Your approved agreement.
Use the relevant negotiated rate with its terms and effective period.
THE SHOULD-COST ENGINE
How LevelPlane calculates a should cost.
Read the requirements. Establish a feasible route. Build the cost from operations. Carry the accepted basis into the next decision.
Get startedAN EXPLAINED COMPARISON
Compare the same part in two factories.
The updated whitepaper’s ADC12 gearbox housing: 2.8 kg finished, 60,000 parts per year, machined and leak tested. Illustrative US dollars per part.
This is the 2.8 kg housing from the updated visual whitepaper. Figures illustrate the method and include commercial assumptions.
MAKE THE CORRECTION USEFUL
Review a cycle time. Retain the approved correction.
A confirmed 48-second cycle should not need to be explained again on the next matching part.
Change the cycle time below to see the arithmetic. In the engine, the approved change also needs evidence, an owner, a scope and a version.
CORRECTION REUSEIllustrative
Finish-bore operation · illustrative correction
Operation time only · US$90/hour · one unit/cycle
30 sec60 sec90 sec
$1.50operation cost / part
Same basis: cycle seconds × $90 ÷ 3,600.
The finish-bore correction from the whitepaper, shown at an illustrative US$90/hour. Other cost lines stay outside this calculation. The slider changes this example only.
THE INPUTS MATTER
Check the source behind each rate.
Match each rate to the material, grade, form, region, unit and date.
An applicable reference.
Use a connected database record or maintained manufacturing reference where an agreed value is unavailable.
A visible evidence gap.
Keep estimates and agent-researched assumptions identifiable until reviewed.
MEASURE THE WHOLE JOB
Measure accuracy and review effort.
Check the manufacturing route as well as the total, and measure the time your team spends reviewing the result.
Compare the same part revision, volume, plant, rates and cost inclusions. Review the operations as well as the total. Count setup, correction, review and reruns—not only model response time.
Drawing-extraction benchmarking and cost validation answer different questions. The published drawing study evaluates extraction; should-cost is checked against matched customer references and the complete manufacturing route.
Read the technical white paperSTART WITH A REAL PART
Discuss a part or workflow.
Tell us about the part, quotation or workflow you want to improve. We’ll agree what to evaluate and which inputs are needed.
Talk to us