Increasing Model Efficiency Using Standard Commercial Software
Abstract
This paper will demonstrate how the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) Cost Model has been made more efficient using up-to-date, commercial software, specifically Windows and EXCEL. The MICOM Cost Model does an excellent job of number crunching, has built in capabilities to produce the required (Army Cost Matrix) reports and can generate automated documentation (Cost Datas Sheets and Variable Explanation Sheets). These capabilities are still at the forefront of cost model capabilities, but the user interface is not as up to date since the model is written in FORTRAN. We chose to use EXCEL in the Windows environment in order to make data entry more efficient and simplify creation of Ad Hoc Reports; while continuing to use the MICOM Cost Model calculation module to do actual cost calculations. The enhanced editing capability and the ability to view multiple open files makes model use much more efficient and greatly reduces the time required to perform quick turn-around cost excursions. Even though we used EXCEL, several other commercial software packages (i.e., LOTUS 1-2-3, Quattro Pro, etc.) could have been used instead.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA275709
Entities
People
- David Morrison
- Joel Ditto
Organizations
- United States Army Aviation and Missile Command