TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR

COST REPORT
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Purpose of the Cost Purpose
Reportof the Cost Report

• The cost report is your chance to accurately portray the cost of the
vehicle you expect to design, build and race at competition.

‒ Vehicle is not complete at the time of the report,

Use the cost report as a (BOM) bill of material.

Items still being designed should be estimated as
accurately as possible.
o Unforeseen changes should be shown on a cost
adjustment form.

For example the selection of tires. Every car needs them and they
must be included in the cost report at submission.
‒ Estimate what size you will be racing, at a minimum
‒ Estimate a brand that you have a high confidence on using.
‒ Leaving tires off completely is not acceptable.

Utilize the cost adjustment to reflect a change from the
original estimate.

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Cost Adjustment Form Cost Adjustment Form

• Cost adjustment forms should be used to reflect changes that were

made post submission of the cost report.
• The form should not be used to submit entire subsystems or
significant components of a car (i.e. shocks, tires, rims,
transmissions, engines, brakes, etc)
• Cost adjustment forms will not be utilized if they exceed 25% of the
total cost of the car.
‒ Teams that exceeds 25% will be disqualified from the costing
event.
2015 Baja SAE Cost Adjustment Form

Car Number 1234

Total Cost (Rs)
0
Sect #

Subassembly Costs Sum of Subtotal

Item Description of change Material Labor Adj. Material Labor
1 Engine 0.00 25,000.00 0.00
2 Transmission 0.00 0.00 0.00
3 Drive Train 0.00 0.00 0.00
4 Steering 0.00 0.00 0.00
5 Suspension 0.00 0.00 0.00
6 Frame 0.00 0.00 0.00
7 Body 0.00 0.00 0.00
8 Brakes 0.00 0.00 0.00
9 Safety Equipment 0.00 0.00 0.00
10 Electrical Equipment 0.00 0.00 0.00
11 Fasteners 0.00 0.00 0.00
12 Miscellaneous 0.00 0.00 0.00
Rs0.00 Rs0.00 Rs0.00 Rs25,000.00 Rs0.00

Slide - 3 Baja SAEINDIA 2015 – Beyond Boundaries!

Cost Adjustment Form Cost Adjustment Form

• If a team is audited at one competition, that team is not allowed to

use the cost adjustment form to submit the items found during the
cost audit in the next competition.

• Cost reports with or without cost adjustment forms which are

deemed to be incomplete will not be graded.
–Incomplete is defined as cost adjustments made by judges in
excess of 35% of the original cost you submitted

• At any point during the event Cost Judges can request to see the
costing on any particular item on your car. If item is not included
in your cost report or your cost adjustment sheet, you score will
be adjusted accordingly.

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General Report Items General Report Items

• All files must be named as defined in the rules.

– e.g. 001_XYZ University_Baja SAE India 2015_CostReport

• File sizes fit within the guidelines

–Excel
–PDF
–(Both files together should not exceed 6 MB)

• File formats are per guidelines

–Submit a PDF File NOT a Word Document.
–Only .xls or .xlsx are allowed for the Excel file

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General Report Items General Report Items

• Official Costing Sheet

‒ Team Captain and Advisor need to sign the Official Costing
Sheet
‒ Typed names are not accepted (they are not signatures)
‒ Cut and pasted signatures are not accepted
‒ Sheet needs to be placed in PDF file with receipts
‒ It does not count if the signed forms are put in the excel file

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General Report Items General Report Items

• Examples of Items to Include Complete with Receipts:

1. Engines – SAE provides a standard cost and a receipt must
be provided
2. Gas caps (part number referenced in the rules)

• Examples of Items NOT Needed:

1. Safety gear
a. Helmets
b. Neck Supports
c. Safety Jacket.
2. Registration fees do not need to be included

• Review documentation for what items must be included

(see Excel Cost Report, Cost Guide Tab)

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General Report Items General Report Items

• Include diagrams, pictures and overviews of significant

compenents or decisions. While not mandatory, it is useful.
• In particular, this is useful for areas of the car that are not easily
visible

Slide - 8 Baja SAEINDIA

Courtesy:-www.bajasae.net/content/2012_CostPresentation.ppt 2015 – Beyond Boundaries!
Excel Files: Tips for Completing
Excel Files: Tips for Completing

• Use the item and its descriptions as specified in summary sheet for
categorizing assemblies or parts in aggregates.
‒ You are very likely to be penalized if parts/assemblies are
included in wrong aggregates.
• Check your formulas, in particular:
‒ That individual rows are calculating correctly
‒ That sums encompass all rows and columns
‒ Totals are carrying over to the relevant sheets
‒ Formulas are referencing the correct row and columns

Correctly listed in
Engine aggregate /
subsystem

Needs to be in “Drive”
aggregate not
“Engine” aggregate

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Excel Files: Tips for Completing
Excel Files: Tips for Completing

• Quantities need to be entered

• Sub-events needs to be used, regardless if you are only attending
one event
• “Fabricated” and “Purchased” are marked appropriately
• TBD – This does not work. You need to make your best estimate
based on your current design.
• Blanket lines items such as “cost to encompass everything not
included” also do not work and will be ignored.

