Features of Building a System for Optimizing Import Activities

The article examines the theoretical and practical foundations of developing a system for optimizing import activity within enterprises. The essence of the definition ‘optimization of import activity’ is defined as a process aimed at improving the management of foreign economic operations in order to minimize costs, enhance efficiency, adaptability, and competitiveness under conditions of global market transformation. The researech summarizes key theoretical approaches to the optimization of import processes – logistic, financial, organizational, systemic, and informational – and identifies their essential content and tools of application. A systemic approach to the formation of a comprehensive optimization system is proposed, including seven interrelated subsystems: task definition, model construction, data collection and processing, model solution, development of planned measures, implementation, and process adjustment. The structural interconnections between the subsystems and elements of the optimization system are substantiated, and possible optimization criteria (mono- and multi-criteria) are described along with the main principles of system grouping. The paper emphasizes the necessity of using analytical and modeling methods as effective tools for visualizing, coordinating, and controlling import processes at various levels of management. Particular attention is given to the development of evaluation indicators for assessing the economic efficiency of import activities, including an integrated level of efficiency that reflects the overall performance of the enterprise’s import operations. The results of the study provide a conceptual and methodological basis for improving decision-making processes in the field of import policy, formulating strategic directions for the development of foreign economic activity, and increasing the overall effectiveness of import operations. The proposed system- oriented framework can be adapted to enterprises of different scales and industries, serving as a tool for strategic planning, monitoring, and optimization of international supply chains. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the synthesis of methodological principles for the design of an integrated optimization system for import activity, which combines economic, organizational, and informational subsystems within a unified management structure. The practical significance of the research is the possibility of its application in real business environments to enhance import performance, reduce transaction costs, and improve the resilience of enterprises to external market fluctuations.