How do you calculate cannibalization value?

Multiply donor units by usable value per harvested item by the usable yield, then add any fixed resale credit. With 100 donors × $45 × 80% = $3,600 gross, plus $250 credit, net value is $3,850.

What is usable cannibalization yield?

It is the share of harvest attempts that produce a genuinely reusable part — accounting for parts damaged during removal or failing incoming test. At 80% yield, only 80% of the theoretical value survives, which is why gross value is $3,600 not $4,500.

When is cannibalization worth it versus scrapping?

Cannibalize when net recovered value exceeds the labor to strip plus any scrap revenue you forgo. At $38.50 of recovery per donor in the example, harvesting pays off as long as strip-and-test labor stays well below that.

What is cannibalization value per donor item?

It is net value spread across every donor processed — here $3,850 ÷ 100 = $38.50 per donor. It lets you compare donor pools and set a threshold for which units are worth routing to the cannibalization bench.

Why add a fixed resale credit?

Some donor units also generate scrap-metal or precious-metal recovery revenue regardless of part count. Adding it as a fixed $250 captures value the per-item math would otherwise miss.

Does harvested-part value count as cost avoidance or revenue?

Usually cost avoidance — each good harvested part is a replacement you did not buy. Treat the resale credit line as actual revenue and the harvested value as avoided purchasing when you book it.

Electronics Repair, Refurbishment & Depot Operations calculator

Cannibalization Value Calculator

Cannibalization value tells a depot how much money it recovers by harvesting good parts and subassemblies from units that are not worth fully repairing. When a board is beyond economic repair, its connectors, modules, displays, and ICs often still have life, and stripping them as donor stock cuts your spend on new replacement parts. Depot managers and reverse-logistics planners use this number to decide whether to scrap a unit outright or route it to the cannibalization bench. It blends how many donors you process, the usable value each yields, the realistic harvest yield, and any resale credit — giving you the net recovery you can book against avoided purchasing.

What this calculator does

Estimate usable value from cannibalizing donor electronics for displays, boards, ICs, power modules, cables, housings, or scarce spare parts.
Use it when cannibalization value in electronics repair, refurbishment and depot operations is being put through a electronics repair, refurbishment and depot operations weighted-cost review.
It computes net recovered value from cannibalization by multiplying donor units, value per harvested item, and usable yield, then adding a fixed resale credit or adjustment.

Formula used

Gross cannibalization value = donor units or harvested assemblies × usable value per harvested item × usable cannibalization yield
Net cannibalization value = gross cannibalization value + fixed resale credit or value adjustment

Inputs explained

Donor units stripped for parts:
Usable value per harvested item:
Usable cannibalization yield:
Fixed resale credit or value adjustment:

How to use the result

Use it when deciding between scrapping a unit and harvesting it, or when estimating donor-stock value for inventory and avoided-purchase planning.
It uses one average value per harvested item, so a mix of high- and low-value parts on the same donor needs separate runs or a weighted average to stay accurate.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for copper and brass mill shapes stands at 559.593 (BLS, May 2026), up 76.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move. Global copper trades at $13,484 per tonne (IMF via FRED, May 2026).
U.S. manufacturing runs at 75.6% of capacity (Federal Reserve, May 2026). New factory orders are up 2.3% year over year (Census).
The U.S. has 11,261 computer and electronic products establishments employing about 815,443 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate cannibalization value? Multiply donor units by usable value per harvested item by the usable yield, then add any fixed resale credit. With 100 donors × $45 × 80% = $3,600 gross, plus $250 credit, net value is $3,850.
What is usable cannibalization yield? It is the share of harvest attempts that produce a genuinely reusable part — accounting for parts damaged during removal or failing incoming test. At 80% yield, only 80% of the theoretical value survives, which is why gross value is $3,600 not $4,500.
When is cannibalization worth it versus scrapping? Cannibalize when net recovered value exceeds the labor to strip plus any scrap revenue you forgo. At $38.50 of recovery per donor in the example, harvesting pays off as long as strip-and-test labor stays well below that.
What is cannibalization value per donor item? It is net value spread across every donor processed — here $3,850 ÷ 100 = $38.50 per donor. It lets you compare donor pools and set a threshold for which units are worth routing to the cannibalization bench.
Why add a fixed resale credit? Some donor units also generate scrap-metal or precious-metal recovery revenue regardless of part count. Adding it as a fixed $250 captures value the per-item math would otherwise miss.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.