Present-Worth Analysis Example 5.1: Conventional-Payback Period: PP 195 - 196
Present-Worth Analysis Example 5.1: Conventional-Payback Period: PP 195 - 196
CHAPTER 5
PRESENT-WORTH ANALYSIS
A machine shop is considering combining machining and turning centres into a single Mazak
Multi-Tasking machine centre.
Multitasking in the machine world is the combining of processes that were traditionally
processed on multiple machines onto one machine.
The ultimate goal is to turn, mill, drill, tap, bore, and finish the part in a single setup.
The total investment cost is $1.8M with following anticipated cost savings:
It is necessary to determine how long you can expect to reap benefit from the investment.
Most machine shops typically use seven years and assume a 20% residual value at the end of
the project life.
It is also very common for a learning curve to take place in operating a complex new machine.
To allow for the learning curve, assume that only 50% of the full potential savings of $908 000
occur during the first year and 75% occur during the second year.
With these assumptions, the project cash flows are summarized in the table below:
Given: Initial cost = $1 800 000; cash flow series as shown in the table below:
Find: Conventional-payback period.
As we see from the cumulative cash flow series: the total investment is recovered at the end of
year 3.
If the firm’s stated maximum payback period is two years, the project would not pass the
initial screening stage.
Assuming the firm’s cost of funds to be 15%, compute the discounted-payback period.
Inclusion of time-value-of-money effects has increased the payback period calculated for this
example by 9.96 months (0.83 years) compared with the conventional payback period.
Certainly, this modified measure ia an improved one, but it, too, does not show the complete
picture of the project’s profitability.
Recall that the required initial investment of $1 800 000 and the projected cash savings over a
seven-year project life are as follows:
You have been asked by the president of the company to evaluate the economic merit of the
acquisition.
SOLUTION:
Since the project results in a surplus of $1 546 571, the project is acceptable.
It is returning a profit greater than 15%
EXAMPLE 5.4: CAPITALIZED-EQUIVALENT COST: pp 212 - 213
An engineering school has just completed a new engineering complex worth $50 million.
A campaign targeting alumni is planned to raise funds for future maintenance costs, which are
estimated at $2 million per year.
Any unforeseen costs above $2 million per year would be obtained by raising tuition.
Assuming that the school can create a trust fund that earns 8% interest annually, how much has
to be raised now to cover the perpetual string of $2 million annual costs?
Find: CE (8%)
SOLUTION:
Ansell, Inc., a medical-device manufacturer, uses compressed air in solenoids and pressure
switches in its machines to control various mechanical movements.
Over the years, the manufacturing floor layout has changed numerous times.
With each new layout, more piping was added to the compressed-air delivery system in order
to accommodate new locations of manufacturing machines.
None of the extra, unused old piping was capped or removed; thus, the current compressed-air
delivery system is inefficient and fraught with leaks.
Because of the leaks in the current system, the compressor is expected to run 70% of the time
that the plant will be in operation during the upcoming year.
Option 1:
Continue current operation.
If Ansell continues to operate the current air delivery system, the compressor’s run time will
increase by 7% per year for the next five years because of ever-worsening leaks.
(After five years, the current system will not be able to meet the plant’s compressed-air
requirement, so it will have to be replaced.)
Option 2:
Replace old piping now.
If Ansell decides to replace all of the old piping now, new piping will cost $28 570.
The compressor will still run for the same number of days; however, it will run 23% less (or
will incur 70% (1 – 0.23) = 53.9% usage per day) because of the reduced air-pressure loss.
If Ansell’s interest rate is 12% compounded annually, is it worth fixing the air delivery system
now?
Given: Current power consumption, g = 7%, I = 12% per year, and N = 5 years.
Find: A1 and P
SOLUTION:
Step 1:
We need to calculate the cost of power consumption of the current piping system during the
first year.
= $54 600
Step 2:
Each year, if the current piping system is left in place, the annual power cost will increase at
the rate of 7% over the previous year’s cost.
The anticipated power cost over the five-year period is summarized as below:
Figure 5.10: page 217
The equivalent present lump-sum at 12% interest for this geometric gradient series is
= $222 937
Step 3:
If Ansell replaces the current compressed-air delivery system with the new one, the annual
power cost will be 23% less during the first year and will remain at that level over the next five
years.
= $151 553
Step 4:
The net cost of not replacing the old system now is $71 384 (= $222 937 - $151 553).
Since the new system costs only $28 570, the replacement should be made now.
EXAMPLE 5.6: COMPARING TWO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
REVENUE PROJECTS: pp 217 - 218
Monroe Manufacturing owns a warehouse that has bee used for storing finished goods foe
electro-pump products.
