As a former engineer, I worked on my share of proposals writing both tech sections and working on the cost bidding.
The price for a 'thing' needs to include the time to pay for the design, prototyping, testing, quality assurance, documentation- all this time is a cost to pay all the people working on just getting the 'specs' completed.
Then there is the time in setting up the plant to do the manufacturing run, and the time in plant to then start making the item. Everyone on the line has to be paid.
And the plant has to be paid for -usually a lease to be paid to the actual property owner. Then there are the utilities for the plant (lighting, electricity, water, maintenance).
Then benefits for the workers - they should have benefits, right? Health Care, a savings or profit sharing plan, etc.
And then the actual profit for the company - that is why they are in business.
Don't forget advertising costs, travel to shows, meeting with distributors.
All those costs then get prorated into how many units the company thinks they can sell (along with all the other products the company makes).
The cost of a 'thing' has to factor in ALL those other costs - not just the parts.
The price for a 'thing' needs to include the time to pay for the design, prototyping, testing, quality assurance, documentation- all this time is a cost to pay all the people working on just getting the 'specs' completed.
Then there is the time in setting up the plant to do the manufacturing run, and the time in plant to then start making the item. Everyone on the line has to be paid.
And the plant has to be paid for -usually a lease to be paid to the actual property owner. Then there are the utilities for the plant (lighting, electricity, water, maintenance).
Then benefits for the workers - they should have benefits, right? Health Care, a savings or profit sharing plan, etc.
And then the actual profit for the company - that is why they are in business.
Don't forget advertising costs, travel to shows, meeting with distributors.
All those costs then get prorated into how many units the company thinks they can sell (along with all the other products the company makes).
The cost of a 'thing' has to factor in ALL those other costs - not just the parts.