MedTech Manufacturing worked example

Complaint Handling Cost at 92% investigation completion rate: a worked example in medtech manufacturing

What does the result look like when investigation completion rate reaches 92%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use this when budgeting post-market quality resources, justifying complaint management system upgrades, or forecasting quality headcount based on complaint volume trends.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Complaints received per period: 15 complaints (unchanged)
  • Average cost per complaint investigation: 1,200 $ / complaint (unchanged)
  • Investigation completion rate: 92 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 80)
  • Fixed complaint system cost: 3,000 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable complaint handling cost = complaints received × cost per investigation × completion rate) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 19,560 $ for total complaint handling cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,304 $ / piece for average cost per complaint (all-in).
  • At this operating point the engine returns 16,560 $ for variable investigation cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3,000 $ for fixed complaint system cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where investigation completion rate sits at 80% and the headline result is 17,400 $, this scenario comes in 12.41% above the baseline at 19,560 $.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when investigation completion rate is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It treats every complaint at the same average investigation cost, so a few high-acuity investigations (those triggering MDRs, CAPAs, or health hazard evaluations) can cost far more than the average implies.

Results at a glance

  • Total complaint handling cost: 19,560 $ (headline result)
  • Average cost per complaint (all-in): 1,304 $ / piece
  • Variable investigation cost: 16,560 $
  • Fixed complaint system cost: 3,000 $

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.