Premium Essay

The Benefits of Cost-Benefit Analysis to Improving Business Decisions

In:

Submitted By Lekhabasavaraj
Words 1601
Pages 7
The benefits of cost-benefit analysis to improving business decisions
Cost-Benefits Analysis (CBA) is the process of using theory, data, and models to study products, exchanges, and activities for measuring relevant ideas and alternative solutions in order to support decision-makers in choosing the most appropriate alternative. This paper explores how CBA may best be used, focusing on the effectiveness of CBA during the early phase of a program life-cycle in ensuring that there are worthwhile alternatives in making investment decisions. It also examines the measures and the methodology used to develop a CBA, addresses the accuracy and reliability of CBA, and identifies techniques available to support decision-making in the early phase of a program’s life-cycle. It also notes, however, that because not all costs and benefits can be quantified, measures other than CBA should also be considered in making business decisions.

The effectiveness of CBA lies in its ability to provide increased understanding of the consequences of proposed public programs. CBA must be understood as one means to support decision-makers in making the best decisions for the public good. The value of CBA will vary with the importance of mandates, policies, and regulations. For example, CBA offers a well-established and tested approach, supported by substantial research, for identifying and assessing corporation. A CBA can enable decision-makers to make prioritized decisions about business programs. It provides a broad view of the programs’ costs and benefits, as well as other economic factors that are critical to the budget process. Most importantly, a CBA is measurable. CBA provides information on monetary strength as well as on individuals’ willingness to make the types of trade-offs inherent in many social investment decisions. According to Makowsky and Wagner, this type of exchange often

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Ford Pinto

...moral issues does the Pinto case raise? Moral issues that Ford Pinto case raises included producing dangerous products which are not safe to use it without informing the dangerous of the products to the public. In addition, lobbying the NHTSA to delay the safety measure of the products is also one of the moral issues that Ford Pinto case raises. (53 words) 2. Suppose Ford officials were asked to justify their decision. What moral principles do you think they would invoke? Assess Ford’s handling of the Pinto from the perspective of each of the moral theories discussed in this chapter. The theory of egoism is most suitable to describe the Ford Pinto case. Ford is doing things that benefit the organization itself. In addition, Ford only considered the short term benefits and neglected the long term interests of the organization itself. The handling of the Pinto from the perspective of each of the moral theories is as following. Act utilitarianism says that Ford did not produce the greatest possible balance of cost-benefit calculation for everyone affected. According to the Kant’s categorical imperatives, Ford should not place a monetary value on a human life. Based on W.D.Ross’s 7 basic Prima Facie Duties, Ford failed to apply the duties of nonmalefience because they did not produce safe cars. Lastly, Ford is unethical when applying the ethic of caring. Ford not only produced dangerous products, they also hide the truth of the defective Pinto from the...

Words: 953 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Investment Associates

...the purchase of an HRIS. HR Metrics is a tool that provides several factors that can be measured to show how HR contributes to the organization. An HR Metrics can measure the following factors; absence rate, cost per hire, health care costs per employee, HR expense factor, Human Capital ROI, human capital value added, prorating merit increases, training, turnover costs and a number of other elements (Kavanagh & Thite, 2009). An HR metrics can be used to justify the purchase of an HRIS by clearly weighing all the pertaining factors mention above and ensuring that they are understood by the managers and employees. HR Metrics makes it clear to the decision makers within an organization what can be achievable and what is not. In the case study, the job of the new HR manager was to ensure that the company’s owner understood the benefits an HRIS system would bring to the table and weigh in the cost of purchasing a system to the current costs of doing business without one. The HRM can simple start with an HRIS Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Metric to show how the system can one, enhance revenue and reduce costs and two, what the implementation costs would be, i.e. out-of-pocket costs like software and technical support. An increase in company profits is another benefit of the metrics; it can plainly show how the company can improve its productivity and save time while doing it. Risk management, especially with today’s legal conditions, a company should take all precautions to...

