How are cost estimates captured in ECMS during an ECO?

• A. They are captured via a separate cost estimation module with no data linkage
• B. By linking to cost data for affected parts, labor, tooling and evaluating total cost
• C. They are not captured
• D. They are captured only after deployment

Answer: (B)

Cost estimates are captured by linking to cost data for the items affected by the ECO—parts, labor, and tooling—and then evaluating the total cost of the proposed change. This approach pulls in existing part costs from catalogs, labor rates from routings, and tooling costs, so ECMS can compute the complete financial impact, including any overhead, downtime, or related factors. Doing this before deployment lets teams assess feasibility, secure funding, and approve changes with a clear understanding of the economic effect. If you tried to estimate costs with a separate module that isn’t connected to the live cost data, or only after deployment, you’d lose crucial linkage and visibility, making it hard to justify or plan the ECO.