Showing papers on "Value engineering published in 1993"

Value engineering. I

Abstract: Value engineering was developed in the USA after the Second World War and first appeared in Britain in the mid 1960s. It became popular at the time but has since been somewhat eclipsed. However, competitive pressures on producers mean that interest has been renewed. The author discusses the difference between cost and value and then explains when value engineering should be applied. The changes needed in an organisation to accommodate value engineering and processes involved in value engineering are discussed. >

The function of value engineering

Abstract: Value Engineering (VE) techniques based on function have been the means to improved products and processes for several decades. It is a social design methodology that is usually episodic in application and often confused with narrow interests, such as cost cutting. This paper addresses the role, or function, of VE in a larger model of design practice to give insight into its use, non-use and misuse. The model identifies three levels of design practice, with a dual functional activity at its center. The process of innovative design shows tension between these functions. We conclude that VE is neither a different nor a sufficient way to design compared with more conventional analytical and synthesis techniques. It is rather a parallel and necessary process with different inputs and outputs. Stuiges: Function of Value Engineering 1/23/92 1

Value engineering. II

Abstract: For ptI see ibid, vol3, no4, p171 (1993) In the concluding part of this article the techniques for generating value improvements are described together with comments on the practical aspects of value engineering The value engineering procedures discussed are speculation, evaluation and implementation and follow-up

Minimize system cost by choosing optimal subsystem reliability & redundancy

Abstract: Both reliabilities and costs are used to find the subsystems with the lowest overall expected cost. The authors begin by reviewing some of the concepts of expected value. They then address the problem of choosing among several competing subsystems. These concepts are then applied to k-out-of-n: G subsystems. A basic program (CARRAC) enables the engineer to explore and graph various options. The use of this program is illustrated with several different cost models. >

Object oriented value and cost analysis for information technology investments

Abstract: A cost and value analysis framework for IT investment choice is presented which offers an alternative to existing ad hoc models arising from traditional accounting and financial analysis. It resolves certain problems in determining value and cost chains which arise from the complex relationships underlying the implementation and cost justification of IT investments. These complexities limit the accuracy and usefulness of traditional accounting models which are based on a linear, matrix-based model of a firm's activities. The formal decision models developed in this paper should help information systems professionals regain credibility in IT investment decision making-a prospect which promises to be increasingly important in the information-intensive and frugal corporate environments of the 1990s. >

Total quality engineering, failure analysis and stochastic process evaluation of engineering project alternatives

Abstract: The interaction of technical ergonomic and product liability concepts within total quality engineering and management frameworks are evaluated. Risk management and insurance industry paradigms are examined as affecting value engineering and decision-making under uncertainty analysis. Joel Barker's Future Edge success paradigms are extended to risk analysis and ergonomics to achieve total quality and robustness. Examination of stochastic evaluation of engineered structures for life-cycle costing used with consideration of project alternatives is emphasized, and is an extension of work done by the authors in the area of legal liability and technical insurance as related to engineering structures. Also considered are factors for safety and risk and project alternatives. Results show that for a complete assessment of project alternatives, concurrent interdisciplinary engineering methods are required. >

Use Value Engineering Concepts for Spaceport Launching

Abstract: In simple terms, value engineering (VE) identifies the function of a system with a verb/noun and assigns it a value This paper provides a background phase that briefly identifies the Soviet's laun