Capability template for supply chain and inventory

Product landed cost worksheet

After an import shipment lands, the owner or bookkeeper gets one worksheet: freight, duty, brokerage, insurance and inbound fees from the invoices spread over each product by a stated method, the landed unit cost beside the cost the store records, and the margin left. A person updates any cost.

The outcome

Every imported product carries its true cost, not just the factory price. Once a container is in the warehouse and the invoices are in, the worksheet gathers every charge the shipment ran up, from ocean freight to the receiving fee, and places each one on the products that caused it, by the method the store chose: value, units, weight or volume.

What comes back is the landed cost of one unit of each product, written out so anyone can follow it with a calculator. Beside it sits the cost the store has on record today, the difference, and the gross margin the current selling price leaves at each. Products whose cost has moved more than the store's chosen percentage are flagged, and so is any product the store holds with no cost at all, which its margin reports have been counting as pure profit.

Duty is recorded exactly as the broker's entry shows it, product by product. The worksheet never decides how goods are classified, what duty should have been or any other customs question. Those go to the customs broker, written up with the facts from the entry. The owner approves the new costs, and the bookkeeper enters them.

Who starts the work, and when

The owner, the operations lead, the buyer or the bookkeeper of an online store that imports its products runs it once a shipment has been received and its charge invoices have arrived, before the new stock starts selling where possible. It runs again, as a new version, when a late invoice for the same shipment turns up, and never counts a charge twice.

The owner reads it, answers its questions and approves the costs to enter. The bookkeeper enters them in the store and records the shipment in the books.

What they supply

  • The supplier's invoice lines for the shipment, as an export: each product's units and unit price, plus unit weight or volume when a charge is spread that way.
  • The receiving record: units received of each product.
  • The store's cost export: each product's recorded cost, selling price and units on hand before the shipment.
  • The charge invoices: the forwarder's freight invoice, the cargo insurance, the customs broker's entry and invoice, and any port or receiving fees.
  • The settings: the method for each type of charge, the store's costing method, the taxes the books reclaim, exchange rates where an invoice is in another currency, the cost change worth flagging and the lowest margin the owner accepts.
  • Notes: anything the owner wants put to the broker.

The export's column headers are checked first. If one does not match, the work stops and asks which column is which.

What comes out

One worksheet in a fixed order: a summary, the checks, a register of every invoice line and where it went, the split of each charge with its arithmetic, the landed unit cost of each product, the comparison with the recorded cost and the margins, questions for the broker and for the owner, and a draft list of costs to enter with an approval line. A section with nothing in it says "None."

The worksheet stops rather than guesses when units received do not match the invoice, an invoice is in a currency with no rate given, a charge fits no known type or the broker's figures disagree with each other.

In a good worksheet every charge ties back to the invoices to the cent, and the owner can approve it in one sitting.

An invented example

Illustrative example with invented data. The store, the suppliers, the products, the invoices, the reference numbers, the amounts and every date below are invented. The store is an invented online kitchenware shop, called the Store here, that imports four products from one factory, Supplier A. The shipment came by sea through Forwarder B, cleared customs through Broker C, was insured by Insurer D and was received at Warehouse E. People are referred to by role: the owner approves costs, and the bookkeeper enters them.

The inputs come first, in full, so the template can be run on them. The worksheet follows.

The inputs

1. Settings (typed by the bookkeeper)

Shipment: Supplier A order SA-0457, received Tuesday 3 November 2026
Today: Monday 9 November 2026
Approves costs: the owner
Updates costs in the store and the books: the bookkeeper
Books currency: US dollars. Every invoice for this shipment is in US dollars.
Allocation: freight by weight; insurance by value; duty and customs fees,
  amounts the entry shows against a product to that product, totals by
  value; brokerage by value; inbound fees by quantity
Taxes the books reclaim: none on this shipment
Costing method in the store: weighted average
Margin floor: 66%

2. Supplier invoice lines (Supplier A, invoice A-3318)

sku,product,units,unit_price,unit_weight_kg
MUG-01,Stoneware mug,600,2.10,0.45
BOWL-02,Ceramic bowl set of four,200,7.50,1.80
KNIFE-03,Chef's knife 20 cm,150,9.00,0.40
BOARD-04,Bamboo chopping board,300,3.30,1.10

3. Receiving record (Warehouse E, Tuesday 3 November 2026)

sku,units_received
MUG-01,600
BOWL-02,200
KNIFE-03,150
BOARD-04,300

4. Store cost export (taken Monday 2 November 2026, before the shipment was received)

sku,product,recorded_cost,price,on_hand_before
MUG-01,Stoneware mug,3.10,12.00,80
BOWL-02,Ceramic bowl set of four,9.80,32.00,25
KNIFE-03,Chef's knife 20 cm,,39.00,0
BOARD-04,Bamboo chopping board,4.40,18.00,60

