The assessment of industrial investment projects in well-developed countries is based on traditional and new, more rational methods that can be characterized as reliable and proven methods. We can then single out a unique term, more precisely an economic indicator called the profitability index. This indicator has proven to be excellent in assessing the economic effects of projects or companies in all aspects of the business. The focus is on measuring the cost-effectiveness assessment and quantifying the effectiveness of a particular investment. You can find out more about the calculation method and examples of using the profitability index below.

What is the profitability index?
It is a measure that companies use to determine the cost-benefit ratio before deciding to embark on more complex projects or investments. The Profitability Index (PI) bears an alternative name known by the acronym VIR, which denotes the ratio of investment value or investment to profit. If you do not know how to calculate profit, here is a great Profit Calculator you can use for that purpose.
We can say that the profitability index measures the attractiveness of future projects. It is instrumental in ranking different projects because it provides data in the form of quantified values created per individual investment unit. If there is an increase in the value of the profitability index, it is a sign that the financial attractiveness of the project is growing. This is one of the most used estimating capital inflows with capital outflows to determine project profitability. With the help of this tool, method, or indicator, we can more easily decide whether a particular investment is acceptable or not.

What is the profitability index rule?
When determining the profitability index, it is necessary to follow specific established rules. The PI rule helps to assess the success of the project implementation. The formula used to calculate the PI is the present value of future cash flows divided by the initial amount invested in the project.

Therefore, we can conclude that:

if the profitability index (PI) is higher than 1 – the company will have a chance to continue with the project
If the profitability index (PI) is less than 1 – the company is unlikely to continue investing in the selected project,
When the profitability index (PI) is equal to 1 – the company becomes indifferent when choosing whether to continue with the project.
How to calculate profitability index?
Based on the formula we explained earlier, the profitability index is calculated. We need to be careful that the impact of the value of the profitability index should not significantly affect our decision to continue project implementation, even in cases where the PI is greater than 1. It would be best to consider other options before the final performance. Many analysts also use PI in combination with other analysis methods, such as net present value (NPV), which we will discuss later. As for calculating the PI and its interpretation, it is essential to differentiate some things. The amount of the profitability index obtained cannot be negative but must be converted into positive figures to be useful. Amounts greater than 1 show that future expected cash inflows are higher than expected. Amounts less than one indicates that the project should not be accepted, while a situation where the amount obtained is equal to 1 lead to minimal losses or gains from the project. Amounts greater than 1 are positioned based on the most significant amount realized. If the initial capital is limited, a project with a higher profitability index is accepted because it has the most productive available money. That is why this indicator is called the benefit-cost ratio.

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