Requirements-Based Cost Models

This SBIR Phase II, Requirements-Based Cost Models, will develop software to enable cost managers to extrapolate costs of complex systems with higher fidelity than current approaches. Identifying the true costs of transitioning technologies from concept to production is complicated by many factors, from the lack of a known cost basis from which to estimate new requirements to difficulties in identifying information that can support improved cost extrapolations. Based on an ontology-driven approach, the Requirements-Based Cost Modeling System (RBCMS) will be a web-accessible toolset that enables users to evaluate and document cost estimates, particularly in pre-proposal and proposal project stages. InRAD’s software will merge cost data with technical information to provide a foundation for determining costs for elements in order to (1) provide a basis for the derivation of cost drivers and their impact to total product cost and product requirements and (2) provide a systematic approach for cost managers to access highly targeted data to substantiate costs for which no historical or documented costs are known. The RBCMS will manage cost sessions to provide continual histories of changes and traceability to factors that impacted projections. As middleware, this system will supplement, not replace, current parametric and other cost modeling tools.