Study Supervisor: Dr Jan Kruger Year submitted: 2008 / Companies must be able to adapt and evolve if they wish to survive in the highly competitive marketplace today. Businesses operate with the knowledge that their competitors will inevitably come to the market with a product that changes the basis of competition. The ability to change and adapt therefore is essential to survival. Changes in the technological landscape enable a number of new opportunities to be opened up in the marketplace. There is no need to emphasize the role of Information Technology (IT) in such endeavors. However, great uncertainties surround the IT project landscape where unpredictability of costs as well as quantification of benefits remaining prominent. Although NPV is often used as the de facto standard for IT investment appraisal, calculating the confidence levels of the inputs thereto or the output thereof is not attempted as often as desired. The purpose of this study was to determine how to perform better Net Present Value (NPV) approximations by improving the accuracy of input values thereto, in order to make informed business decisions. The study focuses on finding a practical solution to the above problem than a purist approach towards developing a theory.

Study Supervisor: Dr Jan Kruger Year submitted: 2008 / Companies must be able to adapt and evolve if they wish to survive in the highly competitive marketplace today. Businesses operate with the knowledge that their competitors will inevitably come to the market with a product that changes the basis of competition. The ability to change and adapt therefore is essential to survival. Changes in the technological landscape enable a number of new opportunities to be opened up in the marketplace. There is no need to emphasize the role of Information Technology (IT) in such endeavors. However, great uncertainties surround the IT project landscape where unpredictability of costs as well as quantification of benefits remaining prominent. Although NPV is often used as the de facto standard for IT investment appraisal, calculating the confidence levels of the inputs thereto or the output thereof is not attempted as often as desired. The purpose of this study was to determine how to perform better Net Present Value (NPV) approximations by improving the accuracy of input values thereto, in order to make informed business decisions. The study focuses on finding a practical solution to the above problem than a purist approach towards developing a theory.

Thesis (M. P. A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2007. / "Fall 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-97).

This study is based on the viewpoint of the intertemporal substitution of the consumption smoothing. Under considering the interactive influences on the international economy, the writer employs the present value model to investigate an estimated model of the current accounts. The basis of the traditional current account model is to apply the traditional single-country VAR estimation, and not to consider the internationally interactive effects among countries. However, with the more and more frequent interactions among nations, the economic development in different countries, for the aspect of economic theory, may have interactive influences on each other. Respecting this viewpoint that the current account theory of the traditionally intertemporal model are actually unable to effectively support the inference of the model, the writer therefore adds the cross-country VAR estimation method analyze the transnational influences. I hope that the model can effectively modify the estimation index for the conventional model. In addition, a good model not only should contain in-sample goodness of fit, but also could reveal the variables of the future by using the out-of-sample. Therefore, according to the method of predictive capability assessment proposed by Diebold and Mariano (1995), I attempt to compare the out-of-sample prediction between the single and the cross-country VAR. From the aspect of the goodness of fit, the finding of this study has proven that the model considered the cross-country VAR indeed has a relatively better goodness-of-fit result in Japan, if compared to the traditional single-country. However, in the U.S., the traditional single-country model does not immensely improve the goodness-of-fit result. The finding shows that either the traditional single-country VAR or cross-country VAR, it possesses the perfect goodness of fit. The reason, perhaps, is that America itself has already been the center of the politics and economy. Also, it seems those Americans representative households have as well as the worldview. Therefore, people in the States might have considered the economic conditions of other countries when they are engaged in consumption behaviors. If this is the case, there are no many opportunities for those people to adjust their behaviors when considering the foreign economic situations. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the prediction capability, the final result conducted both in the U.S. and in Japan agreeably demonstrates that it is a better method of prediction using the cross-country VAR estimation than the traditional single-country one.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The purpose of this thesis is to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis on proposals, submitted by vendors, for a telecommunication system. This thesis will be used as a guide in the decision-making process of choosing the most cost-effective system for the Bachelor Officers Quarters of the Naval Postgraduate School. In addition to cost-effectivness, this study includes a discussion of the analysis criteria, a review of the Statement of Work and an evaluation of the lease/purchase decision.

Thesis (M.S. in Telecommunication Systems Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 1990. / Thesis Advisor(s): Gates, William R. Second Reader: Suh, Myung W. "June 1990." Description based on title screen as viewed on March 24, 2010. DTIC Identifier(s): Cost Benefit Analysis, Cost Effectiveness Analysis, Vendor Proposals, Telecommunications, Net Present Value, PBX, Theses. Author(s) subject terms: Telecommunications, PBX, Cost-effectiveness, Net Present Value. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Faculty of the Graduate School of Business. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Statistics, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 34).

No description available.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Brian C. Briggeman / Grain Elevators have towered the plains of Southwest Kansas for over the last half of a century. Many of these large white concrete structures were built during the 1950s using a slip form concrete design. While new grain storage has been built over time, many of the original slip form structures remain a large part of the farm cooperatives storage capacity. Grain production has continued to increase and put greater demand on storage facilities and handling capabilities. Thus, there is a need for cooperatives to meet the future demands of farmers by replacing or updating grain storage assets. The objective of this project is to provide a comparative analysis of grain storage options that a cooperative, primarily the Garden City Co-op, Inc. (GCC), could utilize in making a decision to update or replace grain storage assets. The project examines three different options for grain storage including concrete, steel, and bunker storage. The project will also examine extending the life of an original slip form elevator by installing a gunite bin liner. To determine which option that provides the most economic benefit to GCC and its members, Net Present Value and the Internal Rate of Return are estimated for each grain storage option. GCC historical grain handling margins and grain storage costs were derived from historical averages and bids from projects GCC has undertaken in the past five years, respectively. The model assumes receipts as a percentage of storage to accurately represent bushels handled by a facility. Grain storage is highly variable in initial cost and the operational needs will change in every circumstance. The results indicate that a large volume of grain is needed before economic profits will be realized.