Learn how to start a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) assessment for your logistics and discover how lifecycle-based packaging analysis can uncover hidden costs, reduce transport damage, optimize operational efficiency, and improve long-term profitability across your supply chain.
Summary of this article
Do you want to understand the true costs of your logistics operations? A Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) assessment provides insight into all the costs associated with your packaging and logistics choices. From purchase costs to maintenance, from storage to transport: a thorough TCO analysis helps you make smarter decisions and avoid unexpected expenses.
For companies in the high-tech, medical and defence sectors, a TCO assessment can make the difference between profitable operations and costly surprises. By mapping out all costs, you gain control over your budget and can make strategic choices that deliver long-term benefits.
A TCO assessment in logistics is a systematic analysis that maps out all costs associated with your packaging and logistics decisions throughout their entire lifecycle. It goes beyond just the purchase price and also looks at operational costs, maintenance, storage, transport and end-of-life processing.
When it comes to logistics, many companies only consider the direct costs, such as the purchase of packaging or transport costs. A TCO assessment shows that there is much more at play. Think of labour costs for packing and unpacking, storage costs, damage costs due to inadequate protection and costs for returns. Less visible costs, such as downtime caused by damaged goods or extra administration, are also taken into account.
For companies that regularly transport expensive or sensitive equipment, a TCO assessment can be a real eye-opener. Sometimes, more expensive packaging ultimately works out cheaper, as it offers better protection and is reusable.
Companies should conduct TCO assessments because this is the only way to measure true cost-effectiveness and uncover hidden expenses that undermine their profitability. Without a TCO analysis, you are making decisions based on incomplete information.
The benefits of a TCO assessment go beyond mere cost savings. You gain insight into risks and can address them proactively. For example, if you discover that cheap packaging leads to more damage, you can switch to better protection before customers become dissatisfied.
A TCO assessment is also valuable for sustainability objectives. Reusable packaging may seem expensive to purchase, but over its lifetime it can prove significantly cheaper. Moreover, this helps you reduce your carbon footprint, which is becoming increasingly important for businesses across all sectors.
At Faes, we look at packaging from a total cost of ownership perspective. A case or transport packaging is not just a product you buy once; it affects handling time, transport efficiency, product damage, storage space, maintenance, lifespan and operational reliability.
That is why we help customers assess the full logistics impact of their packaging choices. Our team combines packaging development, custom engineering, production, assembly and testing to create solutions that are built around the application, not around a standard box. For companies transporting sensitive, high-value or mission-critical equipment, this can make a significant difference in long-term costs and operational performance.
Whether the challenge involves reducing damage, improving reusability, meeting technical or defence-related requirements, or making packaging easier to handle in the field, Faes helps translate TCO insights into a practical, robust and future-ready packaging solution.
A comprehensive logistics TCO assessment must include all direct and indirect costs: purchase costs, operational costs, maintenance costs, storage costs, transport costs, damage costs, labour costs and end-of-life disposal costs. Opportunity costs and risk-related costs should also be included.
Start with the obvious costs: purchase prices of packaging, pallets and other logistics materials. Transport costs per shipment, including fuel and driver wages. Storage costs for both empty and full packaging. Labour costs for packing and unpacking, loading and unloading.
Don’t forget the less visible costs. Damage costs due to inadequate packaging can mount up enormously, especially with high-tech equipment. Administrative costs for claims, returns and additional communication with customers. Downtime costs if damaged equipment halts production. Environmental costs and waste disposal costs are also becoming increasingly relevant.
For reusable packaging, factor in maintenance, repair and cleaning costs. Managing return flows also takes time and money. However, these investments can more than pay for themselves through lower replacement costs and better protection.
Start by gathering historical data from your existing systems: ERP data, invoices, claims and transport statistics. Draw up an overview of all relevant departments and processes to ensure no cost items are missed.
Start with your financial records. Retrieve invoices from packaging suppliers, carriers and warehousing partners for the past 12 months. Also look at claims with your insurer and returns in your order system. This data provides a good starting point for direct costs.
For labour costs, you’ll need to go into more detail. Measure how much time staff spend on packing and unpacking, checking shipments and handling claims. Talk to your warehouse staff and drivers: they often know exactly where time is being wasted.
