University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building. / Past analyses of design solutions for building projects have concentrated on initial capital costs, often to the extent where the effects of subsequent operating costs are completely ignored. However, even in cases where a wider view of cost has been adopted, the discounting process has commonly disadvantaged future expenditure so heavily as to make performance after the short term irrelevant to the outcome, resulting in projects which display low capital and high operating costs to be given favour. Thus design solutions that aim to avoid repetitive maintenance, reduce waste, save nonrenewable energy resources or protect the environment through selection of better quality materials and systems, usually having a higher capital cost, are often rejected on the basis of the discounting process. Furthermore, the formulation of the discount rate has normally lacked rigour and has often resulted in an assumed rate that has implied profit and risk and has ignored taxation. Discounted present value is a measure of equivalence for time-phased costs and benefits derived from consideration of the theoretical investment return, preferably after tax. As it takes account of the cost of money, discounting can be described as leading to the determination of equivalent value using an investment-based or capital productivity approach. It is hypothesized and verified that the value of future costs and benefits is additionally susceptible to fluctuations in their base worth over time as reflected by changes in incremental escalation and the affordability of goods and services between present and future generations. Making adjustments for changes in worth may thus be described as contributing to the determination of equivalent value using a prosperity-based or time preference approach. The analysis of Australian sectorial income and expenditure data over a forty-year period shows that affordability changes can be measured and represented as an index. The discount rate is identified as a combination of the real weighted cost of capital, differential price level changes and diminishing marginal utility, where the latter is depicted by changes in the affordability of goods and services. This results in a composite discount rate that encompasses project-related, product-related and investor-related attributes. Tangible (financial) costs and benefits are discounted by this rate while intangible (environmental and social) costs and benefits are left as real value. Recommendations concerning the determination of equivalent value should ensure that the future operating performance of projects is more equitably assessed and that sustainable development remains an achievable objective in life-cost studies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 114 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a national assessment of the length of stay (LOS), total costs, and in-hospital mortality among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), using retrospective data derived from Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). / Mylan School of Pharmacy and the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; / Pharmacy Administration / MS; / Thesis;

Animation is a powerful teaching tool. Ideas can be expressed through animation using only a fraction of the time needed with conventional teaching methods [John Halas 1987]. In short, a picture is worth a thousand words. However, educational budgets rarely allow for the expensive time-consuming task that animation entails. This thesis tackles the challenge of creating substantial quality educational animation using limited time, labor and money resources. A National Science Foundation sponsored planetarium show on lightning will be used as a demonstration project to document the techniques employed and results achieved. Anyone interested in reducing costs can reference this thesis for insight on what or what not to implement in their own production process.

Clamshell dredges are used around the United States for both navigational and environmental dredging projects. Clamshell dredges are extremely mobile and can excavate sediment over a wide range of depths. The object of this thesis is to develop a methodology for production and cost estimation for clamshell dredge projects. There are current methods of predicting clamshell dredge production which rely on production curves and constant cycle times. This thesis calculates production estimation by predicting cycle time which is the time required to complete one dredge cycle. By varying the cycle time according to site characteristics production can be predicted. A second important component to predicting clamshell dredge production is bucket fill factor. This is the percent of the bucket that will fill with sediment depending on the type of soil being excavated. Using cycle time as the basis for production calculation a spreadsheet has been created to simplify the calculation of production and project cost. The production calculation also factors in soil type and region of the United States. The spreadsheet is capable of operating with basic site characteristics, or with details about the dredge, bucket size, and region. Once the production is calculated the project cost can be determined. First the project length is found by dividing the total amount of sediment that is to be excavated by the production rate. Once the project length is calculated the remainder of the project cost can be found. The methods discussed in this thesis were used to calculate project cost for 5 different projects. The results were then compared to estimates by the government and the actual cost of the project. The government estimates were an average of 39% higher than the actual project cost. The method discussed in this thesis was only 6% higher than the actual cost.

