The IDEAL Estimating Environment Integrated Data Evaluation

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The IDEAL Estimating EnvironmentIntegrated Data
Evaluation Analysis Library

• A New Paradigm for Cost Estimating, Modeling, and
  Data Sharing.

www.idealestimating.com
Programming Contact PRIME TIME 110 State Street
Kennett Square PA 19348 610-964-8200 dick_at_primeti
me.com
Cost Engineering Contact Team Analysis, Inc. 200
South 20th Street Purcellville VA
20132 540-338-0601 wghombach_at_teamanalysis.com
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What is IDEAL?

• IDEAL is an intuitive, yet powerful, estimating
  environment that offers users the ability to
  develop, test, use, and share estimates for large
  and small projects. IDEAL allows for all types of
  Cost Estimating/Modeling Methodologies.
• Developed by two companies with extensive
  experience in cost estimating for the U.S. Navy,
  U.S. Air force, National Aeronautics and Space
  Administration (NASA), U.S. Department Of Energy
  (DOE), and other government agency, as well as
  industry, clients.
• IDEAL was built to handle the complexities of
  these agency and industry clients.
• IDEAL, version 1.3, is already being used by NASA
  and the U.S. Navy.

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How IDEAL is meeting needs

• IDEAL was designed to address specific needs and
  concerns of Project Engineers, Estimators, and
  other professionals dealing with complex
  large-scale projects or small projects.

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Needs
How IDEAL is meeting needs

• The ability to build agency or industry
  project/program cost estimates
• The ability to build good estimates that will
  save time and money
• The ability to foster competition by reducing
  reliance on any one model builder
• The ability to share cost items, cost estimates,
  models, and other cost data
• The ability to easily view, edit, and use cost
  estimates
• Secure systems for data delivery and storage

A estimate is simply an estimated cost for a
project. Cost models can be thought of as
templates or wizards. The cost model asks a user
to input general information and then determines
the cost estimate based on pre-defined equations.

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Building project/program estimates
How IDEAL is meeting needs

• IDEAL provides both model builders and users an
  intuitive work environment for building and using
  estimates.
• IDEAL was built with the robustness required for
  the Parametric Model Developer, with a
  user-friendly interface for users, and
  stand-alone estimating capabilities for
  estimators.
• IDEAL uses innovative techniques and interfaces
  to display and edit models. Giving IDEAL a unique
  balance of capability and ease of use.

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Good Estimates Save Time and Money
How IDEAL is meeting needs
Its is important to make sure that cost estimates
are accurate.
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Good Estimates Save Time and Money
How IDEAL is meeting needs

• It is important for an estimate to be as accurate
  as possible. Thats why IDEAL was designed to be
  able to handle all types of known estimating
  Methodologies.
• The first, and most important, step in building
  an good estimate is choosing the correct
  Methodology to match the project being estimated.
• The best methodology for estimating a project
  that does not yet exist is, arguably, the Delphi
  method.

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IDEAL can handle all Cost Estimating/Modeling
Methodologies.
How IDEAL is meeting needs
Methodologies
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Fosters Competition
How IDEAL is meeting needs

• One of the key features that defines IDEAL from
  all other programs is that it facilitates
  interoperability.
• With IDEAL, Government and Industry are no longer
  tied to particular applications or estimators.
  Fostering competition among estimators.
• IDEAL allows you to own, sell, and/or share the
  models or estimates you have built.

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Fosters Competition
How IDEAL is meeting needs

• Each estimate/model in IDEAL is written in a
  standardized eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

• Any other system that uses this standard XML can
  read and use the estimates generated in IDEAL.
• Three national standards are proposed for this
  purpose.

IDEAL Reader is a free program that allows
estimates/models built in IDEAL to be viewed by
anyone.
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The Library of estimates
How IDEAL is meeting needs

• With the Library, IDEAL offers a great platform
  for sharing data between both Industry and
  Government entities (for a fee or free).
• The Library is an online exchange used to
  organize, submit, transmit, share, and sell
  estimates, models, files, and/or other data at
  the contributors discretion.

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Reports that impress
How IDEAL is meeting needs
Interactive reports allow you to easily view and
share the costs generated by each cost
estimate/model.

• IDEAL provides three types of reports that
  generate different levels of details.

• Each report is interactive the report can be
  easily navigated, viewed, and printed.

• Reports can be viewed by anyone with the free
  IDEAL Reader

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Security
How IDEAL is meeting needs
IDEALs servers use the latest in data security
techniques and encryption.

