The quoted configuration does not fit the price the product sells at.
Material, labour, packing and freight move, and a specification that worked last season stops working at the same shelf price.
Solution · Cost Engineering
Meet a Target Cost
When a configuration cannot be sold at the price the market allows, the answer is usually a different configuration rather than a smaller margin. We adjust size, structure and film thickness to get closer to your target, and quote the change.
FOB & EXW Quotation basis
3 Months Quotation validity
3,000–5,000 Typical minimum per model
The Situation
When the Price and the Product Do Not Meet
A target price is not always a request for the cheapest quote. It is the point at which the product, the packing and the retail price have to agree.
Taking the lowest quote usually moves the risk somewhere else.
A construction that cannot hold, or a supplier that cannot repeat the run, costs more than the difference it appeared to save.
Cost sits in size, structure, film and packing.
Those are engineering decisions, and they can be changed deliberately rather than discounted blindly.
COMCO Response
Adjust the Product, Not Only the Margin
Cost engineering means changing what the product is made of and how it is built, then quoting the result.
Cost levers
Size, structure, film thickness, configuration
These are the levers we adjust when a specification has to land closer to a target price. Each change is quoted, so you can see what it buys and what it gives up before you commit.
- Size and structure re-engineered
- Film thickness and formulation adjusted
- Carton and container load reviewed
Material control
Film made in-house
PVC powder, our own formulation and our own calendering line: a film change is a production decision rather than a purchase order, and material lead time runs roughly 7–10 days shorter than buying film in.
- In-house formulation and calendering
- Material lead time roughly 7–10 days shorter
- Specification held between runs
Process in action
From Target Price to a Quotation
The target comes first; the specification is built to reach it.
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01
Target & Volume
The price the product has to sell at, the volume behind it, the market and the packing.
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02
Cost Levers
Size, structure, film thickness, configuration and carton load reviewed against the target.
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03
Counter Sample
The revised configuration sampled, so the change can be held and compared.
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04
Validation
Pre-production physical testing, and a 24-hour holding test on applicable inflatables.
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05
Quotation
Quoted FOB or EXW against the agreed specification, valid for three months.
Evidence
What the Quotation Rests On
45–120 Days
Production lead time
Typically 45–60, 60–90 or 90–120 days, depending on the product and the season.
3 Months
Quotation validity
Quoted FOB or EXW against the agreed specification, in US dollars or cross-border RMB.
8 Factories
Owned capacity
2,000+ staff and 70+ production lines across eight owned factories.
We aim to get close to a target price and will say when a configuration cannot be built at that price. Minimum order is typically 3,000–5,000 units per model and is discussed per project rather than fixed.
Where this leads
Related capabilities and products
Cost is engineered through these capabilities, and quoted against the product family it belongs to.
Engineering
Product Engineering
Engineering work on an existing product: problem analysis, improvement and cost & value engineering.
Manufacturing
In-House PVC Film Production
PVC film produced in-house, keeping material specification and lead time under direct control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Meet a Target Cost FAQ
What buyers ask first about this problem, and how COMCO answers it.
Yes. Tell us the price the product has to sell at and the volume behind it. We review size, structure, film thickness, configuration and packing against that target, then quote the revised specification. We aim to get close, and we will also say when a configuration cannot be built at that price.
Typically 3,000–5,000 units per model, discussed per project rather than fixed.
FOB or EXW, in US dollars or cross-border RMB, against the agreed specification. A quotation holds for three months.
Engineer the cost
Send the target price and the volume behind it.
Give us the price point and the market. We will come back on which levers move the cost, what the revised specification looks like, and what it costs.