Natural gas plants can have multiple owners for raw natural gas streams and processing facilities as well as for multiple products. Therefore, a proper cost allocation method is necessary for taxation of the profits from natural gas and crude oil as well as for cost sharing among gas producers. However, cost allocation methods most often used in accounting, such as the sales value method and the physical units method, may produce unacceptable or even illogical results when applied to natural gas processes. Wright and Hall (1998) proposed a new approach called the design benefit method (DBM), based upon engineering principles, and Wright et al. (2001) illustrated the potential of the DBM for reliable cost allocation for natural gas processes by applying it to a natural gas process. In the present research, a rigorous modeling technique for the DBM has been developed based upon a Taylor series approximation. Also, we have investigated a cost allocation framework that determines the virtual flows, models the equipment, and evaluates cost allocation for applying the design benefit method to other scenarios, particularly those found in the petroleum and gas industries. By implementing these individual procedures on a computer, the proposed framework easily can be developed as a software package, and its application can be extended to large-scale processes. To implement the proposed cost allocation framework, we have investigated an optimization methodology specifically geared toward economic optimization problems encountered in natural gas plants. Optimization framework can provide co-producers who share raw natural gas streams and processing plants not only with optimal operating conditions but also with valuable information that can help evaluate their contracts. This information can be a reasonable source for deciding new contracts for co-producers. For the optimization framework, we have developed a genetic-quadratic search algorithm (GQSA) consisting of a general genetic algorithm and a quadratic search that is a suitable technique for solving optimization problems including process flowsheet optimization. The GQSA inherits the advantages of both genetic algorithms and quadratic search techniques, and it can find the global optimum with high probability for discontinuous as well as non-convex optimization problems much faster than general genetic algorithms.

Taiwan¡¦s economy is a typical island economy. Its charactericts includes lack of natural resources and relying on international trade. Attending trade show is an important international marketing activity for Taiwanese companiese. Since trade show is important and its cost is not low, how to evaluate its cost-effect becomes a critical issue. To evaluate cost-effect of attending a trade show, we observed pre-show, at-show, and after-show activies of a company and evaluate its trade show cost-effect. The company¡¦s pre-show activities includes informing its customers and potential customers of the trade show. At-show activities include introducing its company and products and increasing its visitors¡¦ awareness. After-show activities include the follow up after the trade show. After using six methods to evaluate trade show cost-effect, we suggest the company should train its resperantives to identify real potential buyers. In addition, the marketing plan of year (or years) and the goals of trade show should be set. In that case, it could improve its cost-effect. If the company could evaluate and review all the trade shows attended, it could improve its cost-effect further.

Worldwide, rural road networks serve a vital link in the chain leading goods to markets and people to places. The efficiency of rural road network services is influenced by road-related investment and policy decisions. Reaching good decisions, however, is complicated by: interrelationships among policy, investment, road use, road performance, and rural economies; and combinatorial challenges involving the distribution of discrete policy and investment arrangements across networks.</p><p>The main objective of this study is to address this complex problem as it pertains to rural road networks in Saskatchewan. Rural roads in Saskatchewan are suffering under increasing volumes of heavy truck traffic motivated principally by recent changes in the grain handling and transportation system. To address this problem, Saskatchewan Department of Highways and Transportation is considering a range of haul policy and road structure investment options. The question is, what (spatial) arrangement of available policy and investment options best meets this challenge. </p><p>To answer this question, a cost-based standard is incorporated within a network design modeling approach and solved using custom algorithmic strategies. Applied to a case study network, the model determines a demonstrably good arrangement of costly road structure modifications under each considered policy option. Resulting policy-investment combinations are subsequently ranked according to total cost and equivalent net benefit standards. </p><p>A number of important findings emerge from this analysis. Policy and investment decisions are linked; spatial arrangement of road structure modifications is contingent on the haul policy regime in place. Road performance and use characteristics are indeed sensitive to policy and investment decisions. Optimal budget levels computed by the model contradict perceptions that rural road networks in Saskatchewan are grossly under-funded. Despite best intentions, ill-considered policy can actually reduce the net benefits of road provision and use. </p><p> Model application and design limitations suggest promising avenues for future research. These include: model larger networks in Saskatchewan and beyond; determine optimal road budgets under benefit-cost standards reflecting competing economic needs; employ model within regional economic planning investigations to forecast road-related implications; and model policy endogenously to aid design of heavy haul sub-networks and to address questions concerning network expansion or contraction.

