What does drop-test failure scope mean?

The share of the test program this estimate covers, entered as a percentage. One carton lane may be scoped at 72% of the full program; a private-label range may need several lanes. Variable cost scales with scope, fixed redesign does not.

Why is cost per sample high with few failures?

Fixed redesign and retest spread across the failures counted. Eighteen failures carry $5,600 at the default, about $311 each before lab cost, so a smaller count raises the fixed share per sample.

Should scope ever exceed 100%?

No. Scope is a share of the program, so 100% is the whole program. If a change multiplies retest work, raise the lab rate or count more failures rather than pushing scope past 100.

When is a drop test worth repeating?

After any design, material or cushioning change, and after a transit complaint. Retests confirm the fix but add fixed cost, so group changes into one validation round to pay the redesign loop once.

Consumer Goods & Durable Products Manufacturing calculator

Drop-Test Failure Cost Calculator

Price a packaging failure after a drop-test program: failed samples times the lab rate, scoped to the work the program covers, plus fixed redesign and retest. Enter the target cost per failed sample to see the signed gap.

What this calculator does

Failed samples times lab rate and scope plus fixed redesign, with the cost per sample and its gap to target.

Formula used

Variable drop-test cost = failed samples × cost per test × scope ÷ 100
Total drop-test failure cost = variable cost + fixed redesign and retest
Cost per sample = total drop-test failure cost ÷ failed samples
Sample cost gap = target cost per sample − cost per sample

Inputs explained

Failed Drop-Test Samples or SKUs: Sample or SKU failures counted in the drop-test program.
Cost per Failed Packaged-Product Test: Lab, teardown and retest cost for one failed sample.
Drop-Test Failure Scope Included: Share of the test program this estimate covers.
Fixed Packaging Redesign and Retest Cost: Design work and retest incurred once per failure episode.
Target Cost per Failed Sample: Cost per failed sample the program should stay under.

How to use the result

Best suited to sizing a carton validation program, comparing lab rates for retest work, deciding how much scope to fund.
A failure found late in a program costs more than an early one; timing is not modeled. Separate failure modes may each need their own redesign loop and fixed cost.

Common questions

What does drop-test failure scope mean? The share of the test program this estimate covers, entered as a percentage. One carton lane may be scoped at 72% of the full program; a private-label range may need several lanes. Variable cost scales with scope, fixed redesign does not.
Why is cost per sample high with few failures? Fixed redesign and retest spread across the failures counted. Eighteen failures carry $5,600 at the default, about $311 each before lab cost, so a smaller count raises the fixed share per sample.
Should scope ever exceed 100%? No. Scope is a share of the program, so 100% is the whole program. If a change multiplies retest work, raise the lab rate or count more failures rather than pushing scope past 100.
When is a drop test worth repeating? After any design, material or cushioning change, and after a transit complaint. Retests confirm the fix but add fixed cost, so group changes into one validation round to pay the redesign loop once.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.