| 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 | --- |
During the bid-closing, EOS has the ability to automatically determine the best combination of quotes, using predefined award logic. Detailed budgets can be prepared, sorted by accounting or for the field. EOS automatically updates estimates after changes at any level. Features for estimating and resource management include the following:
Costs can be detailed in seven methods. Users can plug in bid item, activity, and detail-level costs; list resource requirements; use crews and set production; break work down into tasks; and/or proportionally reproduce previous work. EOS can use six project overhead detailing methods-general expense, abnormal equipment expense, project management expenses, overhead percentage add on, labor fringe add-on and taxes and fees in dollars or percentage of the job. All this gives users some flexibility in entering estimates.
Higher levels add additional features. For example, level 2 adds a historical cost library and facilitates automated import of historical cost sfrom other sources. Level 3 allows users to import equipment rates from the Dataquest Equipment Cost Estimator (DECE) and allows them to query and index historical costs. The capability of EOS to support unlimited estimates and resources can be a useful feature in allowing users to enter information on environmental costs. Since DECE is meant to support construction projects, it probably will not include information on equipment for pollution control, waste management, etc. However, even construction projects will doubtless have environmental components including various regulatory requirements, contingent, and less-tangible costs. This type of information should begin to be included in databases providing information on construction costs.
| Raw material acquisition | --- |
| Manufacturing stage | |
| Use/reuse/maintenance | --- |
| Recycle/waste management | --- |
The system has not been designed to consider more than one life-cycle stage, and this would typically be the manufacturing stage of the life-cycle. However, users may be able to include life-cycle information by using various functions.
Life-cycle cost information could be included by defining different WBS levels for each stage. The project size could limit using this option because a maximum of 5 levels can be defined. However, an unlimited number of activities can be entered. If users do not need to keep the life-cycle stages distinct, the information can be incorporated in existing formats, using cost detail worksheets. The unlimited resources can also be a useful feature. For example, users may be able to detail costs of one resource in various life-cycle stages. If an activity uses that resource, users could define that it uses four different resources (that is, the same resource in four different stages)instead of one. This would allow users to enter all life-cycle costs of using are source, while keeping the costs incurred in different stages distinct (at there source level). Needless to say, these costs will be difficult to determine, and academia has not yet reached a consensus on estimating methodologies. All such cost data would need to be developed by users.
| Conventional | |
| Potentially hidden | --- |
| Contingent | --- |
| External | --- |
The system is designed to consider only conventional costs, in various levels of detail. Environmental cost data could be included within EOS in various ways.
Users can directly plug in environmental costs into the estimate from their own sources. Distinct activities generating environmental costs can be entered, and additional cost categories can also be created. EOS allows users to add and modify fields and add an unlimited number of cost categories in addition to the ones in the system. Thus, users can add additional cost categories, such as hidden and external costs. For example, use of a particular construction material could require a tax, protective equipment, or testing. It may be possible to define some of these costs within existing formats (e.g., equipment sales tax can be detailed), enter them as additional activities (e.g., stormwater management), or enter the information in an additional cost category. That is, at the estimate level, along with entering conventional costs associated with a particular activity, a hidden cost category could detail additional costs due to requirements for testing or protective clothing. This would work toward keeping such costs visible, rather than hidden in overhead accounts. Environmental information could also be entered along with resources. The system can also support unlimited resource files (and resources per file). Use of some resources could result in certain environmental costs, and information on additional resources (traditionally not included) could be detailed. One could conceivably add natural resources that would be "consumed" as a result of various activities into the list. For example, if a construction project involved dredging and building over a wetland, the wetland can be assumed as a resource that is imputed a certain unit cost (e.g., value per unit area), which is used up as a result of the project.
EOS has five different direct cost estimating methods that include direct input, list of resources, crew, man-hour (tasks), and spreadsheet (user defined). Thus costs can be detailed using users own resource rates or by looking into historical costs. EOS has six different project overhead estimating forms, including an unlimited spreadsheet that is defined by users.
Hard Dollar also offers some options to assist in cost estimating. The Dataquest Equipment Cost Estimator (DECE) is an equipment charge rate estimating tool that contains Dataquest's industry standards (or the users' own). The Estimate Detail Database (EDD) is an electronic encyclopedia of detailed bid items developed by professional estimators. Each item includes production rates and resource requirements and noted which can be used in Hard Dollar.
| Net present value (NPV) | --- |
| Payback period | --- |
| Internal rate of return (IRR) | --- |
| Benefits cost ratio | --- |
| Other | --- |
No financial indicators can be generated. However, it may be possible to export EOS estimation data to other software systems that have functions for financial analysis. EOS has a built-in spreadsheet that can be linked with other spreadsheets that do have financial functions.
EOS and PXS can share data and integrate the bidding and building process. EOS has been verified to be compatible with many accounting systems such as J.D.Edwards and DENEB. Data from other software programs, such as digitizer systems, various spreadsheet systems, and dBASE, can be imported and used in EOS. EOS also has a built-in scheduling system (added in Level 4), data from which can be exported directly into Primavera format. Data created in EOS can also be exported for use in many other software systems, such as Lotus 1-2-3,accounting systems, and Word. EOS also has a built-in telecommunications system. The development language of Hard Dollar, ANGOSS SmartWare, makes all these features possible, because it provides full integration between built-in spreadsheet, database, word processing, and communications software subsystems.
EOS allows flexibility in estimation (e.g., an extensive breakdown of labor and equipment rates) and features a built-in Lotus-compatible spreadsheet system and a built-in database system. The system includes templates that can be used for creating custom reports. The next release of EOS (Level 3) is expected to include programming tools that will give users the option to reprogram the system to include as many optional fields and categories.
Hard Dollar customers can take advantage of training sessions and 24-hoursupport (as part of the annual renewal fee) offered by the company. Hard Dollar systems have been designed to allow nonexperts to use them with ease. The price includes free support and maintenance for one year, which includes toll-free support and all updates and enhancements. After the first year, users have the option to renew the maintenance contract. The price of this contract varies. Users can avail of a limited demo is offered for a specific time period.
EOS features have been designed with the specific aim of targeting the construction industry. This can limit its ability to support all unique project types and data, such as life-cycle cost information. The literature does not discuss the accounting for "full costs" (repair, maintenance, etc.)within a company, but it may be possible to use the system with databases that provide this type of information. The system does not have library functions for coding various variables whereby exception reports sorted on one specific variable can be generated.
The system has not been designed for life-cycle costing and for including all cost categories. The databases currently provided by Grantlun do not include information on environmental costs. Users would need to independently develop estimating methods and cost data for including environmental cost information into projects.
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