The economic viability of farming in Saskatchewan is eroding and the future of the industry is becoming uncertain given the current economic state. The combination of low commodity prices, increasing input and transportation costs, ongoing drought conditions, inadequate safety net programs, and environmental concerns resulting from agricultural greenhouse gas emissions has led to this uncertainty. One possible solution for producers to help overcome or at least minimize the negative trends occurring in agriculture, which is proposed, is afforestation of agricultural land. Afforestation not only provides net private benefits of timber income but external benefits, including carbon sequestration, and preservation of native forests, which provides areas for hunting, wildlife viewing, and conservation of land. The economic efficiency of afforestation was examined using a transitional benefit cost framework for both crop and pasture systems. This allowed for both private and social perspectives, along with the opportunity costs, to be included and the economic efficiency of afforestation from each perspective was determined. The potential conversion of agricultural land to afforestation was based solely on economic efficiency and assumed producers demonstrated an economically rational decision making process. The results from the benefit cost analysis indicated that the net private benefits from afforestation were never significant enough to warrant the conversion of either crop or pasture systems to afforestation. The results did however show that the net social benefits from afforestation would warrant the conversion of crop systems to afforestation for a limited number of situations. Crop systems on physically marginal land with a carbon payment of either $22.58 or $33.55 tonne of C would warrant conversion to afforestation, using either a single or infinite rotation. The infinite rotation resulted in a larger allocation of land to afforestation. The role afforestation can play in helping producers diversify and increase income levels is limited. The low price paid for timber and the high costs of establishment for afforestation are the main constraints. In order for afforestation to become economically efficient on a large scale the constraints facing producers needs to be addressed.

Inköpsorganisationen har varit och är föremål för förändring. Vid sidan av denna förändring har Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) utvecklats. TCO sträcker sig bortom inköpspriset och innefattar enligt Degraeve et al. (2005a) alla kostnader relaterade till anskaffningen och kostnaderna användningen av en vara eller tjänst medför genom ett företags hela värdekedja. Utifrån en tillhandahållen förståelse för kostnaderna ett företag ådrar sig utifrån etablerade leverantörsrelationer kan TCO fördelaktigt användas vid valet av leverantörer och till att utvärdera prestandan av leverantörer. Ett flertal genomförda TCO studier har antagit ett snävt fokus och enbart fokuserat på en specifik produkt eller produktgrupp. Ett behov av att på en mer övergripande nivå granska och identifiera skillnader i kostnaderna ett tillverkande företag ådrar sig mellan olika leverantörer har därmed existerat. I enlighet med detta behov syftade denna uppsats till att övergripande granska skillnader i kostnaderna ett tillverkande företag ådrar sig mellan olika leverantörer utifrån ett TCO perspektiv. Detta uppnåddes via att genomföra en fallstudie av det privatägda tillverkande företaget Enics. Data samlades huvudsakligen in via intervjuer och en introducerad TCO matris används i presentationen och analysen av data. Ett flertal relevanta skillnader i kostnaderna fallföretaget ådrar sig mellan olika leverantörer identifieras och presenteras. Möjligheten att utifrån de identifierade skillnaderna uppnå kostnadsbesparingar samt hur detta inverkar på de identifierade skillnaderna analyseras. De identifierade skillnaderna kan utökas mellan olika leverantörer när företag eftersträvar att uppnå kostnadsbesparingar. Hur 23 traditionella kriterier anknyter till värdekedjan har även analyserats. Varav en del kriterier möjliggör inledandet av leverantörsrelationer är en del mer anpassade för den efterkommande utvärderingen.