http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/index/ en corplibrary@galorath.com Copyright 2011 2011-08-11T19:53:04+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/estimating-composites-in-seer/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/estimating-composites-in-seer/#When:19:53:04Z Cost estimating of parts and assemblies made from composites is challenging due largely to the complexity of the manufacturing processes involved. Galorath Incorporated produces the SEER suite of parametric estimating solutions, providing cost estimation for a wide range of traditional manufacturing processes as well as composites fabrication. Specifically, SEER for Manufacturing (SEER-MFG) is a cost estimating and analysis application for engineers to derive an accurate “should-cost” estimate for a part or assembly. Comprehensive estimates and bids can be generated in hours instead of days or weeks. why_seer 2011-08-11T19:53:04+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/reduce-product-costs-with-seer-tools/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/reduce-product-costs-with-seer-tools/#When:23:35:44Z Large projects in the bidding and design phase pose significant challenges in terms of delivering affordability, forecasting risk, establishing delivery timescales and establishing total costs. These challenges are also opportunities, providing you can obtain accurate estimating data on a timely basis and assess project decisions and pathways within a holistic environment.Control and Reduce Product Costs with SEER Tools Large projects in the bidding and design phase pose significant challenges in terms of delivering affordability, forecasting risk, establishing delivery timescales and establishing total costs. These challenges are also opportunities, providing you can obtain accurate estimating data on a timely basis and assess project decisions and pathways within a holistic environment. For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense currently ranks affordability as the key factor in entering a bid on one of their projects. Certainly there are other factors which impinge on the decision, such as operational effectiveness, however in budget conscious times; affordability is the crucial ranking element. How can you assess affordability at such an early stage of a large project, for instance the delivery of an aircraft carrier with attendant aircraft, helicopters, weapon systems, electronic infrastructure and personnel? How are you able to assess the “Design to Cost” alternatives of incorporating a different system which performs the same function into a large scale project? How can you manage and reduce product costs of acquisition, but engage in reducing total costs of ownership? How Can Galorath Help? SEER Covers Software, Hardware, IT and Manufacturing Total Costs of Ownership Galorath’s SEER product suite provides realistic and highly accurate total cost of ownership estimates for a range of large scale projects, including software, hardware, IT and manufacturing projects. The SEER product suite utilizes a simulation modeling, knowledge bases and a cost database. The cost database used by SEER is culled from a large number of existing and past projects incorporating real-world information on the costs of an enormous variety of components, including future technology and modern materials data. The SEER product cost estimating suite provides the ability, with a high degree of accuracy, to assess “Should Costs” for large scale projects. The ability to assess “Should Costs” is important when considering decisions such as “Make Buy”, as well as in dealing with suppliers in both competitive and non-competitive stances. SEER product cost estimating software provides you with the ability to assess, at a very early decision stage, the different design alternatives within the context of any large scale project, and also how that individual project fits into an even broader context. Taking our example of an aircraft carrier, if the DOD requirement is to carry 60 aircraft but a cost related design decision results in only 50 being carried, this is an issue you need to discover in the bidding stage of a project to avoid project failure. The SEER product cost estimation software range removes a large measure of the subjectivity which is involved in determining production costing. In turn, this provides you with the ability to engage not only in product cost reduction, but also in reducing overall project and commercial risk. Production Cost Drivers In addition, Galorath’s SEER applications  provides the ability to engage in product cost reduction in terms of what the market drivers are for determining costs. For instance, how is the global market affecting costs, for instance should you consider production in India or Indiana? For each decision alternative, SEER will provide product cost controlling data assessment which will also provide insight into quality, deliverability and operational effectiveness of the project through its production lifecycle. Controlling Production Costs with Suppliers Galorath’s SEER is a highly effective tool when dealing with suppliers who are the sole suppliers of a project component. As an effective monopoly holder, such suppliers exercise an enormous advantage in contract negotiations; however SEER provides negotiators