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PUBLICATIONS

A Guide to the Smart Investment Tools

Published

Author(s)

Douglas Thomas, Joshua D. Kneifel, Purav Parekh

Abstract

This report serves as a guide to the Smart Investment Tool and Smart Investment Tool Express (SITExpress). These tools aid a user in conducting an investment analysis with a focus on those in the manufacturing industry; however, the methods can be used for any investment. The Smart Investment Tool is an Excel tool that allows users to specify detailed cash flows and estimates net present value, internal rate of return, payback period, and examines sensitivity using Monte Carlo analysis. SITExpress is an express version of the Smart Investment Tool where it estimates similar metrics (net present value, internal rate of return, payback period, and the benefit cost ratio) from user data. The express version, however, is an online tool where the user enters aggregated total annual cash inflows and outflows; that is, the user only enters two values for each year: cash inflow and cash outflow. The express version also does not have the ability to conduct sensitivity analysis.
Citation
Advanced Manufacturing Series (NIST AMS) - 100-62
Report Number
100-62
NIST Pub Series
Advanced Manufacturing Series (NIST AMS)
Pub Type
NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AMS.100-62
Local Download

Keywords

Investment, manufacturing, net present value, present value, internal rate of return, payback, investment analysis
Manufacturing economics

Citation

Thomas, D. , Kneifel, J. and Parekh, P. (2024), A Guide to the Smart Investment Tools, Advanced Manufacturing Series (NIST AMS), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AMS.100-62, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=958510 (Accessed October 27, 2025)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact [email protected].

Created October 10, 2024
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