Coatings, Inks & Specialty Chemical Production worked example

Customer Sample Cost at 110% sample program scope: a worked example

Push sample program scope up to 110% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. costing customer samples, drawdowns, and lab-prepared trial packs

The inputs for this scenario

  • Customer samples prepared: 24 samples (unchanged)
  • Cost per sample: 38 $ / sample (unchanged)
  • Sample program scope: 110 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 100)
  • Lab setup, packaging, and freight adders: 310 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable customer sample cost = customer samples prepared × cost per sample × sample program scope) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,313 $ for total customer sample cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 54.72 $ / piece for customer sample cost per sellable unit.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,003 $ for variable customer sample cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 310 $ for lab setup, packaging, and freight adders.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where sample program scope sits at 100% and the headline result is 1,222 $, this scenario comes in 7.46% above the baseline at 1,313 $.
  • It multiplies samples prepared by cost per sample and a scope factor for variable cost, then adds lab setup, packaging, and freight to get total and per-sellable-unit cost. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • total customer sample cost: 1,313 $ (headline result)
  • customer sample cost per sellable unit: 54.72 $ / piece
  • variable customer sample cost: 1,003 $
  • lab setup, packaging, and freight adders: 310 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Customer Sample Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.