with hard information and assessment on “Should Cost” to allow for realistic and informed negotiation which in turn leads directly to reducing production cost and price. Additionally SEER can be used to evaluate the “Will Cost” opportunities to reduce cost. SEER also provides risk reduction in product cost estimation when dealing with suppliers in a competitive stance. Many product cost estimation software solutions rely on product cost data by simply asking suppliers for pricing information. This is problematical, because in the first instance, a supplier may decide to bid as a loss leader creating an unsustainably low price, and secondly, such techniques typically obtain the lowest price from those offered, again increasing the risk of underestimating true production cost. Why choose Galorath for Generating Production Cost Savings? Galorath has an enviable track record of delivering highly accurate product cost savings to thousands of clients, including the U.S. Government and major contractors. Galorath utilizes state-of-the-art parametric cost estimation techniques, which have been developed into a simple-to-use package of extremely powerful and feature-rich tools. This means clients are able to focus upon generating production cost savings and ensuring operational and commercial benefits are maximized. Galorath’s SEER product range benefits from the proprietal cost and project information database of tens of thousands of real-life projects around the world. This means clients are able to access, highly accurate unit product cost information to allow them to aggressively reduce production costs. Galorath’s has a team of experts devoted to ensuring that the product cost information provided by the SEER product range is highly accurate and reliable. This especially includes cost estimation information for emergent technologies and materials, for which historical data may not be readily obtainable from other sources. Ultimately, Galorath is a true partner for any large scale project contractor, which generates superior ROI. why_seer 2011-06-20T23:35:44+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/total-cost-of-ownership-life-cycle-cost-analysis/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/total-cost-of-ownership-life-cycle-cost-analysis/#When:22:00:57Z Analyzing not just development costs but the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a critical component of ensuring value is obtained from any proposed IT project. This is largely due to difficulties in determining where costs will be incurred across software development, software maintenance, and IT infrastructure and support services.Estimating Total Cost of Ownership (Life Cycle Cost Analysis) Analyzing not just development costs but the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a critical component of ensuring value is obtained from any proposed IT project. This is largely due to difficulties in determining where costs will be incurred across software development, software maintenance, and IT infrastructure and support services. Planning and managing a software development project is complicated. Assessing time-to-market, staffing requirements, risk factors, competitive considerations, IT infrastructure and support allocations all combine to cloud underlying cost issues. Yet, software development costs are only a fraction of the total ownership cost.  Other factors need to be included in a total cost analysis, such as:  What happens when you include the cost of software maintenance? How much will implementing the software project incur in support costs or discrete or opportunity costs connected with your network infrastructure? How does software maintenance needs impact the risk profile of the project? To answer these and other questions you need a Total Cost of Ownership model. An Example of Total Cost of Ownership Modeling in Action A government agency decided to implement a software solution to integrate data from individual users of a range of services delivered by disparate departments. The objective was to streamline application processing, and to ensure information from one department was available across the entire agency on individual subjects. Estimating the initial and future cost was essential to ensuring budgets could be controlled now and into the future. The decision to proceed was based primarily on the ability to demonstrate cost savings as part of a wide ranging cost cutting mandate and demonstration of additional value for taxpayer money. This required a comprehensive total cost of ownership analysis, including specific consideration of the resources and investment allocations required over a 15 year life cycle. The total cost of ownership software model provided specific resource and staffing recommendations to ensure the project was delivered on time, on budget and to achieve the project deliverables long after development and implementation. The decision to proceed would not have been agreed to without an accurate estimate provided by total cost of ownership software. What is Total Cost of Ownership? Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) includes the initial costs to implement a project together with the continuing costs to maintain, modify, train staff, house, deploy, provide infrastructure or any other cost associated with the project, including final decommissioning. TCO is an estimate which includes all direct and indirect costs over the useful life of the application which is commonly used in Full Cost Accounting systems. This Total Cost Analysis is also known as Life Cycle Cost Analysis. How Galorath can help with Total Ownership Cost Analysis Galorath’s simple-to-use SEER total cost of ownership software provides a solution to the problem of life cycle cost estimating and producing a realistic total ownership cost. SEER project management tools provide the ability to identify and quantify software development, maintenance, IT Infrastructure and IT service costs and resource allocations based on a its knowledge bases and simulation modeling. The SEER knowledge bases are compiled from thousands of real-life projects which have been normalized to provide highly adaptive and relevant financial and project scheduling information which is directly analogous to your proposed project as well as parametrics to account for things that are different than past history. In addition to providing cost of ownership analysis for IT and Software projects, Galorath’s SEER for Hardware, Electronics & Systems model provides analysis for those domains as well. Why Thousands of Projects Rely on Galorath's SEER for Modeling Total Cost of Ownership Galorath’s SEER is used around the world by tens of thousands of projects, including IT projects, complex defense development and procurement contracts, heavy engineering projects and many others. For over a quarter of a century, Galorath’s SEER has delivered state-of-the-art Life Cycle Cost Analysis with: An unrivaled knowledge base of thousands of real-life projects normalized to provide standard benchmarks together with risk sensitivity indication; An intuitive GUI (graphical user interface) providing macro and granular project information and an unparalleled range of parametric estimation tools; Galorath’s 10 Step Software Estimation Process improves project deliverable quality instead of just improving cost estimates; Early detection of error and project issues decreases project risk; Simplified management of critical success factors; and Superlative project documentation tools critical for continued, future project success. To answer what is total cost of ownership for your organization’s projects, contact Galorath. We can help you learn more about how SEER's total cost of ownership software can help your organization better estimate, plan and control projects. why_seer 2011-03-17T22:00:57+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/accurately-estimate-your-software-maintenance-costs/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/accurately-estimate-your-software-maintenance-costs/#When:23:39:02Z Imagine your business is implementing a software solution and is performing a cost/benefit and ROI analysis. How do you estimate the total costs of the solution which go far beyond the initial deployment? Specifically, how do you estimate the software maintenance cost? How will you be able to factor in software maturity into the overall decision? Without reliable software maintenance cost estimation, your business will be unable to accurately assess the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and how well can you rely on the projected ROI. Imagine your business is implementing a software solution and is performing a cost/benefit and ROI analysis. How do you estimate the total costs of the solution which go far beyond the initial deployment? Specifically, how do you estimate the software maintenance cost? How will you be able to factor in software maturity into the overall decision? Without reliable software maintenance cost estimation, your business will be unable to accurately assess the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and how well can you rely on the projected ROI. Businesses frequently mistake software maintenance for “bug” fixing, however the bulk of cost issues are caused by enhancements in functionality, as the software solution evolves over time. Software evolution is extremely difficult to factor into costing estimates. How do you control these future costs (and benefits) which will follow successful implementation of a software solution? Software Maintenance Cost Defined Software maintenance cost is derived from the changes made to software after it has been delivered to the end user. Software does not “wear out” but it will become less useful as it gets older, plus there WILL always be issues within the software itself. Software maintenance costs will typically form 75% of TCO. Software maintenance costs include: Corrective maintenance – costs due to modifying software to correct issues discovered after initial deployment (generally 20% of software maintenance costs) Adaptive maintenance – costs due to modifying a software solution to allow it to remain effective in a changing business environment (25% of software maintenance costs) Perfective maintenance – costs due to improving or enhancing a software solution to improve overall performance (generally 5% of software maintenance costs) Enhancements – costs due to continuing innovations (generally 50% or more of software maintenance costs) How can Galorath help with software maintenance cost? Of course the percentage of each maintenance activity is variable based on the specific system and