Cost-Benefit Analysis:- The primary objective of cost-benefit analysis is to find out whether it is economically worthwhile to invest in the proposed project. Generally, a project has a high return on investment if it has a high return on investment.
Cost-Benefit Analysis Steps-
- Identification of costs & benefits.
- Classification of costs & benefits.
- Selection of Evaluation Methods.
- Interpret the Results of the analysis & take final action.
Classification of Costs & Benefits:-
Tangible means that which is definite& can, therefore, be determined in advance.
Tangible cost means that it is known & can be estimated quite accurately.
For Eg.
The cost of the salary of employees, equipment cost, material cost, operating cost, etc.
We know intangible costs, but can’t accurately calculate their financial value.
For Eg.
The cost of the breakdown of an online banking system for one hour would cause the bank to lose the deposits & waste human resources.
Tangible Benefits
A tangible benefit is one that can be quantified.
For Eg.
Decrease in production costs & increase in sales are tangible benefits.
Intangible benefits
Measuring intangible benefits is impossible
For Eg.
Improvement in the company image due to computerization.
Fixed or Variable Costs & Benefits
Costs that are constant & do not change are fixed costs.
For Eg.
The purchase of equipment, rent to be paid, purchase of software are fixed costs.
Variable Costs are those that are incurred periodically &vary with the volume of work.
For Eg.
The cost of stationery &floppies would amount of variable cost.
Fixed Benefits also remain constant.
Variable Benefits
Variable benefits are realized on a regular basis.
For Eg.
The library information system that saves two minutes in providing information about a particular book to the borrower. The amount of time saved varies with the information given to the borrowers.
Direct or Indirect Costs & Benefits
A system’s direct costs are those that are directly related to it.
For Eg.
Cost of space to install a system, maintenance of computer center, light &air – conditioning are all indirect costs.
Direct benefits also can be specifically attributable to a given project.
For Eg.
A new system that can process 25%, more transactions per day is a direct benefit.
A by-product of another system provides indirect benefits.
For Eg.
A system that tracks sales calls on customers provides an indirect marketing benefit by giving additional information about the competition.