Know Exactly What A Product Should Cost
Move beyond static spreadsheets and guesswork. See what a product should cost, how each input contributes, and where the negotiation levers sit across suppliers, processes, grades and regions.
A standalone Claight tool for cost and price intelligence · All tools
Know what a product should cost
The Digital Should Cost Model shows how supplier prices are built. It turns engineering and financial inputs into interactive cost breakdowns that support should-cost analysis, scenario comparison and stronger negotiation decisions.
A digital cost model is a structured, interactive view of the full cost of producing a product: raw materials, utilities, labour, overheads, co-products, CAPEX, financing and packaging, showing how each part contributes to the final price.
Clarity on production costs in one digital model
Compare scenarios, validate suppliers and drive cost decisions from one place.
Select a feature to see it in the tool
What procurement teams gain
- 01Transparent, production-grade should-cost models for priority categories
- 02Stronger negotiation positions backed by defensible cost breakdowns
- 03Faster pricing decisions when markets move
- 04A shared view of costs across procurement, finance, operations and leadership
- 05A living cost repository in place of scattered spreadsheets and email threads
Strengthening negotiation control through should-cost intelligence
The client had little clarity on how supplier prices were built, which limited its negotiations.
We built a Digital Cost Model covering 10 materials, including Ammonia, Caustic Soda, Soda Ash, Sodium Sulphate and Phosphoric Acid, breaking down raw materials, energy, labour, overheads and CAPEX across suppliers and regions.
How supplier prices are built
How we build it
- 01Data collection and structuring
Data from ERP systems, contracts, technical documents and market databases, standardised into one cost structure.
- 02Process mapping
Manufacturing routes, material usage, utilities and site overheads mapped to real plant operations.
- 03Cost model development
Costs calculated with engineering logic and market inputs, with transparent, traceable assumptions.
- 04Validation and refinement
Outputs checked against historical costs and supplier quotes.
- 05Digital deployment and enablement
Models deployed in interactive dashboards for scenario analysis and ongoing updates.
Teams that use Should Cost Model
Digital cost models changed how we talk to suppliers. We now have a quantified view of what a product should cost.
The simulator and sensitivity views save us weeks of manual recalculation. We change feedstock prices or yields and see the cost impact immediately.
For our strategic materials, the model is the single source of truth for should-costs. It has improved our budgeting and negotiation discussions.
Explore our other tools
Each tool is a separate product built for one job. Hover a card to preview it, or drag to browse.
See the tools with your own data
Tell us what you buy and what you want to achieve. A Claight specialist will set up a walkthrough around your categories, markets and goals, then reply within one working day.