Operations Benefit/Cost Analysis TOPS-BC User's Manual – Providing Guidance to Practitioners in the Analysis of Benefits and Costs of Management and Operations Projects

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Table of Contents

Tool for Operations Benefit Cost Analysis (TOPS-BC): Version 1.0

Chapter 1. Introduction

Project Background and Purpose

How to Use the TOPS-BC User’s Manual

Chapter 2. Overview and Getting Started with TOPS-BC

What is TOPS-BC?

Basic Navigation within TOPS-BC

Chapter 3. Investigate the Range of Impacts Associated with Various Operations Strategies

Overview

Using Capability 1 to Investigate the Range of Impacts Associated with Various Operations Strategies

Chapter 4. Map B/C Methodologies to Your Organization’s Needs

Overview

Using Capability 2 to Map B/C Methodologies to Your Organization’s Needs

Chapter 5. Estimate Life-cycle Costs of TSM&O Strategies

Overview

Using Capability 3 to Estimate Life-cycle Costs of TSM&O Strategies

Chapter 6. Conduct Simple Spreadsheet-Based B/C Analysis for Selected TSM&O Strategies

Overview

Using Capability 4 to Conduct Simple Spreadsheet-Based B/C Analysis for Selected TSM&O Strategies

Summary of Analysis Inputs and Outputs

Chapter 7. Customizing and Maintaining TOPS-BC

Overview

Adding New Rows to a Spreadsheet

Adding New Data or Strategies to the Impact Look Up Capability

Adding New Capabilities or Tools to the Methodology Mapping Capability

Modifying Equipment or Adding New Strategies to the Cost Estimation Capability

Adding New Strategies to the Benefit Estimation Capability

Modifying the Navigation Menu

Restore Feature

Appendix A Frequently Asked Questions

Appendix B List of Acronyms

List of Tables

Table 1-1 Summary of Guidance on Various TSM&O Strategies

List of Figures

Figure 1-1 Capabilities Provided by TOPS-BC

Figure 2-1. Sample View of Security Settings Prompt

Figure 2-2 TOPS-BC Opening Scree

Figure 2-3 Partial Screen View of the TOPS-BC Navigation Menu

Figure 3-1 Impact Lookup Worksheet

Figure 3-2 TSM&O Strategies Mapped to Likely Impacts on MOEs

Figure 3-3 Sample Display of High-Level Empirical Data Maintained in TOPS-BC

Figure 4-1 Partial Screen View of the Method Selection Worksheet

Figure 4-2 Partial Screen View of Suggested Methodologies Output

Figure 5-1 Partial Screen View of COST ESTIMATION Worksheet Instructions

Figure 5-2 Partial Screen View of Cost Data Organization for a Ramp Meter System

Figure 5-3 TOPS-BC Projected Stream of Costs Output

Figure 5-4 TOPS-BC Cost Estimation Working Calculations Area

Figure 5-5 Strategy Cost Estimation Data Input

Figure 6-1 Partial Screen View of BENEFIT ESTIMATE Worksheet Instructions

Figure 6 2 Instructions Regarding Cell Colors in the Benefit Estimation Worksheets

Figure 6-3 Partial Screen View of the Benefits Estimation “Parameters” Worksheet

Figure 6-4 Sample View of Strategy Specific Default Impact Data

Figure 6-5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the BENEFIT ESTIMATE Sheet

Figure 6-6 Reviewing the Minimum Required Data Input

Figure 6-7 Reviewing the Predicted Strategy Impacts

Figure 6-8 Reviewing the Predicted Facility Performance Impacts

Figure 6-9 TOPS-BC Default Speed/Flow Relationship Table (Based on Highway Capacity Manual 2010 Formulas)

Figure 6-10. Display of User Entered Benefit, Number of Periods per Year, and Total Average Annual Benefit Values

Figure 6-11. Example Replacement of Default Calculated Congested Speeds with Data From a Simulation Model

Figure 6-12. Selecting Strategies to Combine for Viewing in the My Deployments Sheet

Figure 6-13. Viewing the Value Parameters in the My Deployments Sheet

Figure 7-1 Partial Screen View of the ImpactData Worksheet

Figure 7-2 Pull Down Menus on the IMPACT LOOKUP Worksheet

Figure 7-3 Partial Screen View of the MethodData Worksheet

Figure 7-4 Sample Screen View of a Cost Estimation Worksheet

Figure 7-5 Partial Screen View of the Blank COST TEMPLATE Worksheet

Figure 7-6 Partial View of Generic Link Model Sheet

Figure 7-7 Creating a New Hyperlink in the Master Navigation Menu

Figure 7-8 Restore Feature Pop-up Message

Office of Operations
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov

Publication #: FHWA-HOP-13-041

June 2013