This continuous learning module will explain Should Cost management and its vital role in the implementation of Better Buying Power 3.0 across Department of Defense acquisition, from contract negotiations to sustainment. The module also includes explication of critical thinking skills and their application to Should Cost management.

This is the area of Business where engineering judgment and experience are utilized in the application of scientific principles and techniques to the problems of cost estimation, cost control, and profitability. The key objective in cost estimating is to arrive at a defendable estimate that provides leadership with realistic funding expectations. This functional community covers positions that manage, supervise, lead, or perform scientific work that involves designing, developing, and adapting mathematical, statistical, econometric, and other scientific methods and techniques. The work also involves analyzing management problems and providing advice and insight about the probable effects of alternative solutions to these problems.