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Value Engineering
Value Engineering techniques were perfected in the United States, initially in a military function. Public Law 104-106, enacted in 1996 by the United States Congress, imposed its use on all Federal Agencies.
The law defines Value Engineering as “an organized effort following a structured job plan that is directed at analyzing the functions of systems, equipment, facilities, services, and supplies for the purpose of achieving the essential functions at the lowest life cycle cost consistent with the delivery of required safety, performance, reliability, and quality”.
With “function” understood as the service or mission that any product must perform, these techniques analyse a wide range of planning options, assessing the “value” that is the relationship between the function (or the performance) effectively enjoyed and the costs.
Results normally obtained are:
• an increased profits;
• improves products;
• increased customer satisfaction;
• reduced expenditure of resources;
• reduced costs.
Italferr, on the basis of the above-mentioned Value Engineering techniques, has developed a method for analysing different planning solutions aimed at maximising the relationship between performance enjoyed and the costs of a railway infrastructure investment; alternative solutions to the plans are studied and perfected, starting from an analysis and modification to the initial technical and functional specifications.
From 2005 to date, Italferr has applied this method to planned railway lines and hubs, both in the High Speed/High Capacity sector and on traditional lines. Starting from a benchmark project and analysing railway functions, modifications have been made to projects, essentially acting on the initial technical and functional specifications, which have brought average savings to above 10% of the initial value of work.
Value Engineering, by focusing attention on the cost/performance relationship for planned works, on the one hand makes Italferr’s engineering works more competitive (for the same engineering costs a more advantageous solution can be supplied to the Client) and, on the other, minimises the financial resources necessary to the Client to make planned investments.
Value Engineering activity is an effective way of pursuing modernisation, maintenance and development on the Italian railway network, in the face of reduced resources to invest and any legal changes that might lead to greater costs for investments in infrastructure.