• All data stored on our servers is encrypted and
  shielded by firewalls and other security measures

• Each user is given a unique username and
  password to access IDEAL and their models. No
  data can be viewed by another user unless given
  permission

• There are different levels of users that
  delegate the level of detail, in models, viewable
  by each user.

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IDEAL is a system that will
How IDEAL is meeting needs

• Maximize
• consistency
• automation
• integration
• interoperability
• cost data contribution
• cost data availability
• cost leveraging
• competition

• Minimize
• development costs
• maintenance costs
• redundancy
• version tracking
• reliance upon any one model builder
• reliance on few compatible data sources

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NASAs use of IDEAL
How IDEAL is meeting needs

• NASA is using IDEAL for Environmental Restoration
  Liability Estimating and Budgeting at all of
  their Centers.
• IDEAL is providing NASAs Remedial Project
  Managers (RPM) with an Easy-to-Use Estimating
  Tool
• Used by RPMs at all NASA Centers across the U.S.
  to estimate hundreds of cleanup sites (some over
  10,000,000)
• NASA is using the Library of ICERs, CERs,
  Assemblies, and other Cost Data (Vendor Unit
  Costs) to build, share, and use site estimates.

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A DOE Independent Study
IDEAL v. Competition

• An independent study to compare Cost Analysis
  software programs was conducted for the ITRD
  (Innovative Treatment Remediation Demonstration)
  at Albuquerque.
• An Engineering Cost Analysis Software Evaluation
  Report was written as a result of the study
  (Dec. 21, 2001).
• The findings in this report exemplify IDEALs
  many unique capabilities when compared to
  competing systems.

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A DOE Independent Study
IDEAL v. Competition

• The following categories were used to evaluate
  the capabilities of each system

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A DOE Independent Study
IDEAL v. Competition

• IDEAL meets all Categories of use, unlike the
  others.

Table 4. Software Evaluation Matrix
IDEAL is the only tool that is being structured
in an open architecture format using Extensible
Markup Language (XML)
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A DOE Independent Study
IDEAL v. Competition

• Some quotes from the Albuquerque ITRD study

• IDEAL provides a set of cost estimating
  relationships on common remedial actions and
  supporting site activities.
• IDEAL provides the user with access to this
  library and the ability to document their own
  unique considerations and compile the model or
  estimate in a single system.
• In other words, the IDEAL system takes advantage
  of existing work while providing the user the
  ability to insert unique cost models into the
  logical hierarchy utilizing the common cost
  variables already defined eliminating repetitive
  input.
• The IDEAL system appears to do an excellent job
  providing the estimator with the ability to
  formally document cost research by providing a
  way to integrate the information.

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The IDEAL Look and Feel
IDEALs Environment

• IDEAL provides a rich environment to build
  estimates. Here is IDEALs main workspace with a
  cost model open (the tree structure).

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The IDEAL Look and Feel
IDEALs Environment

• Most estimates are done using spreadsheets or
  databases. Both of which have advantages and
  disadvantages when it comes to building complex
  mathematical models.
• IDEAL was designed to offer a unique integration
  of both spreadsheet and database capabilities in
  an object-oriented format.
• IDEAL uses a tree structure to model estimates.
  This structure visually organizes the estimate
  and provides a database of information.
  Additionally, IDEAL uses a spreadsheet a each
  level in the tree (a hierarchy of
  spreadsheets). Giving IDEAL great mathematical
  power, while maintaining an intuitive user
  interface.

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The IDEAL Look and Feel
IDEALs Environment
You Can Have Your Spreadsheet Database
Too!! With the advantages of both and
disadvantages of neither

• Uses Spreadsheet Interface
• Develop/Maintain Cost Models in Comprehensive
  Development Environment and/or Supporting
  Spreadsheets

• Free Form
• Can Develop Equation and Document on the Fly
• Can Include Complex Relationships between Cost
  Elements
• Intuitive to the Creator - no Programming Skills
  Needed

• Can Handle Large and Complex Data Sets
• Can Use Standardized Unit Price Databases
• More Robust and Less Likely to Break than
  Spreadsheets
• Provides a more Intuitive User Interface than
  Spreadsheets
• Excellent Security

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The IDEAL Estimating Environment

• For more information on IDEAL call
• 1-866-COSTHLP (267-8457)
• Or visit
• www.idealestimating.com