What is one of the main goals of establishing traceability in systems engineering?

Establishing traceability in systems engineering primarily aims to connect operational needs with captured source documents. This process involves tracking and linking requirements throughout the system's lifecycle, ensuring that each requirement can be traced back to its origin and is aligned with the broader operational objectives.

This connection facilitates better understanding and verification that the system will meet the desired operational needs. It enhances communication among stakeholders by providing a clear rationale for each requirement's evolution, thereby ensuring that all specifications are relevant and necessary. Traceability also supports impact analysis and change management by allowing engineers to assess how modifications to one requirement may affect others, thereby maintaining the integrity of the system's design and functionality.

The other options do not represent the primary goal of traceability. For instance, ensuring linear project execution implies a rigid structure that doesn’t accommodate the iterative nature of systems engineering. Creating a perfectly modular system is an ideal outcome but not necessarily a goal of traceability alone. Finally, minimizing stakeholder involvement contradicts the essence of systems engineering, which values stakeholder input to ensure that the system meets the intended needs.