A Cost-Performance Analysis of Computer Alternatives.

Abstract

This study contains an application of cost-performance analysis to the automation of a manual reporting and record-keeping system. A small local transit company serves as the basis for the analysis. Beginning with a brief history of small business computing and computers in the transit industry, it covers the main aspects of requirements analysis in terms of system size, software and hardware. Four alternative computer systems, two minicomputers and two microcomputer networks, are presented and rated on their responsiveness to the transit company's needs. Tradeoffs in cost and performance are analyzed to determine the marginal costs for each unit of increase in performance. The cost-performance techniques developed for mainframe systems are shown to be applicable to minicomputer and a microcomputer based systems as well. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADA127312

Entities

People

  • Gladys Twining Connolly

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • California
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Control Systems
  • Data Transmission
  • Databases
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Information Processing
  • Information Systems
  • Inventory Control
  • Local Area Networks
  • Mainframe Computers
  • Mass Transportation
  • Operating Systems
  • Personal Computers

Fields of Study

  • Computer science
  • Engineering

Readers

  • Computer Science.
  • Industrial Economics
  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis