A focused 2–3 week investigation of your current cost base, identifying cost drivers, anomalies, leakage and areas where management assumptions may no longer reflect operational reality.
It is the natural starting point if you know cost is under pressure but can't yet see clearly which drivers are responsible, or which of them can actually be changed.
The question we answer: Where are the opportunities?
Is it right for you?
This service is usually a good fit when:
- Margins are falling and the cause isn't clear
- Variances are reported but not explained
- Supplier prices have been rising without much challenge
- You want an independent view before committing to a larger programme
What's included
- Cost-base health assessment
- Spend and cost-driver analysis
- Price / quantity / volume analysis
- Supplier and category analysis
- Consumption and variance investigation
- Cost leakage and anomaly identification
- Opportunity sizing
- Management-ready diagnostic report
How it fits the CostVantage approach
Every engagement follows the same structured method — Baseline → Diagnose → Challenge → Quantify → Act → Control — so the work moves from data to decisions and from decisions to measurable results. Read more about the approach.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Cost Base Diagnostic take?
Typically 2–3 weeks, depending on the size of the cost base and how quickly data can be made available.
How much does it cost?
The Cost Base Diagnostic starts from £5,000. The fee is agreed in advance once the scope is understood.
What data is needed?
Usually spend and purchasing data, production volumes, and any standards, bills of materials or variance reports you already have. It doesn't need to be perfect — part of the diagnostic is working out what the data can and can't tell you.
What do we receive at the end?
A Cost Opportunity Pack: a management-ready report setting out the main cost drivers, the anomalies and leakage found, and sized opportunities to prioritise.
Is the information we share kept confidential?
Yes. Commercial and cost data is treated as confidential throughout, from the first conversation onwards.
Talk it through first.
A short, confidential, no-obligation conversation is the best way to see whether Cost Base Diagnostic is the right starting point for your business.
Start with a Diagnostic →