Words: 1102 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Walk the Ethical Talk

...Walk the Ethical Talk Case Analysis Introduction and situational analysis: In the late 1970’s a disease known as onchocerciasis was running rampant throughout much of Africa and parts of Latin and South America. Onchocerciasis which is also known as “river blindness”, an insect-borne disease, caused by a nematode worm , Onchocerca volvulus affecting both a person’s skin and eyes and is transmitted to humans by the bite of blackflies. Symptoms of this disease range from irritating and intense itching, to disfiguring dermatitis and skin and eye lesions, and ultimately can lead to sight impairment and blindness. Onchocerciasis has been classified as the “second leading cause of infectious blindness” (Water Related Diseases, 2011). During the development of the veterinary drug ivermectin, research scientist William C. Campbell, speculated on the potential the drug would have for human application; ivermectin was being developed to combat parasitic worms in livestock which are very similar to the worms that caused onchocerciasis. Campbell wrote a letter to the head of Merck’s research laboratories, who at the time was P. Roy Vagelos, requesting development of ivermectin for human use. Campbell's request causes a dilemma, the only viable uses for the drug would be for people who living in some of the poorest countries in the world; how could Merck underwrite the development of such a product for which there would most likely be of no economic value? On average...

Words: 2332 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

How People Make Economic Decisions

...Economic Decisions People select different alternatives in order to achieve their objectives. They choose one way or another because of scarce resources. This means that individuals may have lots of wants or needs, but they are limited by the available resources; be them money, time or several other. In this paper I will list three economic ideas associated to individual choices, present two cases of decision-making in which I shall compare the marginal benefits and the marginal costs related with the decision, show what incentives could guide to take a different path, and explain how the principles of economics affect decision-making, interaction, and the gear of the economy as an overall. Individual Decisions R. Glenn Hubbard and Anthony Patrick O’Brien (2010) teaches that “economics is the study of the choices consumers, business managers, and government officials make to attain their goals, given their scarce resources” (pg.4, para 3). Previous citation can translate as: I have only an hour time and I need to choose if to finish my economics paper, or watch my favorite show. Another individual decision example may be when a business has to decide if to produce 5,000 more electric batteries for cars, in the middle of the year, or to stay with the 50,000 production number that was the first decision in the beginning of the year. There are three main economic ideas related to individual choices: “people are rational, people respond to incentives, and optimal decisions are made...

Words: 629 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Mba Essays

...Value Chain Business 1_ Introduction: The concept and benefits of Value Chain Analysis in preparing business strategies: To survive in today's highly competitive business environment, any organization must achieve, at least temporarily, a competitive advantage. A low cost/price strategy: focuses on providing goods, services at a lower cost than the competition. This strategy requires as well a tight cost-control system, benefiting from economies of scale in production and experience curve effects. Differentiation strategies: The firm ability to offer products and services that are perceived by the customer as being superior and unique relative to those of its competitors like Coca-Cola in the soft drink industry...... A value chain can be described as the key activities engaged in by the organisation or industry.: Value chain analysis may benefit an organisation in a number of ways including: - Value chain framework: complements other recent initiatives like strategic cost management, which refers to the simultaneous focus on reducing costs and strengthening an organisation's strategic position. This commonly involves taking a longer-term view of cost management and decision making - Provides a foundation for strategic alliance decisions. A value chain framework serves as the foundation for considering decisions such as outsourcing of particular parts of the value chain and for considering the formation of strategic alliances with say a distributor. In this way, the...

Words: 3025 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Organizational Planning

...Business Proposal Organizational Planning Sheldon Martinez MGT/521 March 15, 2014 Anthony De veto Organizational Planning Netflix has become a very popular Internet-based choice for consumers who watch movies and television shows. Since the company started more than fifteen years ago, it identified and capitalized on the way television consumers prefer to watch movies and television. Netflix recognized that preference was quite simple, which is to watch television programs and movies without interruption from advertisements that you cannot escape when watching regular television. Since 1998, Netflix has set goals, implemented plans and strategies to become the leader of television network on the Internet and to maintain that industry position. This paper will examine the company’s strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats analysis (SWOT) as well as recommend a strategic and operational plan to ensure Netflix remain the leader in Internet television networking. SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT, which is strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis is a snapshot assessment of the current state of the company. It can highlight what the company does well or better than others as well as present the things the organization does poorly and areas in which improvements are necessary. Such analysis can also determine the various opportunities that a company can capitalize on. Just as important as the previous reasons, the analysis can provide information...

Words: 1602 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Im/It Analysis

...Introduction Health IT has improved patients safety, healthcare quality, efficiency and data collection and has helped restrain rising cost. Health information technology encompasses a broad array of technologies involved in managing and sharing patient information electronically than paper. http://www.allhealth.org/publications/health_information_technology/health_information_technology_toolkit.asp states Many in the U.S. have high hopes for health information technology, or health IT. Hospitals hope to reduce medical errors, such as ordering and administering the wrong dose of a medication. Providers hope to access and share patient information more easily, thereby improving care. Governments and businesses hope to save money by improving efficiency. In this paper, I will determine, within the healthcare setting, the main features, capabilities, and operational benefits to a health care organization using the following: patient care applications, management and enterprise systems, e-Health applications, and strategic decision-support application, I will assume the responsibility of a healthcare administrator for the health information systems within my organization and create an argument to be presented to the leaders with the organization that a strategic plan is essential for the IM/IT, assess the importance of a system development life cycle as it pertains to both the development of a custom application, coupled with the selection of proprietary systems, recommend the...

