Computer supported maintenance cost frame division

Abstract

In this paper a software solution supporting the analysis of maintenance costs and the optimal division of the available cost frame for a large transport company is presented. The solution is a bookkeeping cost estimation and analysis decision support system custom built for the domain of the customer. The paper describes the special hierarchical break-down analysis technique, which was called cost tree model. It will be demonstrated how the model can be used in the given application context including the nominative domain model. The model is operationalized in a decision support system software. We will present how to map the cost tree onto a multi-dimensional data-cube implemented in a relational database management system. Most of the data come from the ERP system of the customer and is stored in a domain specific database. So our system can be categorized as a data-oriented decision support system and has data transformation and data cleaning tools as well. These tools play special role in the formation of the parameters of the domain model. We will describe the user interfaces of the system, which enable the construction of the cost tree and the explorative sensitivity analysis for the parameters also can be carried out. The user interface incorporates graphical display techniques.