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Excel Files: Tips forFiles:
Excel Completing – Cont’d
Tips for Completing – Cont

• More detail is better, if items are not the exact same, you should have
separate lines to document the difference.
‒ All tabs are not the same (i.e. shock mount tabs, body mount
tabs, etc.)
• Systems need to be broken down to reflect each of the various
components that make up the system. Even if, you purchased it as
one unit. (i.e. brakes need to show calipers, rotors, brake lines, brake
pads, fittings, etc.).
‒ Using the component categories is a good clue to estimate what
we are expecting you to have.
• Labor – this needs to reflect the true cost of building the item. You
should be able to support the times if requested. (i.e. CNC an upright
in less then one minute. That works, if you are making it out of wood.
However, if you are using baja functional material, you need to be able
to support the cutting, finishing, etc.)
• If your design requires multiple setups to complete the machining and
finishing, you will need to include transfer time from one machine to
the next.
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Submitting Receipts Submitting Receipts

• Please check scans prior to submission, if you can’t read them, we

won’t be able to either.
• Receipts should be in the same order as the cost report.
• If you purchased an assembly, you need to reflect the detail that is
shown on the support in the cost report. You should not group
everything as “suspension assembly” or “brake system”. Every line
should be reflected.
• For foreign purchased parts, show calculations of price using currency
conversion rates provided in rule book on the receipt and attach it in
documentation.
• Receipts can not be more then three years old. Support old receipts
with current year quotes from supplier/shops.
• No eBay, craigslist or junkyard documentation should be submitted.
• Standard cost for engine need to be used. This is per the rules.
• Receipts are required for all items over ₹ 200, including standard
costing items such as engines, transponders and fuel caps.

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Submitting Receipts Submitting Receipts

• Label all receipts to reflect the correct line in the report.

‒ Form Name
‒ Item Number
‒ Item Description
‒ Circle Cost

Engine A, Line 4

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Submitting Receipts Submitting Receipts

• Receipts need to be in the Same Order as the cost report.

• Receipt Order Guide line:

‒ Official Costing Sheet
‒ Form A of each Subsystem
‒ If purchased components on Form B they should follow the
relevant Form A subsystem
2015 Baja SAE Official Costing Sheet
Car Number 1234
Team Name XYZ

Total Cost (Rs) 25000.00

Vehicle Assembly
Sr. No.

Subassembly Costs Labor Subtotal

Item Description Material Labor Time(min) Cost Material Labor
1 Engine Engine, Engine Mountings, Engine Subframe, Fuel Tank, Exhaust System, Catalytic Convertor, Engine Oil,25,000.00
etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 25,000.00 0.00
2 Transmission Gearbox, Clutches, Accelerator Pedal, CVT, Shift Mechanisms, Transmission Oil etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
3 Drive Train Drive Shafts, Bearings, Axles, Tyres, Rims, Hub, etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
4 Steering Steering Wheel, Intermediate Shafts, Gear Box, Tie Rods, etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
5 Suspension A Arms, Spindles, Shock Absorbers, Springs, etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
6 Frame Structural Members, Roll Cage, Mounts, Firewall, Seat, etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
7 Body Outer Covering, Fenders, Skid Plates, etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
8 Brakes Mech/Hyd. Components, Pedals, Lines, Fittings, Fluid, etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
9 Safety Equipment Kill Switch, Fire Extinguisher, Safety Harness, etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
10 Electrical Equipment Battery, Starter, Cables, Wiring, Safety Device, etc. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
11 Fasteners Nuts, Bolts, Spring Washer, etc. (don't include fasteners in each subassembly, put the QTY of each various size0.00
in the fastener
0.00
section) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
12 Miscellaneous Paint, Trim, etc. and other items. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
25,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 25,000.00 0.00

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Submitting Receipts Submitting Receipts

• All Cost Must be Retail Price

• Discounts are not allowed and should be backed out of the cost
Appropriate exchange
rate refer rule book

Slide - 15 Baja SAEINDIA

Courtesy:-www.bajasae.net/content/2012_CostPresentation.ppt 2015 – Beyond Boundaries!
Cost Report Evaluation Steps
Cost Report Evaluation Steps

• Cost report submitted on time

• Off-Site Evaluations:
‒ Cost Report:

Cost report (Single PDF file)
• Summary Cost Sheet
• Overview (optional)
• Form A and Form B sheets form excel cost report template
• Cost documentation

Cost Report Template (Excel File)

‒ Cost Report Criterion

Cost calculations steps (referred Form A/B systematically. Specified deviations for
calculations, if any.)

Part/assemblies listed in proper SECTIONS

Exchange rates taken care for foreign parts, receipts specify section/form A/B line numbers
etc.

Current years prices are used for older parts and they were supported with quotes and older
receipts.

Referred material/operation rates specified as per rule book
• On-Site Evaluations:
‒ Discussion with Team:

Verify cost report against actuals and add correction factor to adjust cost, if any. Teams cost
report presentation.
‒ Prototype cost by formula: to arrive at comparative cost. (Refer rule book)

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References

– 2015_Baja SAE India Cost Rules_Article 4

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