Cost screening during development is a structured process for the early identification and evaluation of cost-critical components or systems within a product. The aim is to make potential cost drivers visible as early as the concept or pre-development phase and to compare them with technical requirements and lightweight construction targets. In addition to technological and manufacturing aspects, weight, material selection, functional integration and assembly costs are also taken into account. This forward-looking approach makes it possible to effectively identify optimization potential in terms of product costs as well as weight and sustainability. Cost screening is therefore an essential tool for economical and at the same time engineering-based product development.

The analysis and optimization of development and production costs includes the systematic recording, evaluation and reduction of all costs incurred during the entire product development process. The aim is to identify cost-relevant influencing factors in the early stages of development and to minimize them through targeted technical and organizational measures. Among other things, design principles, production technologies, material selection and lightweight construction potential are evaluated in order to sustainably reduce production and material costs. The use of digital tools such as CAD, FEM simulations or mass control systems helps to make the cost impact of technical decisions transparent and to exploit optimization potential at an early stage. This holistic approach enables economic benefits to be achieved without jeopardizing the functional quality and sustainability of the product.

Target costing in development is a strategic cost management approach in which a target market price and a desired profit margin serve as the starting point for deriving the maximum permissible product cost budget. This target cost budget is translated into concrete specifications for systems, assemblies and individual parts at an early stage of product development. The challenge here is to simultaneously meet technical, functional and aesthetic requirements while maintaining strict cost discipline. The development process is organized in such a way that all decisions are systematically made with a view to achieving the target costs. The aim is to realize a marketable product with an optimal cost-benefit ratio, without expensive and time-consuming iteration loops in late project phases.

Potential assessments for costs and CO₂ in the development area are based on the early identification and evaluation of lightweight construction potential in order to systematically implement structural and material savings. Holistic methods such as lightweight system analysis, structurally optimized FEM simulations and material-efficient CAD designs are used to develop design measures that not only reduce weight, but also lower production and operating costs as well as energy consumption. CO₂ savings result directly from reduced material consumption, lower energy consumption in production and use and the integration of sustainable technologies.

Technology deep dives with cost analysis in the development area are in-depth technical investigations in which individual components or systems are systematically analyzed and optimized in terms of function, structure and use of materials. Various simulation and calculation methods such as FEM analyses, topology/topography optimizations and CAD-based concept comparisons are used to identify potential for weight savings, increased performance or production simplification. This process is supplemented by a structured cost analysis in which manufacturing and follow-up costs are allocated to the respective technical variants and evaluated. The aim is to enable viable and economically feasible design decisions to be made on the basis of reliable data.