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Cost-benefit analysis techniques compare the total capital investment for a project with its potential returns. The most common techniques are payback period, net present value, and rate of return. Companies can use multiple techniques to accurately evaluate various projects.
Cost-benefit analysis techniques are common business activities used by owners and managers to evaluate various projects. These techniques essentially compare the total capital investment for the project with its potential returns. There are several techniques available, with the most common being the payback period, net present value, and rate of return. Companies can use any or all of the cost-benefit analysis techniques. The valuation occurs after the company has all the necessary information and before investing capital in one or more projects.
The payback period is generally the simplest of all cost-benefit analysis techniques. The method uses all the same information as the other techniques, except the calculation process is quite different. First, a business must calculate all costs associated with a project. This includes capital expenditure, employee costs, and lost production time for training or implementation. Second, the company divides the total of all these costs by the potential financial returns, determining how long it takes for the project to pay for itself.
The net present value technique is slightly more technical than the payback period. The cost accrual process is the same as the payback period. The company then uses the cost of capital associated with external funds to pay for the start-up of the new project. Estimating future financial returns is the same as other analysis techniques. A financial manager will discount total future financial returns using the firm’s cost of capital to determine whether the present value of the return is greater than the cost of the investment.
Rate of return is a common method that a business can use for single or small investments. The basic formula for this process is the total returns on the investment minus its total associated costs. Dividing the difference between these two items by the cost of the investment produces a percentage return. Owners and managers use this percentage to determine whether the investment is a worthwhile use of capital. Rate of return can be a hybrid of several cost-benefit analysis techniques as companies can compare the percentage of return with the cost of capital.
Companies can also use other cost-benefit analysis techniques. These techniques essentially test all the same information. The purpose of using different techniques, however, is to determine which one provides the most accurate information. Finance members can use multiple analysis formulas for different projects. The aim is to match a formula with available information so that the company is able to accurately evaluate various projects.
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