Development Costing
Track the cost evolution of a part from early concept through prototype, tooling approval, and into series production. Every calculation milestone is version-locked with a field-level audit trail — so when the OEM asks “what changed since the last review?”, you have a precise, auditable answer.
Costs Change. Your Records Should Keep Up.
Development projects run for months or years. Material specs change, process parameters evolve, volumes get revised, tooling designs are updated. In Excel-based costing, each revision overwrites the last — or creates yet another file with no clear lineage. When the OEM requests a cost comparison between development milestones, the team scrambles to reconstruct what was calculated when, by whom, and with what assumptions.
Version-Controlled Cost Records at Every Milestone
Each cost version follows a state machine: Draft → Pending Approval → Approved or Rejected. Approval is routed by configurable rules — margin thresholds, annual value gates, or engineering lead sign-off. Once approved, the version is ledger-locked and immutable.
Create Initial Calculation
Build the first cost estimate using the extensible process engine — preliminary material specs, estimated process times, target volumes. Guided workflow templates for your industry help ensure completeness. The calculation is version-locked as the baseline.
Revise at Each Milestone
As the design matures — tooling approved, final material selected, actual process times measured — create new cost versions. Each version captures the full cost structure with field-level audit trail. Approval rules route to the right reviewer automatically.
Compare and Report
Compare any two approved versions side by side. See exactly what changed — which cost elements moved, by how much, and why. Export the cost evolution to the OEM with full traceability and audit documentation.
Field-Level Change Tracking.
Append-Only. Immutable.
Every change to every field in every calculation is recorded in an append-only ledger: entity type, field name, old value, new value, user, and timestamp. Once written, entries cannot be modified or deleted. When the OEM audits your cost development, every number traces back to a specific change by a specific person at a specific time.
- Field-level granularity — not just “file was saved” but “stroke rate changed from 24 to 28 by S. Weber at 14:32”
- Exportable to CSV or PDF for external auditors
- History queries: show all changes to a specific BOM node, process step, or material across all versions
Industry-Specific Templates
for Every Development Phase
Step-by-step workflow templates guide engineers through the development costing process. Templates are available for automotive stamped parts, machined housings, welded assemblies, medical implant components, and electronics PCB assemblies. Advisory — they guide completeness but do not block progress.
- Define BOM structure → Assign materials → Add process steps → Configure tooling → Cost summary → Submit for approval
- Step completion tracking shows progress at a glance
- Active workflow indicator on the work queue shows which template is running
Full Traceability Across Every Development Phase
Complete Version History
Every cost version is stored with timestamp, user, approval status, and full cost breakdown. State machine enforces Draft → Pending Approval → Approved/Rejected. No overwriting, no lost data.
Milestone Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of any two approved versions. See cost deltas by element, process, and material. Present the evolution to the OEM with documented assumptions at each milestone.
Approval-Gated Submissions
Configurable approval rules route cost versions by margin threshold, annual value, or scrap rate override. Escalation timeouts ensure nothing stalls. Only approved versions can be marked ReadyToSubmit.
Drawings, Specs, and RFQ Documents
Attached to Every Milestone
Attach drawings, specifications, photos, material certificates, and RFQ documents directly to costings, BOM nodes, or individual process steps. Every attachment is categorised (Drawing, Specification, RFQ, Photo, Assumption) and retained permanently for audit. No more searching shared drives for the right version of the right drawing.
Track Every Cost Change. Defend Every Decision.
See how ORAGO Cost Controlling manages development costing — from first estimate to series production.