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A cost estimate is often used to establish a budget as the cost constraint for a project or operation. In project management, project cost management is a major functional division. Cost estimating is one of three activities performed in project cost management. [3] In cost engineering, cost estimation is a basic activity. A cost engineering ...
The U.S. Government Accountability Office defines a cost estimate as, "the summation of individual cost elements, using established methods and valid data, to estimate the future costs of a program, based on what is known today", and reports that "realistic cost estimating was imperative when making wise decisions in acquiring new systems". [7]
Cost estimation models are mathematical algorithms or parametric equations used to estimate the costs of a product or project. The results of the models are typically necessary to obtain approval to proceed, and are factored into business plans, budgets, and other financial planning and tracking mechanisms.
According to the PMBOK (7th edition) by the Project Management Institute (PMI), Cost variance (CV) is a "The amount of budget deficit or surplus at a given point in time, expressed as the difference between the earned value and the actual cost." [19] Cost variance compares the estimated cost of a deliverable with the actual cost. [20]
This information is necessary to generate accurate cost estimates. ... by setting prices based on actual costs. [9] This method is generally adopted by retail ...
Following strong initial uptake, ABC lost ground in the 1990s compared to alternative metrics, such as Kaplan's balanced scorecard and economic value added.An independent 2008 report concluded that manually driven ABC was an inefficient use of resources: it was expensive and difficult to implement for small gains, and a poor value, and that alternative methods should be used. [4]
Cost engineering is "the engineering practice devoted to the management of project cost, involving such activities as estimating, cost control, cost forecasting, investment appraisal and risk analysis". [1] "Cost Engineers budget, plan and monitor investment projects. They seek the optimum balance between cost, quality and time requirements." [2]
The average cost is computed by dividing the total cost of goods available for sale by the total units available for sale. This gives a weighted-average unit cost that is applied to the units in the ending inventory. There are two commonly used average cost methods: Simple weighted-average cost method and perpetual weighted-average cost method. [2]