An optimization-based approach is presented for assessing and enhancing the dynamic operability characteristics of processes. A dynamic operability measure is used that captures the dynamic performance based on how quickly a system can react to changes in the nominal operating conditions. The measure is evaluated using an open-loop optimal control formulation and, therefore, provides an upper bound on the achievable control performance of the process. Some key operating spaces are defined representing the ranges of desired outputs, expected disturbances, and available inputs. A dynamic operability index, referred to as the dOI, is defined based on this measure and the operating spaces, quantifying the dynamic performance of the process over the entire ranges of the desired outputs and anticipated disturbances. The dOI gives a quantitative figure of the extent to which the desired dynamic performance requirements can be achieved with the available input ranges. The measure is further used in an optimization framework to calculate the ranges of the inputs that are required to satisfy the desired dynamic performance requirements. In this enhancement study, the aim is to provide insights into the identification of limitations on the dynamic performance caused by the constraints on the inputs. The proposed approaches are conceptualized using a generic formulation in the case of linear systems. Their application is demonstrated using SISO example problems.