvement, where only one variable is changed at a time while all others are held constant. It is commonly applied in fields like manufacturing, engineering, and software development to systematically test the impact of individual factors on an outcome. This approach helps isolate the effect of each variable, making it easier to understand how changes influence results.
Developers should learn OFAT when conducting controlled experiments, such as performance tuning, A/B testing, or debugging, to identify which specific factors cause changes in system behavior. It is particularly useful in scenarios with limited resources or when interactions between variables are minimal, as it provides a straightforward way to test hypotheses without complex statistical models. However, it may be less efficient than factorial designs when multiple factors interact significantly.