Replacement Analysis - Factors to consider

8 important questions on Replacement Analysis - Factors to consider

What are [6] factors to be considered in replacement studies?

  1. Recognition and acceptance of past errors;
  2. Sunk costs;
  3. Existing asset value (outsider viewpoint);
  4. The economic life of the proposed; replacement asset (challenger);
  5. The remaining economic life of the old asset (defender);
  6. Income tax consideration;

Describe the factor past estimation errors

Economic focus ina  replacement study is the future therefor any estimation errors made in previous study related to the defender are not relevant (unless there are tax implications)

Often not the result of errors but the inability to look into the future.

MV | Market Value and BV | Book Value are not the same.  

What is a sunk cost?

Difference between an assets BV and MV at a particular point in time.
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What is the Sunk-Cost trap?

Only present and future cash flows should be considered in replacement studies. Sunk cost has no relevance to the replacement decisions that must be made (except to the extent that they affect income taxes)

What is the idea of the outsider viewpoint?

The perspective that would be taken by an impartial third party to establish the fair MV of a used (secondhand) asset.

Focus is on present and future cash flows in a replacement study, avoiding temptation to dwell on past (sunk) costs.

What is the outsider viewpoint also known by?

The outsider viewpoint is also known as the opportunity cost approach to determining the value of the defender.

What is the total investment in the defender considering the outsider viewpoint?

The opportunity cost of not selling the existing asset for its current MV plus the cost of upgrading it to be competitive with the best available challenger.

What is important considering Income Tax Consequences doing a replacement study?

The study must be made on an after-tax basis because the existence of a taxable gain or loss in connection with replacement can have a considerable effect on the results of an engineering study.

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