IPA IP 2026 Question 7
A question IPA Japan published in 令和8年度 ITパスポート試験 公開問題 問7, translated into English. ITPEC is based on the same exams.
There is a technique called “value engineering” that understands the value of a product or service through the relationship between function and cost, and aims to improve the value. Which of the following is an appropriate representation of the relationship among value, function, and cost in value engineering?
Explanation
Value = Function / Cost — value engineering measures value as the function obtained per unit of cost.
VE (value engineering) analyzes the functions a product or service must provide and their cost, then raises the ratio V = F / C. Value rises when the same function is achieved at lower cost, when function improves at the same cost, or when function rises more than cost.
Answer (b)
Why not others:
- •(a) — adding function to the denominator makes the ratio fall towards 1 as function grows and has no meaning in VE
- •(c) — a product of function and cost would rise when cost rises, while higher cost lowers value
- •(d) — the inverse ratio is the cost per unit of function, which falls as value improves
Key rule: In value engineering V = F / C: value goes up by lowering cost, raising function, or both, never by simply cutting function.
Business Strategy Management · AI-written, may contain errors
This question comes from the past questions IPA Japan publishes, translated into English by ITPEC Practice. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with IPA or ITPEC. See the original paper (PDF) or Report an issue.