Cost per enquiry combines incompatible cost periods

What to change

Reconcile the components before interpreting efficiency. Ask the analyst to state the cost period, included charges, currency and enquiry definition beside the calculation. Match the relevant windows or explicitly label an estimate when a settled cost figure is unavailable. A simple fictional example with one out-of-window charge exposes whether the report includes the right inputs. Do not compare unit costs across suppliers until those inclusion rules are understood.

A worked example

Illustrative example

Illustrative test: The reviewer can reproduce the unit cost from the displayed components.

How to check the result

The metric states what was included and what remains estimated.

A mistake to avoid

A lower figure may reflect omitted costs rather than improved acquisition.

Your action checklist

Use these checks to prepare a discussion with your team or supplier. Tick a check when you have recorded the decision or evidence, rather than when a feature has simply been promised.

Decisions to recordList included cost items and their observation window.Match the defined enquiry total to that window.Recalculate a fixed example with an excluded out-of-window charge.

Evidence, open questions and decisionsNext action and responsible role

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