67-09: The Application of Computer Techniques to the Selection and Evaluation

Each requirement for a new cooling tower involves, or should involve, an economic analysis by the buyer to determine which of several offerings represents the· "best" buy. Aside from such possible questions as which of several offerings is more conservatively rated or represents higher quality materials (questions which are outside the scope of this paper) there remains the question of which offering represents the lowest total cost as the buyer seas it. He may take the approach, as some buyers do, that the low bid price is the best offering a He may go further and attempt to estimate a total investment comparison between the several offerings by adding to each bid an estimate of the installed basin, piping, starters and wiring, and perhaps, other first cost items which vary between one bid and another.