This work provides principles & techniques for the evaluation of construction design, emphasizing the importance of strong analysis skills & exploring estimation. It aims to provide readers with a balanced & cohesive overview of these two areas.

Presents an accessible approach to the cost estimation tools, concepts, and techniques needed to support analytical and cost decisions Written with an easy-to-understand approach, Cost Estimation: Methods and Tools provides comprehensive coverage of the quantitative techniques needed by professional cost estimators and for those wanting to learn about this vibrant career field. Featuring the underlying mathematical and analytical principles of cost estimation, the book focuses on the tools and methods used to predict the research and development, production, and operating and support costs for successful cost estimation in industrial, business, and manufacturing processes. The book begins with a detailed historical perspective and key terms of the cost estimating field in order to develop the necessary background prior to implementing the presented quantitative methods. The book proceeds to fundamental cost estimation methods utilized in the field of cost estimation, including working with inflation indices, regression analysis, learning curves, analogies, cost factors, and wrap rates. With a step-by-step introduction to the practicality of cost estimation and the available resources for obtaining relevant data, Cost Estimation: Methods and Tools also features: Various cost estimating tools, concepts, and techniques needed to support business decisions Multiple questions at the end of each chapter to help readers obtain a deeper understanding of the discussed methods and techniques An overview of the software used in cost estimation, as well as an introduction to the application of risk and uncertainty analysis A Foreword from Dr. Douglas A. Brook, a professor in the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School, who spent many years working in the Department of Defense acquisition environment Cost Estimation: Methods and Tools is an excellent reference for academics and practitioners in decision science, operations research, operations management, business, and systems and industrial engineering, as well as a useful guide in support of professional cost estimation training and certification courses for practitioners. The book is also appropriate for graduate-level courses in operations research, operations management, engineering economics, and manufacturing and/or production processes.

Although technology and productivity has changed much of engineering, many topics are still taught in very similarly to how they were taught in the 70s. Using a new approach to engineering economics, Systems Life Cycle Costing: Economic Analysis, Estimation, and Management presents the material that a modern engineer must understand to work as a practicing engineer conducting economic analysis. Organized around a product development process that provides a framework for the material, the book presents techniques such as engineering economics and simulation-based costing (SBC), with a focus on total life cycle understanding and perspective and introduces techniques for detailed analysis of modern complex systems. The author includes rules of thumb for estimation grouped with the methods, processes, and tools (MPTs) for conducting a detailed engineering buildup for costing. He presents the estimating costing of complex systems and software and then explores concepts such as design to cost (DTC), cost as an independent variable (CAIV), the role of commercial off-the-shelf technology, cost of quality, and the role of project management in LCC management. No product or services are immune from cost, performance, schedule, quality, risks, and tradeoffs. Yet engineers spend most of their formal education focused on performance and most of their professional careers worrying about resources and schedule. Too often, the design stage becomes about the technical performance without considering the downstream costs that contribute to the tota1 life cycle costs (LCC) of a system. This text presents the methods, processes, and tools needed for the economic analysis, estimation, and management that bring these costs in line with the goals of pleasing the customer and staying within budget.

The authors present the latest principles and techniques for the evaluation of engineering design. The text is suitable for undergraduate or graduate courses in cost estimating in engineering, management and technology settings.

This book helps apply managerial accounting techniques to problems in areas including that of cost estimation, cost control, product pricing, and business segment discontinuation. It is a valuable resource for short-term courses and seminars conducted to train professionals and practitioners in engineering and manufacturing cost analysis. Cost Analysis for Engineers and Scientists introduces the fundamentals accounting information systems and manufacturing costs. It also presents product costing and manufacturing cost allocation to individual as well as joint products. The concepts and applications of cost-volume-profit and breakeven analysis for single-product and multiple-products are also discussed. It is intended for engineers, managers, and scientists to apply cost analysis techniques for assessing engineering and financial projects. A solutions manual and PowerPoint slides are available for qualified textbook adoption.

Changes in production processes reflect the technological advances permeat ing our products and services. U. S. industry is modernizing and automating. In parallel, direct labor is fading as the primary cost driver while engineering and technology related cost elements loom ever larger. Traditional, labor-based ap proaches to estimating costs are losing their relevance. Old methods require aug mentation with new estimating tools and techniques that capture the emerging environment. This volume represents one of many responses to this challenge by the cost analysis profession. The Institute of Cost Analysis (lCA) is dedicated to improving the effective ness of cost and price analysis and enhancing the professional competence of its members. We encourage and promote exchange of research findings and appli cations between the academic community and cost professionals in industry and government. The 1990 National Meeting in Los Angeles, jointly spo~sored by ICA and the National Estimating Society (NES), provides such a forum. Presen tations will focus on new and improved tools and techniques of cost analysis. This volume is the second in a series. The first was produced in conjunction with the 1989 National Meeting of ICA/NES in Washington, D.C. The articles in this volume, all refereed, were selected from about 100 submitted for presen tation at the Los Angeles meeting.

Decision Making in Systems Engineering and Management is a comprehensive textbook that provides a logical process and analytical techniques for fact-based decision making for the most challenging systems problems. Grounded in systems thinking and based on sound systems engineering principles, the systems decisions process (SDP) leverages multiple objective decision analysis, multiple attribute value theory, and value-focused thinking to define the problem, measure stakeholder value, design creative solutions, explore the decision trade off space in the presence of uncertainty, and structure successful solution implementation. In addition to classical systems engineering problems, this approach has been successfully applied to a wide range of challenges including personnel recruiting, retention, and management; strategic policy analysis; facilities design and management; resource allocation; information assurance; security systems design; and other settings whose structure can be conceptualized as a system.