First test users of the innovative V-CES cost estimating services can now benefit from free of charge usage

By: Lars Hansen

Hook, Cranfield, Itzehoe 2005-12-06

V-CES is implementing a varity of net based as well as offline services in order to support SMEs in achieving their goals, for holistic and efficient Cost Estimates, a best practice center and training in the different Cost Engineering methods, as parametric, bottom-up or analogy based techniques. V-CES will also provide the opportunity to participate in online training workshops. Targeted are small to Medium Enterprises (SME’s) as well as major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and systems contractors.

V-CES is currently offering organisations to become first test-users of its services for the following benefits:

• Three month free of charge online support on cost estimating techniques that could be suitable for the participants’ business.
• Free of charge participation in the first version of the virtual training courses.
• Free of charge access to the Internet based V-CES Service first and second prototypes running by October 2005 and March 2006 respectively.
• Free of charge preference access to the final version of the Internet based V-CES Service for six months.
• Upon your request extensive information material on the subject of Cost Engineering will be provided.
• Additionally, participants joining the V-CES Interest Group, which will be launched during the first quarter of 2006, will have a preference for the Commercial Version of V-CES Service available in 2006.
• A complete report of the results of the survey.

The testing of the V-CES online prototype will be carried out with a member of the consortium at hand to oversee the procedure and answer any questions.

More information is available via Mr Shamraz Razzaq of PRICE Systems Ltd, shamraz.razzaq@pricesystems.com, Tel: +44 (0)1256 760012

V-CES is funded by the European Commission [1] and which is currently executed by a European wide consortium consisting of:

• IZET Innovation- and Technology-Centre in Germany, co-ordinating the project being expert in project management, technology transfer, company start-up and growth and invocation of product innovations
• Cranfield University in UK, one of the worlds leader in Engineering Cost Estimating and with a strong background in the aerospace industry, technically leading the project;
• Centre Ricerche FIAT in Italy, the research centre of FIAT Group, with excellent competences in “Value & Cost Management”
• PRICE Systems of UK, world leader in Parametric Cost Estimating.
• DAS in Germany, state-of-the-art abatement systems provider for the Semiconductor industry.

More information about the V-CES project and Cost Engineering can be found at www.V-CES.com.

[1] Project name: Virtual Cost Engineering Studio, Project Acronym: V-CES, Call Identifier: FP6-2002-IST-NMP-1, Contract No.: 507041, Project type: Specific Support Action (SSA), Start date: 2004-07-01, Duration: 24 months

The Press release in pdf format can be obtained via the link below: