The article aims to identify the scientific challenges and point out future research directions on Cost Engineering. The research areas covered in this article include Design Cost; Manufacturing Cost; Operating Cost; Life Cycle Cost; Risk and Uncertainty management and Affordability Engineering. Collected information at the Academic Forum on Cost Engineering held at Cranfield University in 2008 and further literature review findings are presented. The forum set the scope of the Cost Engineering research, a brainstorming was held on the forum and literatures were further reviewed to understand the current and future practices in cost engineering. The main benefits of the article include coverage of the current research on cost engineering from different perspectives and the future research areas on Cost Engineering.

This definitive published version of this article is available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2014.02.016Availability-based contracts which provide customers with the use of assets such as machines, ships, aircraft platforms or subsystems like engines and avionics are increasingly offered as an alternative to the purchase of an asset and separate support contracts. The cost of servicing a durable product can be addressed by Through-life Costing (TLC). Providers of advanced services are now concerned with the cost of delivering outcomes that meet customer requirements using combinations of assets and activities via a Product Service System (PSS). This paper addresses the question: To what extent are the current approaches to TLC methodologically appropriate for costing the provision of advanced services, particularly availability, through a PSS? A novel methodology for TLC is outlined addressing the challenges of PSS cost assessment with regard to 'what?' (cost object), 'why/to what extent?' (scope and boundaries), and 'how?' (computations). The research provides clarity for those seeking to cost availability in a performance-orientated contractual setting and provides insight to the measures that may be associated with it. In particular, a reductionist approach that focuses on one cost object at a time is not appropriate for a PSS. Costing an advanced service delivered through a PSS is a problem of attributing the value of means to the economic activities carried out for specific ends to be achieved. Cost results from the interplay between monetary and non-monetary metrics, and uncertainties thereof. Whilst seeking to ensure generality of the findings, the application of TLC examined here is limited to a military aircraft platform and subsystems. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

This article was published in the journal, Omega [© Elsevier] and the definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2011.05.010The estimation of the costs of a product or project and the decisions based on these forecasts are subject to much uncertainty relating to factors like unknown future developments. This has been addressed repeatedly in research studies focusing on different aspects of uncertainty; unfortunately, this interest has not yet been adopted in practice. One reason can be found in the inadequate representation of uncertainty. This paper introduces an experiment, which engages different approaches to displaying cost forecasting information to gauge the consideration of uncertainty in the subsequent decision-making process. Three different approaches of displaying cost-forecasting information including the uncertainty involved in the data were tested, namely a three point trend forecast, a bar chart, and a FAN-diagram. Furthermore, the effects of using different levels of contextual information about the decision problem were examined. The results show that decision makers tend to simplify the level of uncertainty from a possible range of future outcomes to the limited form of a point estimate. Furthermore, the contextual information made the participants more aware of uncertainty. In addition, the fan-diagram prompted 75.0% of the participants to consider uncertainty even if they had not used this type of diagram before; it was therefore identified as the most suitable method of graphical information display for encouraging decision makers to consider the uncertainty in cost forecasting

Supporting neurodivergent‐inclusive workplaces is an increasingly important consideration in Human Resource Management (HRM). While a strengths‐based approach to neurodivergence has been advocated, empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of HRM practices that support high‐quality employment outcomes for neurodivergent people is lacking. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of over 25,000 people in the United Kingdom, we examine the influence of neurodivergence on multiple employment outcomes, including employment status, underemployment, employment precarity, job tenure, and hourly wages. We theorize and empirically examine how flexible‐ and homeworking practices moderate the effects of neurodivergence on employment outcomes. Our findings show that neurodivergent people are twice as likely to be in precarious employment and more than 10 times as likely to be in temporary employment compared to neurotypical people. Neurodivergent individuals are also significantly more likely to experience underemployment and have lower employment tenure; however, controlling for other factors, we find no significant differences in hourly wages. We find that flexible working practices can substantially improve employment outcomes for neurodivergent people, raising significant questions regarding the role of HRM in enabling more neurodiverse workplaces. We critically reflect on the implications of our findings for policy, practice, and future research.

This paper describes cost modelling research, industrial approaches and commercial systems and how these relate to whole-life cost estimating. The particular focus of the research described is the applicability of current approaches for the modelling of low-volume, infrequent products, such as complex electronic systems at the conceptual design stage. Traditional approaches, in particular those used to predict costs for mechanical systems, are described in detail, and the approach by which cost estimating relationships are ascertained is summarized. The approaches used within sectors such as aerospace, construction and injection moulding are discussed and evaluated. All of these are placed in the context of the design process, and in particular their relationship to the conceptual design of a product is described. Finally, a review of commercial systems and the methods they adopt and domains to which they are applicable are described. The use of these approaches in terms of whole-life cost of a product is then mapped.