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Cost Calculations

Process Simulator allows you to collect cost data on entities, activities and resources. The unit cost for each entity processed is shown in the scoreboard in the output report. Total costs by activity, resource and entity can also be viewed in the output report.

To define a process with costing, you can enter costing information to the objects in your process through the properties dialogs for each object. In the following situations, specific costing rules apply:

Interrupt/Off Shift

If you interrupt an entity’s resource, an additional cost per use will apply once you re-acquire the resource. While waiting for the resource to return, the entity does not record operation or resource costs.
If an entity interrupts another entity, the interrupted entity continues to record operation time during the entire interruption period. While the interrupting and interrupted entities are simultaneously at an activity, the activity records the cost for both entities. If the interrupting entity obtains a resource, the interrupted entity will not record the resource costs during the interruption period.
If an entity is at an activity and is interrupted when the activity goes off shift, the entity records the time off shift as part of its operational costs. The activity records the cost of the interrupted entity while it remains at the activity.

Attach

Attached entities do not add their costs or time statistics to their base entities.
When a Detach occurs, Process Simulator divides all costs accrued by an attached entity among the detached entities. Process Simulator adds all other entity statistics calculated during the attached period to each of the detached entities.
Entities leaving the system that are attached onto other entities do NOT report their individual costs, but do report all other statistics. To get the cost of each entity, you must detach the entities before they exit.

Batch

Batched entities do not add their costs or statistics to the batch shell (a temporary entity representing batched entities that starts with cost and time statistics of zero).
When an unbatch occurs, Process Simulator divides all costs accrued by a batched entity among the unbatched entities. Process Simulator copies all other entity statistics calculated during the batched period to each of the unbatched entities.
When an unbatch occurs, the first entity processed from the batch takes any resources the batch owns.
When an unbatch occurs, attributes that were assigned to the batch are not passed to any unbatched entity.
Entities leaving the system batched with other entities do NOT report their individual costs, but do report all other statistics. To get the cost of each entity, you must unbatch the entities before they exit.
If a batch has members that are also batched, only the top level batch is unbatched with an UNBATCH function. Subsequent unbatching will continue to occur in a first-in-last-out (FILO) sequence until all batches have been unbatched in reverse order with respect to how the batches were created originally.

Special Cost Handling

As soon as you acquire a resource, it begins to accrue cost.
If an activity uses a resource during an off shift period, the activity accrues that resource’s cost.
The USE statement counts as operation and resource cost.
When you Create a new entity, it begins with new time statistics and an initial cost.
If you Rename an entity, previous time statistics and costs continue with the entity.