Words: 1407 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

The Ford Pinto

...Alvin M. Panganiban Sir. Sammy P. Pagaduan MBA-1 Business Ethics Case Study: The Ford Pinto 1. What moral issues does the Pinto case raise? Answer: The Pinto case raise moral issues in human rights because even there were various ways of making the Pinto’s tank safer they refused technical improvement to prevent gas tanks from leaking. Given that number of people killed by fires from car, how they can value those individuals’ lives? Ford officials decide not to push the modification of the cars because it will be costly for them and not considering human’s life. 2. Supposed Ford officials were asked to justify their decision. What moral principles do you think they would invoke? Assess Ford’s handling of the Pinto from the perspective of each of the moral theories discussed in this chapter. Answer: With the use of risk/benefit analysis required by NHTSA, Ford officials justified in its decision not to change the Pinto model to increase vehicle safety, not considering the balance outlook on company’s perspective and human safeness. The moral principles that should invoke Ford officials is the act utilitarianism because this approach evaluates each action separately and the consequences that arise including any harms and benefits incurred by any people involved in the case. 3. Utilitarians would say that jeopardizing motorists does not by itself make Ford’s action morally objectionable. The only morally relevant matter is...

Words: 527 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Environmental Management Accounting as a Strategy for

...environmental-performance to different stakeholders both within, and outside, an organization. The United States Environment Protection Agency (US EPA) sees the main function of environmental accounting as that of bringing environmental costs to the attention of corporate stakeholders who may be able and motivated to identify ways of reducing or avoiding those costs while at the same time improving environmental quality. Environmental accounting has three major aspects. 1. National Income accounting, which addresses the environmental accounting need of the nation and it’s external in nature. It is basically the micro economic measure which may use for instance physical or monetary units to refer to the consumption of the nation’s natural resources. 2. Financial accounting which addresses the environmental accounting needs of the firm this is also external in nature. This may simply be the estimation and public reporting of environmental liabilities and financial material environmental costs. 3. Managerial/management accounting, this addresses the environmental accounting needs of firms also but basically internally. And this is our focus in this paper. We will like to see how companies can us environmental management accounting (EMA) as a strategy of sustaining themselves in business. The view that environmental management accounting (EMA) basically relates to...

Words: 3146 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Supply Chain

...AberdeenGroup New Product Development: Profiting from Innovation Business Value Research Series December 2005 The New Product Development Business Value Research Series Executive Summary eveloping a new technology or solution that fills a need for a customer is fulfilling. This feeling of accomplishment is not accompanied by the pleasant jingle of coins in the corporate pockets, however, unless the idea makes its way out of the innovator’s head, off of the planning board, and eventually off of the engineer’s harddrive. Product development teams and executives alike need to measure the success of innovation the way the corporation measures success – by the bottom line. Turning a concept into a profitable product or product platform is not an easy job, and requires people from multiple disciplines to work together. New product development (NPD) is a complex, collaborative process that requires coordinating the innovation efforts of many to meet a common goal. The following is a list of participating groups that may be required for a product to successfully come to market: • • • • • Marketing Engineering Procurement Regulatory Manufacturing • • • • • Design Suppliers Sales / Channels Finance Legal • Manufacturing Engineering D Different organizations and individuals are responsible for one or more aspects of the product, and few of these aspects can stand alone. Decisions made in one facet of a product impact many others. Aberdeen’s Product Innovation Agenda...

Words: 5072 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Ais Chapter 1

...example, a college of business is a system composed of various departments, each of which is a subsystem. Moreover, the college itself is a subsystem of the university. Each subsystem is designed to achieve one or more organizational goals. Changes in subsystems cannot be made without considering the effect on other subsystems and on the system as a whole. Goal conflict occurs when a subsystem is inconsistent with the goals of another subsystem or with the system as a whole. Goal congruence occurs when a subsystem achieves its goals while contributing to the organization’s overall goal. Data are facts that are collected, recorded, stored, and processed by an information system. For example, the business needs to collect data about a sale (date, total amount), the resource sold (good or service, quantity sold, unit price), and the people who participated (customer, salesperson). Information is data that have been organized and processed to provide meaning and improve the decision-making process. However, there are limits to the amount of information the human mind can absorb and process. Information overload occurs when those limits are passed, resulting in a decline in decision-making quality and an increase in the cost of providing that information. Information system designers use information technology (IT) to help decision makers more effectively filter and condense information. The value of information is the benefit produced by the information minus the cost of producing it...