As the company is phasing out the electro-pump product line, the company is considering
modifying the existing structure to use for manufacturing a new product line.
Monroe’s production engineer feels that the warehouse could be modified to handle one of two
new product lines.
The cost and revenue data for the two product alternatives are as follows:
Product A Product B
Initial cash expenditure:
After eight years, the converted building will be too small for efficient production of either
product line.
At that time, Monroe plans to use it as a warehouse for storing raw materials as before.
Note that these are revenue projects, so we need to estimate the revenue streams for both
product lines.
Since the converted building will be used as a warehouse by the firm, there will be no salvage
value associated with the building.
Given: Cash flows for the two products as shown in the proceeding table, analysis period = 8
years, and i = 15% per year.
SOLUTION:
For revenue projects, we select the one with the largest NPW, so producing product B is more
economical.
Allan Company got permission to harvest southern pines from one of its timberland tracts.
It is considering purchasing a feller-buncher, which has the ability to hold, saw, and place trees
in bunches to be skidded to the log landing.
The logging operation on this timberland tract must be completed in three years.
Allan could speed up the logging operation, but doing so is not desirable because the market
demand of the timber does not warrant such haste.
Because the logging operation is to be done in wet conditions, this task requires a specially
made feller-buncher with high-floatation tires and other devices designed to reduce site
impact.
There are two possible models of feller-buncher that Allan could purchase for this job.
Model A is a two-year old used piece of equipment whereas Model B is a brand new machine.
Model A:
Costs $205 000 and has a life of 10 000 hours before it will require any major overhaul.
The operating cost will run $50 000 per year for 2 000 hours of operation.
At this operational rate, the unit will be operable for five years,
and at the end of that time, it is estimated that the salvage value will be $75 000.
Model B:
The more efficient Model B costs $275 000, has a life of 14 000 hours before requiring
any major overhaul and cost $32 500 to operate for 2 000 hours per year
in order to complete the job within three years.
The estimated salvage value of Model B at the end of seven years is $95 000.
Since the lifetime of either model exceeds the required service period of three years, Allan
Company has to assume some things about the used equipment at the end of that time.
Therefore, the engineers at Allan estimate that, after three years, the Model A unit could be
sold for $130 000 and the Model B unit for $180 000.
After considering all tax effects, Allan summarized the resulting cash flows (in thousands of
dollars) for the projects as follows:
First, note that these projects are service projects, so we can assume the same revenues for
both configurations.
Since the firm explicitly estimated the market values of the assets at the end of the analysis
period (three years), we can compare the two models directly.
Since the benefits (timber harvesting) are equal, we can concentrate on the costs.
METHODOLOGY:
Construct a chart comparing the options, and compute the NPW for each model over the
analysis period (three years).
SOLUTIONS:
PW (15%) A = -$205 000 - $50 000 (P/A, 15%, 3) + 130 000 (P/F, 15%, 3)
= -$233 684
PW (15%) B = -$275 000 - $32 000 (P/A, 15%, 3) + 180 000 (P/F, 15%, 3)
= -$230 852
COMMENTS:
The decision heavily depends on the salvage value estimates at the end of the analysis period.
Commonly, information about the salvage value of used equipment can be obtained from the
equipment vendors because they are familiar with the secondary market for their equipment.\
EXAMPLE 5.8:
PRESENT-WORTH COMPARISON:
PROJECT LIVES SHORTER THAN THE ANALYSIS PERIOD: pp 222 - 223
Two options to move goods in the distribution centre have been under consideration: a
conveyor system and forklift trucks.
The form expects that the distribution center will be operational for the next 10 years, and then
it will be converted into a factory outlet.
The conveyor system would last eight years whereas the forklift trucks would last only six
years.
The two options will be designed differently but will have identical capacities and will do
exactly the same job.
The expected cash flows for the two options, including maintenance costs, salvage values, and
tax effects are as follows:
Given:
Cash flows for the two alternatives, analysis period of 10 years, and MARR = 12% per year.
METHODOLOGY:
SOLUTION:
Since each option has a shorter life than the required service period (10 years), we need to
make an explicit assumption of how the service requirement is to be met.
If the company goes with the conveyor system, it will spend $18 000 to overhaul the system to
extend its service life beyond eight years.
The expected salvage value of the system at the end of the required service period (10 years)
will be $6 000.
PW (12%) conveyor
= -$68 000 - $13 000 (P/A, 12%, 10)
-$18 000 (P/F, 12%, 8)
+ $6 000 (P/F, 12%, 10)
= -$146 791
Since the projects are service projects, the lift truck option is the better choice.