| Financial analysis: |  |
| Environmental impact analysis: | --- |
| Waste management/P2: | |
| Environmental cost listing/database: | --- |
| Cost estimation: | --- |
| Alternative product/process comparison: | --- |
| Financial analysis: | |
| Environmental impact analysis: | --- |
| Waste management/P2: | |
| Environmental cost listing/database: | --- |
| Cost estimation: | --- |
| Alternative product/process comparison: | --- |
| Cost control | --- |
| Resource control | |
| Estimating control | |
| Schedule control | --- |
| Scope control | |
| Risk control | --- |
COSTPRO is a generic cost estimating system that can be used to prepare cost estimates from the planning stage through detailed design. The program is written in FORTRAN. The code is a complete commercial rewrite of the Los Alamos National Laboratory mainframe cost estimating system. COSTPRO was developed by a nonprofit organization called Spectra Research Institute. It is maintained and marketed by INPRO. COSTPRO is actually a collection of costing and cost file utilities managed by a software driver. Estimators can use these functions to build an estimating methodology that suits their specific requirements. Features and attributes of COSTPRO include the following:
The system is presented to users to modify and customize in any manner they choose. This would give COSTPRO a lot of potential to be modified accordingly to include life-cycle environmental costs. The ability to define 12 completely distinct WBS structures, user-defined coding and parametric estimation capability, and the collection of costing and cost file utilities, would work to enhance its ability to effectively deal with these costs.
| Raw material acquisition | --- |
| Manufacturing stage | |
| Use/reuse/maintenance | --- |
| Recycle/waste management | --- |
COSTPRO is not designed to consider more than one life-cycle stage, and this would typically be the manufacturing stage of the life-cycle. It may be possible to include life-cycle cost information by defining different WBS levels for each stage. Also, users have the option to define 12 completely different WBS structures to meet different requirements. This could allow the generation and comparison of different results. For instance, one WBS structure could include only conventional costs, another could include all private costs, and another could add social costs. COSTPRO's ability to support multiple projects could also be used. If the life-cycle stages do not have to be kept distinct, the information could be incorporated within existing formats. In all cases, users would need to develop environmental life-cycle cost estimating methods and cost information themselves.
| Conventional | |
| Potentially hidden | --- |
| Contingent | --- |
| External | --- |
Not unlike other cost estimating software, COSTPRO has been designed to consider conventional company costs alone. However, since users are provided flexibility in entering estimates, they can modify the system in a suitable manner to include other costs as well. Commercial databases (if any) can be used to directly input data, or users may create their own database of costs. However, until commercial databases include information on regulatory, back-end, and voluntary hidden costs, and contingent and external costs, users would need to develop this cost data themselves. Similarly appropriate estimation techniques would have to be chosen. Once the costs are available, they could be incorporated into the program in various ways.
If users can develop appropriate relationship models, parameters, and unit costs, the parametric estimation capability can be used to estimate quantities and costs of the specific items that generate these environmental costs. This can be helpful when exact quantities are not known. For example, a relationship may be determined between the size of a boiler (or some other cost driver) and the air pollution created, which generates a external cost whose value can be imputed for every unit of air pollution created. Secondly, users can directly input costs into the estimate from their own sources. The annotation capability can be used to attach an explanation of the source of the estimate. Third, user-defined cost categories can be created. They can be used to avoid entering some additional activities. For example, if users determine that using a particular piece of equipment requires a permit, or OSHA training (both hidden costs), they can enter these costs in a " hidden costs " column along with other conventional costs associated with purchasing and using the equipment.
Three processing files are associated with developing a cost estimate within COSTPRO. The first is the database manager that provides the ability to draw data into COSTPRO from pre-established list(s) of items, activities, tasks, crews, assemblies, etc. The second is the take-off files that contain the unit rates, quantities, WBS, and other relevant information. Finally, the project files contain WBS and activity descriptions, codes, notes, cost factors, and other information associated with the estimate.
Users can also create conceptual estimates using parametrics, which can be further developed to detail actual costs. COSTPRO has a database manager that allows users to build custom databases of their own or use databases created by others. Thus, users can build custom databases that include various environmental costs estimated from different sources.
| Net present value (NPV) | --- |
| Payback period | --- |
| Internal rate of return (IRR) | --- |
| Benefits cost ratio | --- |
| Other | --- |
COSTPRO can combine inputs from commercially available databases (one or multiple) and can export data to scheduling programs. The system comes with a complete database manager for these applications. The accuracy of COSTPRO model estimates has been validated by the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The system can simultaneously manage 12 distinct WBS structures for the same take-off without needing to re-enter the basic cost estimate take-off data. This allows users to use specific breakdowns for different requirements. The software manages all historical files. Users can customize the system in anyway. They can create their own codes and charts, with which they can sort and resort the data in any combination. Users can generate exception reports by any combination of breakdowns. The system can manage large files without significantly slowing down operations.
A detailed user manual provides instructions for model operations. INPRO can modify the model to meet specific customer requirements. Telephone hotline support and training classes for all the modules are available (on- and off-site). Updates are sometimes provided free of charge. Users who sign an update agreement receive all updates free of charge. A working demonstration disk is available for the user's module-this works on limited files and allows users to try out nearly all the features (not of commercial use).
INPRO does not provide users with any databases (even commercial databases),although they do at times provide information on available databases. Although the system is extremely flexible, users have to build and adapt the system to suit their requirements. It does not come with any templates, or sample projects or default information, which can make it unsuitable for smaller users who do not require this level of detail or may want to be "walked through" an estimating methodology.
The system has not been designed for life-cycle costing or for including all cost categories. No environmental cost information or estimating methods can be obtained through INPRO. Thus, users would need to independently develop estimating methods and cost data to incorporate most environmental costs. The system is compatible with the MCACES database, which can provide users with cost information on some upfront hidden costs.
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