5. Charge invoices and the customs entry

Forwarder B. Invoice FB-2291, Wednesday 4 November 2026. Shipment SA-0457.
  Ocean freight                                         980.00
  Delivery from the port to the Store's warehouse       220.00
  Terminal handling at the port                          95.00
  Total due, USD                                      1,295.00

Insurer D. Invoice ID-5530, Friday 23 October 2026. Shipment SA-0457.
  Cargo insurance                                        61.20
  Total due, USD                                         61.20

Broker C. Customs entry E-118204, Monday 2 November 2026. Shipment SA-0457.
  Line 1  MUG-01    entered value 1,260.00   duty 100.80
  Line 2  BOWL-02   entered value 1,500.00   duty 210.00
  Line 3  KNIFE-03  entered value 1,350.00   duty  47.25
  Line 4  BOARD-04  entered value   990.00   duty   0.00
  Customs processing fee                             32.00
  Total duty and fees, USD                          390.05

Broker C. Invoice BC-7714, Thursday 5 November 2026. Entry E-118204.
  Duty paid on your behalf, per entry E-118204          358.05
  Customs processing fee paid on your behalf             32.00
  Customs brokerage fee                                 165.00
  Total due, USD                                        555.05

Warehouse E. Invoice WE-0912, Thursday 5 November 2026. Shipment SA-0457.
  Receiving and put-away, 1,250 units                   120.00
  Total due, USD                                        120.00

6. Notes (typed by the bookkeeper)

- The owner asks why the bamboo boards show no duty. Please put it to
  the broker.

The output

PRODUCT LANDED COST WORKSHEET: Supplier A order SA-0457, received Tuesday 3 November 2026

  • For: the owner. Prepared Monday 9 November 2026 from: supplier invoice lines (4 products), receiving record (4 rows), store cost export (4 products), charge invoices (FB-2291, ID-5530, BC-7714, WE-0912), customs entry E-118204, settings, notes.
  • Version 1.
  • Column check: all headers matched.
  • Settings: books currency US dollars; exchange rates none needed. Allocation: freight by weight; insurance by value; duty and customs fees, entry lines direct, totals by value; brokerage by value; inbound fees by quantity. Taxes reclaimed and left out: none named. Costing method: weighted average. Cost change flag: 5%. Margin floor: 66%. Defaults used: cost change flag.
  • Summary: goods $5,100.00 + charges $2,031.25 = $7,131.25 landed, for 1,250 units of 4 products. Charges add 39.8% to the goods value. Above recorded by more than 5%: 2. Below recorded by more than 5%: 0. Store shows no cost: 1. Below the margin floor: 1.

Checks

  • Units received equal units invoiced for all 4 products.
  • The value entry E-118204 shows for each product matches Supplier A's invoice line.
  • BC-7714 passes on duty of $358.05 and a customs processing fee of $32.00. Both agree with entry E-118204 and are counted once, from the entry.
  • KNIFE-03 has no recorded cost in the store cost export; see question 1.

Charges register

  • FB-2291, Forwarder B, Wednesday 4 November 2026: Ocean freight $980.00 -> freight.
  • FB-2291, Forwarder B, Wednesday 4 November 2026: Delivery from the port to the Store's warehouse $220.00 -> freight.
  • FB-2291, Forwarder B, Wednesday 4 November 2026: Terminal handling at the port $95.00 -> inbound fees.
  • ID-5530, Insurer D, Friday 23 October 2026: Cargo insurance $61.20 -> insurance.
  • E-118204, Broker C, Monday 2 November 2026: Duty, line 1 $100.80 -> duty and customs fees, against MUG-01 on the entry.
  • E-118204, Broker C, Monday 2 November 2026: Duty, line 2 $210.00 -> duty and customs fees, against BOWL-02 on the entry.
  • E-118204, Broker C, Monday 2 November 2026: Duty, line 3 $47.25 -> duty and customs fees, against KNIFE-03 on the entry.
  • E-118204, Broker C, Monday 2 November 2026: Duty, line 4 $0.00 -> duty and customs fees, against BOARD-04 on the entry.
  • E-118204, Broker C, Monday 2 November 2026: Customs processing fee $32.00 -> duty and customs fees.
  • BC-7714, Broker C, Thursday 5 November 2026: Customs brokerage fee $165.00 -> brokerage.
  • WE-0912, Warehouse E, Thursday 5 November 2026: Receiving and put-away, 1,250 units $120.00 -> inbound fees.
  • Not counted: BC-7714, Duty paid on your behalf $358.05, counted once, from entry E-118204.
  • Not counted: BC-7714, Customs processing fee paid on your behalf $32.00, counted once, from entry E-118204.
  • Totals: freight $1,200.00; insurance $61.20; duty and customs fees $390.05; brokerage $165.00; inbound fees $215.00. All charges $2,031.25.