the above allocation rules of thumb are only rough general ideas. Galorath's SEER project management applications provide for an accurate and intuitive tool set for estimating software maintenance costs, development costs, upgrade costs and total ownership costs. SEER’s software maintenance cost model allows companies to identify the key drivers in post-deployment software costs and combines accurate estimation with a broad knowledge base. Why choose Galorath for software maintenance cost? Galorath's SEER cost, schedule, risk and reliability estimating, planning and monitoring solution is used by thousands of projects worldwide: everything from IT systems to embedded systems. For over 25 years, SEER has been providing cutting edge analysis and includes: Project Cost Management Software – allows you to easily identify critical cost components and establish possible outcomes by changing parameters so you can test design/functionality/cost tradeoffs much earlier in the development cycle Project Planning Software – helps you understand project scope and complexity, and allows a detailed, yet “intuitive” feel for project planning and assisting with the entire software development lifecycle Project Tracking Software – provides superlative project monitoring and control to enable you to keep your software development on track SEER for Software includes the following features: Easy to Use Interface – a quick and easy, intuitive GUI for defining your software project. New projects may be added by using pre-existing project entries and defining new or modifying existing work elements. Powered by a pop-up wizard which guides users through the process of defining project scope and complexity and identifying what resources are required. Simulation and Modeling Engine – leading, state-of-the-art modeling tools derived from a very wide ranging database of project histories, key metrics and behavorial models. Knowledge Base – provides good “first look” estimations when information is scarce, effectively provides a virtual, in-house expert for providing project parameters and estimates based on prior project histories. Output – a full suite of project management and executive reporting tools is provided including report writing templates, executive summaries, charts and sensitivity analysis for use at any time in the project’s development and deployment. View SEER for Software Demo (Flash) why_seer 2011-02-07T23:39:02+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/parametric-cost-estimating-why-seer-summary/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/parametric-cost-estimating-why-seer-summary/#When:18:20:19Z An estimate is the most knowledgeable statement one can make at a particular point in time. A complete estimate includes Effort/Cost, Schedule, Risk, and Reliability. A viable estimate should also be produced with consistent definitions and a repeatable estimating process, not just based on whims or guesses. For a brief discussion of how SEER satisfies these criteria, click on the following link. why_seer 2010-11-17T18:20:19+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/data-driven-estimating-part-1-how-data-feeds-the-estimation-modeling-paradi/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/data-driven-estimating-part-1-how-data-feeds-the-estimation-modeling-paradi/#When:15:52:08Z Summary Galorath constantly collects data from many sources, both public and private. Data must be processed to be useful, using methods that Galorath routinely and openly discusses. In addition to data, numerous other sources play an important role in maintaining the accuracy of SEER for Software estimates. As important as data is, innovation is equally so. The core SEER model has been improved and extended over time, and new features have been added, to make estimating ever easier, more applicable, and more accurate. "Data Driven Estimating Part 2: Data Driven Estimating Features in SEER for Software" is available upon request. why_seer 2010-09-10T15:52:08+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/should-cost-modeling-take-the-guesswork-out-of-what-a-project-should-cost/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/should-cost-modeling-take-the-guesswork-out-of-what-a-project-should-cost/#When:01:27:37Z The advantages of outsourcing a project can be substantial – allowing your organization to free up internal resources, gain access to world-class capabilities, and increase revenue potential. Of course, there can also be significant cost savings. However, to utilize these advantages, you must have a clear understanding of what you should be paying for an outsourced project. Without knowing the “should cost”, there is a strong likelihood that you will either be paying too much or requiring more hands-on attention than you originally anticipated. A should cost analysis provides a solution that can give you the knowledge, data, and framework to empower you with the information you need to determine fair market pricing when negotiating with outsourced vendors. With the SEER project management tools from Galorath, you can create an accurate should cost model that enables you to effectively negotiate with suppliers while maximizing profitability through the optimization of a variety of critical parameters. SEER’s "should cost" models provide the credible and defendable