TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR

COST REPORT
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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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.

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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

General Report Items

General Report Items

All files must be named as defined in the rules.

e.g. 001_XYZ University_Baja SAE India 2014_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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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
Drive Clutch Cost Audit Locations

Item 59

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31 July 2013

Courtesy:-www.bajasae.net/content/2012_CostPresentation.ppt

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

Excel Files: Tips

for Completing Contd
Excel Files: 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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

Submitting Receipts

Submitting Receipts

Please check scans prior to submission, if you cant read them, we

wont 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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SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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

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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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

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31 July 2013

Courtesy:-www.bajasae.net/content/2012_CostPresentation.ppt

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

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:

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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)

31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar

References
Cost Report Tips
http://bajasae.net/content/2012_CostPresentation.ppt

BAJA SAE India Rule Book 2014,

http://www.bajasaeindia.org/downloads/Rule-Book-BAJA-SAEINDIA-2014.pdf

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31 July 2013

SAE- BAJA 2014 Raise The Bar