Talk:Value engineering

message: While the article focuses on Value Engineering in Manufacturing (where the methodology originated) it has long been used in the Design and Construction industry to achieve best project value by purposefully aligning program, design and cost. A team reflecting the technical disciplines involved in designing the project analyzes project functions, their cost and customer acceptance of function performance to find value mismatches. A value mismatch is an opportunity to improve the project through design changes or scope modification acceptable to the client or users. Proposed changes frequently include those which may cost additional money in order to increse client and user project acceptance. The focus on function allows the team to see the design in a different light and to pose questions regarding whether materials and scope are appropriate to fulfilling owner requirements expressed by the functions.
For example, a recent Value study of the design for a new rapid transit station eliminated part of the fare collection concourse and associated structural steel framing supporting it for a savings to the project of several hundred thousand dollars. The team was led to recommending this change by concentrating on the functions of the space defined as "Collect Revenue," "Create Ambience" (the space is on the second level and looks out over the tracks, and "Improve Safety." The first two functions were maintained when the concourse was shortened and the last actually improved by reducing the area to be patrolled by security and eliminating blind spots which could not be seen by the customer service assistant stationed at the fare array. 70.131.28.13 19:53, 23 March 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Value Engineering in construction 

message: There's no citations here. The "US environmental species restoration for the Black Footed Ferret" study in particular needs one.
To play devil's advocate, "In Japan (the land where manufacturing engineers are most valued)" could be construed as POV (what proof is there that japan=Manufactland?).
Also, woah, does the US really mandate this? That's stupid because nothing in this paradigm seems to encourage building quality products for the future.
Kousu 15:47, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Things 

message: This article is linked from the BBC economics editor  though I think his article is substantially better. 13:29, 21 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: BBC cite

message: I had an experience managing a VE department at a production corporation for several years.
before starting any new projects, I searched what where the results of similar departments at other businesses in the same country. I was surprised to what I found. It seems that in each case after coming with very impresive projects, the departments had the tendecy to fade away, sometimes in a matter of a few month.
Understanding that in order to succeed long term as a VE manager you need more than supply  a formula for organising your creativity, enabled me to mantain that department. I will not go farther into this, as this requires a long explanation. But something to think about: When I learned the bassics of VE, I found it to be so simple and logical, that I could not understand why it is not the natural method of work for any intelligent engineer, who never heard about VE? I may have found some answer to that. [email address removed]
Let me add to this subject. As a VE practitioner for 25 years, there are some issues to be resolved when doing a VE study. Those issues are related to the level of change. Ve is truly a simple process. The difficulties that are encountered are the results of trying to change direction. I emphasize the word "change". Depending on the significance of the "change" the level of change approval must be as high as the degree of the "change". Often times, VE studies are conducted at a relatively low level within an organization. Consequently, the approval of the "change" is limited to that level. A significant recommended "change" at a low level often results in disapproval. Hence, conducting a VE study on a $100,000,000 project requires the attendance of those capable of making any change to the cost of the project. If you place the VE study at the level of the CEO, you can obtain better results than if you placed it at a sub-organization. Usually VE is a bottom up process. That is a difficulty in a top down organization, unless sanctioned or requested at the top. Some of our studies required changes which required congressional  change. These changes are severely impeded by organizational elements because approving such changes could upset the downward flow of appropriations or a change to the system. This could have serious consequences, and often results in the disparaging of VE studies. ..an activity often referred to as "Damage Control". In such cases, VE studies are often relegated to lower levels of the organization.  The basic problem is that VE employs common sense. Common sense does not necessarily conform to organizational structure.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.136.35.176 (talk) 04:40, 29 January 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Value engineering 

message: It seems implicit that "more bang for the buck" seems like value, yet the word "function" doesn't fully explain what determines value.   For example, I may have one bullet in a gun, and bullets quite effective against a target and are cheap, so "value" is also high.  Yet once that value is expended or superceded, I have no more bullets.  Perhaps something else comes around of better value than bullets, so its value changes over time.  Somehow a sense of overall concept of value or function over a life-cycle needs to be considered. Value is not something so easily measured.  --71.245.164.83 (talk) 02:01, 8 February 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Limits of Value = Function/Cost 

message: More recently, Value Engineers also help identify and quantify the value a customer gets from a product or service.  It can be part of the sales or purchasing processes.  The focus of the article on cost cutting is makes it incomplete.  -RobinLampert (talk) 00:35, 14 June 2022 (UTC)
thread_title: Another Type of Value Engineering