Frequently Asked Questions
What is Envision?
Envision is a library of cost models that allow you to report your total environmental restoration (ER) costs used for liability estimating, budgeting, feasibility studies, what-if analysis, and more. Envision uses multiple Cost Estimating Relationships (CERs) that can be combined to develop environmental restoration liability estimates. Envision also includes pre-built “Integrated CERs” (ICERs) that estimate the entire life-cycle of an environmental remediation project. You can store prior-year estimates in your own or a shared library for archival purposes. Also, the particular cost model development method we’ve taken with Envision allows you to adjust each model based on actual costs. After project completion, you can adjust the model using historical data to identify statistical relationships between cost and design parameters.
What is a cost model?
Cost models are used to estimate costs for projects that have little to no available data. Technically called a Cost Estimating Relationship (CER), they use parameter-driven cost algorithms that calculate costs based on user input and are the foundation for building a parametric cost estimate. CERs are derived from a statistical analysis of historical project cost data and other validated sources and compiled into mathematical equations using our proprietary procedure.
Cost models are often used during the conceptual and preliminary planning phases of a project. Cost model developers work collectively to capture high-level business process knowledge and develop a cost model. This model is run for the upcoming project to calculate cost for budgeting, etc.
With Envision, we have pre-built project level models that we call Integrated CERs, or ICERs. Each ICER includes related CERs that cover the entire lifecycle.
What types of ER costs does ENVision estimate?
Envision estimates site-specific costs such as compensation and benefits of Government personnel; contractor support; machinery and equipment; utilities (if separately billed); security and surveillance; fees for permits, licenses, and approvals; costs for deletion from the NPL; and site- specific overhead and management costs for multiple technologies and activities.
Envision also includes multiple professional labor models. These models estimate overhead and management costs for personnel at all levels of the organization (e.g., installation, intermediate command or regional, and headquarters) who will devote significant time directly to environmental restoration efforts at specific sites.
Additionally, Envision estimates costs for initial containment and studies to develop the environmental restoration plan for the site, should a remediation technology not exist to address the contamination at the site.