TCO Calculator: Beat the Lowest-Price Trap
Interactive Excel calculator that reveals the true Total Cost of Ownership of supplier offers. Goes beyond unit price to include logistics, duties, quality cost, payment terms, switching cost.
Excel Calculator · 3 tabs

Two fields and a company name if you want to give it. The file opens as soon as you submit.
What is inside
- 01Pre-configured cost categories: price, freight, duties, quality, payment, switching
- 02Side-by-side comparison of up to 5 supplier offers
- 03Sensitivity analysis: see how exchange rates or lead times change the winner
- 04Charts auto-generated for executive presentations
- 05Every assumption is an editable cell with its source in the notes column
Procurement and finance teams evaluating multi-country supplier offers, especially when considering China vs. nearshore alternatives.
Written from runs, not from a keyword list
One campaign we published in full, brief “Metformin API, EU-compliant producers, GMP”. Every page the tool opened was judged, and the rejections are still on the record.
ONE REAL CAMPAIGN, “METFORMIN API”. NOT AN AVERAGE.
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