Optimized cost control

On most turnkey PCBA projects the bill of materials, not the assembly rate, decides the price. The sections below cover where cost actually sits, the levers that genuinely move it, and the lines we will not cross to reach a lower number.

Where the cost actually sits

On most PCBA projects the bill of materials dominates the price, and the assembly charge is a smaller share than buyers expect. That means the biggest savings rarely come from squeezing the labour rate. They come from the material list: an obsolete part carrying a broker premium, a single-source connector with no second option, a surface finish that adds cost without adding function, or a panelisation that wastes board area.

What Kilandu does about it

• Open BOM cost breakdown, so the buyer sees component, board and assembly cost separately.
• Long-lead and single-source parts identified at quotation, with proposed pin-to-pin alternatives.
• Panelisation reviewed to improve board utilisation before fabrication is ordered.
• Standard finishes and materials proposed where the application does not require a premium option.
• Quantity breaks shown explicitly, so the cost of a smaller release is visible in advance.

What we do not do

Cost reduction is not achieved by substituting unapproved parts, reducing inspection coverage or moving to a lower acceptance class without the customer's agreement. Every substitution is proposed with a comparison and requires approval, and inspection scope is part of the quotation rather than something that quietly changes. A price that is lower because the build is less controlled is not a saving.

How to compare two quotations

A lower line price is only a saving if the scope behind it is the same. Two quotations for the same board can differ on inspection coverage, test scope, whether tooling and fixtures are included, the surface finish specified, and whether long-lead parts are quoted at a realistic or an optimistic price. Comparing them line by line — component, board, assembly, test, tooling — is the only way to see which is actually cheaper. More on the drivers is on the PCBA cost page.