Don’t forget external parties. Ask your logistics partners for cost breakdowns and performance indicators. Many carriers can help you with data on damage, delays and additional handling. Customer feedback on packaging quality is also valuable for your analysis.
Excel spreadsheets, specialised TCO software and activity-based costing are the most effective methods for calculating logistics TCO. Start with simple tools and move on to more advanced solutions as your analysis becomes more complex.
For most companies, Excel is a good place to start. Create separate tabs for cost categories and calculate totals across different time periods. Use scenario analyses to compare different packaging options. Online TCO calculators can also assist with standard calculations.
More advanced companies may invest in dedicated TCO software. These tools often integrate with ERP systems and can provide real-time cost monitoring. They help model complex scenarios and can automatically generate reports for management.
Activity-based costing (ABC) is a powerful method for companies with complex logistics processes. This involves allocating costs to specific activities, such as ‘packing medical equipment’ or ‘transporting defence equipment’. This provides much more detailed insight than traditional cost allocation.
A thorough TCO assessment usually takes 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the complexity of your logistics operations and the availability of data. Simple assessments can be completed in 3 to 4 weeks, whilst complex multi-site analyses may take longer.
The first phase, data collection, often takes the longest. If you have good systems and data is easily accessible, you can complete this phase in 2 to 3 weeks. Companies with scattered data or manual processes will need more time.
Analysis and modelling usually take 2 to 4 weeks, depending on how many scenarios you wish to run. Drawing up recommendations and implementation plans takes a further 1 to 2 weeks. You should also allow time for feedback from stakeholders and any necessary adjustments.
Do you want to get started quickly with TCO optimisation for your logistics processes? At Faes, we help companies with packaging management strategies that reduce total cost of ownership. Thanks to our experience in the high-tech, medical and defence sectors, we can help you make the right choices for sustainable and cost-effective packaging solutions.
Traditional cost analysis typically focuses only on upfront purchase prices and direct expenses. TCO assessment takes a holistic approach, including all costs throughout the entire lifecycle - from acquisition to disposal. This includes hidden costs like downtime, damage claims, administrative overhead, and opportunity costs that traditional analysis often misses.
Companies should review their TCO assessments annually or whenever significant changes occur in operations, supplier relationships, or market conditions. For businesses with rapidly changing logistics needs, quarterly reviews may be beneficial. Major operational changes like new product lines, facility relocations, or supply chain disruptions should trigger immediate TCO reassessment.
The biggest mistakes include underestimating labor costs, ignoring damage-related expenses, and failing to account for opportunity costs of downtime. Many companies also make the error of using too short a time horizon or excluding environmental compliance costs. Another common pitfall is not involving all stakeholders, leading to incomplete data collection.
For seasonal operations, collect data over multiple cycles to capture peak and off-peak variations. Use weighted averages based on volume patterns and consider storage costs for unused packaging during low seasons. For irregular operations, focus on cost-per-use metrics and build scenarios for different activity levels to ensure your TCO model remains accurate across varying operational demands.
Small companies can absolutely benefit from TCO assessments, often seeing proportionally larger impacts due to their limited resources. Start with simplified approaches using Excel templates and focus on the highest-impact cost categories first. Even basic TCO analysis can reveal significant savings opportunities that justify the time investment for smaller operations.
Track key performance indicators before and after implementation, including total packaging costs, damage rates, labor hours, and customer satisfaction scores. Calculate the payback period by comparing implementation costs against monthly savings. Set up regular monitoring to ensure projected benefits are realized and adjust strategies if actual performance differs from TCO predictions.
Sustainability is increasingly critical in TCO calculations, as environmental costs become more quantifiable through carbon pricing, waste disposal fees, and regulatory compliance. Include costs for environmental certifications, disposal fees, and potential future carbon taxes. Many companies find that sustainable packaging solutions, while more expensive upfront, deliver better long-term TCO through reduced waste costs and improved brand reputation.
Thijs Canjels is Business Innovation Manager at Faes and specializes in packaging management and supply chain optimization. In his blogs, he shares insights on efficiency improvements, cost savings and the strategic role of packaging in modern supply chains.
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