Allocation

  • Freight $1,200.00 by weight (total basis 1,020 kg): MUG-01 270 kg = $317.65; BOWL-02 360 kg = $423.52; KNIFE-03 60 kg = $70.59; BOARD-04 330 kg = $388.24. Rounding: −$0.01 placed on BOWL-02, the largest basis.
  • Insurance $61.20 by value (total basis $5,100.00): MUG-01 $1,260.00 = $15.12; BOWL-02 $1,500.00 = $18.00; KNIFE-03 $1,350.00 = $16.20; BOARD-04 $990.00 = $11.88.
  • Duty and customs fees: from the entry, MUG-01 $100.80; BOWL-02 $210.00; KNIFE-03 $47.25; BOARD-04 $0.00. Total-only amounts $32.00 by value: MUG-01 $1,260.00 = $7.91; BOWL-02 $1,500.00 = $9.41; KNIFE-03 $1,350.00 = $8.47; BOARD-04 $990.00 = $6.21.
  • Brokerage $165.00 by value (total basis $5,100.00): MUG-01 $1,260.00 = $40.76; BOWL-02 $1,500.00 = $48.53; KNIFE-03 $1,350.00 = $43.68; BOARD-04 $990.00 = $32.03.
  • Inbound fees $215.00 by quantity (total basis 1,250 units): MUG-01 600 = $103.20; BOWL-02 200 = $34.40; KNIFE-03 150 = $25.80; BOARD-04 300 = $51.60.

Landed unit cost

  • MUG-01 Stoneware mug. Goods 600 x $2.10 = $1,260.00. Charges: freight $317.65, insurance $15.12, duty and customs fees $108.71, brokerage $40.76, inbound fees $103.20 = $585.44. Landed ($1,260.00 + $585.44) / 600 = $3.08 per unit, of which charges $0.98.
  • BOWL-02 Ceramic bowl set of four. Goods 200 x $7.50 = $1,500.00. Charges: freight $423.52, insurance $18.00, duty and customs fees $219.41, brokerage $48.53, inbound fees $34.40 = $743.86. Landed ($1,500.00 + $743.86) / 200 = $11.22 per unit, of which charges $3.72.
  • KNIFE-03 Chef's knife 20 cm. Goods 150 x $9.00 = $1,350.00. Charges: freight $70.59, insurance $16.20, duty and customs fees $55.72, brokerage $43.68, inbound fees $25.80 = $211.99. Landed ($1,350.00 + $211.99) / 150 = $10.41 per unit, of which charges $1.41.
  • BOARD-04 Bamboo chopping board. Goods 300 x $3.30 = $990.00. Charges: freight $388.24, insurance $11.88, duty and customs fees $6.21, brokerage $32.03, inbound fees $51.60 = $489.96. Landed ($990.00 + $489.96) / 300 = $4.93 per unit, of which charges $1.63.
  • Rounding check: landed unit costs x units received = $7,132.50, $1.25 above the shipment total of $7,131.25.

Against the recorded cost

  • KNIFE-03 Chef's knife 20 cm. Store shows no cost. Landed $10.41. Difference: none worked out, as the store shows no cost. Cost to enter (weighted average): $10.41 (nothing on hand before, so the landed unit cost). Margin at $39.00: no recorded cost; 73.3% at the cost to enter.
  • BOWL-02 Ceramic bowl set of four. Recorded $9.80. Landed $11.22. Difference $1.42 (14.5%): above recorded by more than 5%. Cost to enter (weighted average): $11.06 ((25 x $9.80 + 200 x $11.22) / 225 = $2,489.00 / 225). Margin at $32.00: 69.4% at the recorded cost; 65.4% at the cost to enter, below the 66% floor (question 2).
  • BOARD-04 Bamboo chopping board. Recorded $4.40. Landed $4.93. Difference $0.53 (12.0%): above recorded by more than 5%. Cost to enter (weighted average): $4.84 ((60 x $4.40 + 300 x $4.93) / 360 = $1,743.00 / 360). Margin at $18.00: 75.6% at the recorded cost; 73.1% at the cost to enter.
  • MUG-01 Stoneware mug. Recorded $3.10. Landed $3.08. Difference −$0.02 (−0.6%): within 5%. Cost to enter (weighted average): $3.08 ((80 x $3.10 + 600 x $3.08) / 680 = $2,096.00 / 680). Margin at $12.00: 74.2% at the recorded cost; 74.3% at the cost to enter.

