Nuclear & Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing worked example

Qualified Supplier Audit Cost at 72% audit scope share: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop audit scope share to 72%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate the cost of qualifying and auditing suppliers for nuclear and critical infrastructure work, so procurement and supplier quality teams can budget audit programs and compare audit scope.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Auditor-days planned: 12 auditor-days (held at the documented default)
  • Loaded auditor day rate: 1,200 $ / auditor-day (held at the documented default)
  • Audit scope share: 72 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 100)
  • Fixed travel and reporting cost: 3,500 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable audit cost = auditor-days planned × loaded auditor day rate × audit scope share.
  • Total audit cost works out to 13,868 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Cost per auditor-day works out to 1,156 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable audit cost works out to 10,368 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed travel and reporting cost works out to 3,500 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where audit scope share sits at 100% and the headline result is 17,900 $, this scenario comes in 22.53% below the baseline at 13,868 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to audit scope share, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes a single blended day rate and a fixed travel figure; multi-auditor teams at different rates, overseas per-diem swings, or open findings that trigger a follow-up visit are not captured.

Results at a glance

  • Total audit cost: 13,868 $ (headline result)
  • Cost per auditor-day: 1,156 $ / piece
  • Variable audit cost: 10,368 $
  • Fixed travel and reporting cost: 3,500 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Qualified Supplier Audit Cost calculator, set audit scope share to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.