Words: 2080 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

System for Drugstore

...COURSEWORK SUBMISSION COVER PAGE To be completed by the student | To be completed by the markers | Module Name and code | Data Analysis and Information Management (EUZC405) | First Marker’s name (acts as signature) | | Tutor Name | Elena Voronova | Second Marker’s name (acts as signature) | | Student ID (UoW) | | For Registrar’s office use only (hard copy submission) | Student ID (WIUT) | 00003048 | | Deadline date | 25 December 2014 | | Individual assignment | | | Group assignment | | | Submission instructions Please note that all work must be submitted in both Hard Copy to the Registrar’s Office and Electronically unless instructed otherwise. For hardcopy submission instructions refer to: http://intranet.wiut.uz/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx - Coursework hard copy submission instructions.doc For online submission instructions refer to: http://intranet.wiut.uz/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx - Coursework online submission instructions.doc Feedback To be completed by markers Assessment criterion and/or learning outcome | Marker’s comments and second marker’s comments if appropriate | 1. | | 2. | | 3. | | Contents Table of contents 2 Introduction 3 System Benefits and Scalability 3 System Development 4 System Model 5 Glossary 5 Bibliography 7 References 7 Introduction * The chosen enterprise...

Words: 1120 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Analysis of an Argument

...The following appeared in the editorial section of a monthly business news magazine: "Most companies would agree that as the risk of physical injury occurring on the job increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase. Hence it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer: they could thus reduce their payroll expenses and save money." Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion. Answer The following is an actual AWA essay that received the highest rating: This argument states that it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer because by making the workplace safer then lower wages could be paid to employees. This conclusion is based on the premise that as the list of physical injury increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase. However, there are several assumptions that may not necessarily apply to this argument. For example, the costs associated with making the workplace safe must outweigh the increased...

Words: 761 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Business Analyst Opportunities at Amazon

...economic uncertainty is imposing stringent cost pressures on organizations across industries. In response, many businesses are prioritizing their investments to drive operational efficiencies and minimize IT spend on their application portfolios. However, several factors — including the expanding size and complexity of the application portfolio, poor license management, rising total cost of ownership and increasing inflexibility — are challenging many organizations to adapt to the rapid changes in the business environment. Many IT organizations are working to lower the percent of the budget spent on operations and maintenance, which tends to hover at 70% or above, according to industry estimates. This paper provides a methodical approach, with embedded critical success factors, for application portfolio rationalization. It also describes a robust model for assessing the business value, technical health and strategic fit of the application estate, as well as prescribed solutions, such as decentralization of the software/application procurement function and other overlooked components of cost avoidance in the portfolio. A comprehensive approach allows organizations to utilize the residual business value of the existing portfolio, which frees key resources and funds to support a focus on high-value opportunities. Application portfolio rationalization leads to other cost and business benefits realized through quick cost savings, reductions in total cost of ownership (TCO), heavier reliance...

Words: 2945 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Business

...Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness Name Institutional Affiliation Government agencies are commissions appointed and granted powers and authority to oversee specific functions such as Bureau of economic analysis. Bureau of economic analysis provides economic statistics and its main function is to give a clear understanding of the economic status of the US by giving an accurate and relevant data. Cochran, J. (2013). A state agency may be of either national or state government. Performance measurement is basically managing production rate and its primary purpose is to reduce or get rid of total variation in the production process. The main purpose of measuring performance, is to help get to a better decisions. Performances generally tell us important aspects about products, services, and the processes of how they are produced. They are a helpful tool to understanding, manage, and improve what organizations do. Performance can also be measured in order to recognize the sum total of quality management. Jacob, I. (2011). Persons charged with the management of an organization have to implement change in the organization. Before implementing change in an organization, the manager has to know how and when to introduce the change, he or she has to freeze and unfreeze the change process in order to avoid resistance from the workers. The management team has to have appropriate information and knowledge to measure the performance of the institution. Currently there is no known standard...

Words: 2210 - Pages: 9