Questions for the broker

  1. The owner asks why the bamboo chopping boards show no duty. Entry E-118204, line 4, shows BOARD-04 with an entered value of $990.00 and duty of $0.00, and the worksheet uses $0.00. Recorded as entered; not answered here.

Questions for the owner

  1. KNIFE-03 Chef's knife 20 cm has no cost in the store, so until one is entered the store's margin reports treat it as costing nothing. Nothing was on hand before this shipment, so its cost to enter is its landed unit cost, $10.41. Do you approve $10.41 as its cost?
  2. BOWL-02 Ceramic bowl set of four sells at $32.00. Its margin is 69.4% at the recorded cost of $9.80 and 65.4% at the cost to enter of $11.06, below your 66% floor. Its landed unit cost is $11.22, of which charges are $3.72. What do you want done?

Draft cost updates

DRAFT, NOT ENTERED. For the bookkeeper, once the owner approves.

  • KNIFE-03 Chef's knife 20 cm: recorded none -> $10.41 (weighted average).
  • BOWL-02 Ceramic bowl set of four: recorded $9.80 -> $11.06 (weighted average).
  • BOARD-04 Bamboo chopping board: recorded $4.40 -> $4.84 (weighted average).
  • MUG-01 Stoneware mug: recorded $3.10 -> $3.08 (weighted average).
  • For the books: shipment SA-0457, inventory value $7,131.25 = goods $5,100.00 + freight $1,200.00 + insurance $61.20 + duty and customs fees $390.05 + brokerage $165.00 + inbound fees $215.00.
  • Approved to enter: ______________ Date: ________

Draft for the owner's decision. No cost has been changed in the store or the books, no invoice has been paid, and no customs question has been answered.

Where it fits

  • Supply chain and inventory: the cost of each unit of stock, built up from the shipment that brought it.
  • Finance and accounting: the stock value for the books and the gross margin by product, worked out the same way every time.
  • E-commerce and retail: online stores that import what they sell and price it from a cost they can trust.
  • Consumer brands: brands that have their products made abroad and ship them in by container.
  • Logistics and trade: trading businesses that buy overseas and sell online, where freight and duty are a large share of cost.
  • Growth and scaling: when shipments arrive too often to cost by hand in a spreadsheet.
  • Established businesses: when product costs were set years ago and freight and duty have moved since.

It sits beside the inventory reorder plan, which decides what to order next, and supplier spend analysis, which looks at spend across a whole period. Checking the bills before they are paid is supplier bill review and payment run preparation.

What has to change for your company

  • Your export's column headers, set once so the check passes without a question.
  • Your method for each charge type, for example freight by weight and insurance by value.
  • Your costing method, latest landed cost or weighted average, agreed with your accountant.
  • The taxes your books reclaim, such as import VAT or GST, so they are kept out of product cost.
  • Your flag and your floor: how big a cost change is worth flagging, and the lowest margin you accept.
  • Who approves and who enters, and whether a large cost change needs a second approver.
  • Your AI product. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini from the files you supply. It needs no connection to your store, your books or your broker, changes nothing and never asks for a password.

What has been checked

Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template in its own words, drawing on a published cost-tracking method credited with it. It was editorially reviewed on 10 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example on 10 November 2026 in two runs in Claude, the second after small clarifications to its instructions; the record is published with it and notes that both runs followed a clean path, so none of the stop conditions was exercised. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.

Testing in your environment means running it on two or three past shipments your bookkeeper has already costed, plus hard cases written in advance, each with its expected behavior: a renamed column, a short delivery, duty passed on by the broker as well as shown on the entry, an invoice in another currency, a late receiving invoice. The bookkeeper checks every figure against the invoices before anyone approves a cost. Pilot acceptance-test preparation builds that test set, and What we test before we call an AI workflow ready shows the record.

The full capability template

Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.

View the full template

Free with an account. Sign in by email: no password and no card.

Next step

Bring a real piece of this work to a call. We’ll walk through what it takes to fit this capability to your rules, prove it on your work and put it in the hands of the roles that own it.

Talk with us Discuss adapting this

  • Inventory reorder plan

    The store owner or buyer gets one plan from the latest sales and stock exports: each item's sales rate, the day it could run out, its reorder point and safety stock, what to order, what is not moving, and a draft purchase order per supplier. Nothing is ordered until a person approves.

  • Supplier spend analysis

    From one accounts-payable export, the finance or operations lead sees where the money goes: spend cleaned and grouped by category and supplier, the few suppliers that take most of it, the tail, needs bought from several suppliers and consolidation opportunities, each with its figures. A person decides what to act on.

  • Supplier bill review and payment-run preparation

    Before each payment run, the person who approves it gets one sheet: every supplier bill checked against its purchase order and what was received, duplicates and changed bank details stopped, credits shown, and a proposed run with its total. Nothing is paid until a person approves.