Expert based approach to analyse and influence indirect cost of engineering changes

Indirect cost of engineering changes represent increasing challenges for companies. Their high frequency and complex cost impacts makes it difficult to estimate and influence the cost outcomes. Currently direct cost (eg. changed material) are well mastered in industry, but indirect cost (e.g. engineering design, administration, testing, procurement) are not yet supported sufficiently. Early knowledge of amounts and effective measures to influence indirect costs can be crucial for the economic result on the market. Hence, fast and easy prediction and influence methods are needed in practice. The article describes an application-oriented approach to analyze systems behaviour of indirect cost based on expert estimation and weighted influence matrices. As multiple domains within the company at different times involve during change process, a flexible, customizable and open model structure is proposed for solution. This enables to represent the characteristics of company individual and change case-specific indirect costs. We also present a corresponding approach for company-specific derivation and application of indirect cost reduction measures.