estimates necessary to effectively negotiate and give the insight to compare outsourcing options with in-house capabilities. For nearly three decades, Galorath Incorporated has been dedicated to the mathematical science of parametrics in the application of cost estimation technology, developing solutions that assist project estimation, planning and management. SEER by Galorath solutions combine an intuitive interface, extensive project-applicable knowledge bases, sophisticated should-cost and project-modeling technologies and rich reporting features to accurately forecast real-world outcomes by combining advanced modeling technology with a database of industry and user-defined metrics. SEER for Software SEER for Software provides a systematic approach for estimating the resources and scheduling that software development and maintenance projects require. Along with an unparalleled capability for trade-off and risk analysis, SEER contributes to the generation of realistic project plans, thus increasing the probability of a project’s success. SEER for Hardware, Electronics & Systems SEER for Hardware, Electronics and Systems provides total cost of ownership for the development of components, systems and integrated product assemblies from concept through design, test, production, operations and support. SEER for Information Technology SEER for IT enables organizations to develop an early, accurate assessment of costs, schedules and risks for IT projects and their operations, helping to maximize productivity and output with fixed or declining budgets. SEER for Manufacturing SEER for Manufacturing estimates part and assembly manufacturing costs. All state-of-practice and state-of-the art manufacturing processes are supported and are routinely updated. SEER for Electro-Optical Sensors The SEER for Electro-Optical Sensors plug-in expands the capabilities of SEER for Hardware, Electronics & Systems, allowing you to perform a full lifecycle cost for space, manned aircraft, unmanned aircraft and missile based EO sensors. SEER for Integrated Circuits (ASICs, FPGAs, RFICs) The SEER-IC Integrated Circuit Estimation Model provides the automated tools you need to estimate the costs, schedules, and risks associated with developing and producing Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFICs). 2010-07-13T01:27:37+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/seer-should-cost-models/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/seer-should-cost-models/#When:01:04:17Z SEER’s “should cost” models provide the credible and defendable estimates necessary to effectively negotiate and give the insight to compare outsourcing options with in-house capabilities. The SEER approach facilitates organizations to take full advantage of outsourcing cost reductions and profit increases made possible thru the use of parametric cost models. why_seer 2010-07-13T01:04:17+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/function-based-sizing/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/function-based-sizing/#When:00:47:55Z Sizing is an important and challenging component of software estimating. SEER for Software supports all functional sizing methods and includes its unique “Function Based Sizing” Function based sizing allows those not certified in function point counting to obtain viable estimates and allows other stakeholders to see the impacts of items such as adding one report in a clear fashion. why_seer 2010-07-10T00:47:55+00:00 http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/why-seer/ http://www.galorath.com/index.php/site/why-seer/#When:23:49:53Z SEER provides estimation, planning and control vision for more successful projects: Know In Advance and Make Informed Decisions: The SEER estimation engines replicate real-world outcomes by combining sophisticated modeling technology with a database of industry and user-defined metrics. The SEER Suite provides reliable estimates right from the start and throughout the life of the system. SEER models enable project managers, cost analysts and engineers to make timely, accurate and insightful decisions to identify, evaluate and manage the complex array of cost, labor, schedule, reliability and risk issues associated with an organization's entire portfolio of projects. SEER Solutions Include Industry Knowledge: SEER applications come complete with knowledge bases that are maintained and enhanced by Galorath hand in hand with the user community. Galorath is positioned to provide both out-of-the box and customized solutions to customer requirements, thanks to: The breadth of our product line The SEER open architecture Certifications/partnerships with industry-leading application providers Highly qualified and experienced Professional Services and Development personnel The SEER models are easy to use by both technical and non-technical people and technical support is included with each product license. SEER Solutions Provide Better Decisions and Plans For Successful Projects: They help you make better decisions with more confidence, understand risk, reduce failure and recognize opportunities to improve processes. Here are some additional reasons as to why SEER should be the model of choice for your organization. Check back as the list is immense and the web site is being updated over several months: 2010-07-09T23:49:53+00:00