Total cost of ownership (TCO) considers all direct and indirect costs associated with purchasing, owning, and disposing of a good or service from a supplier. TCO includes acquisition costs, ownership costs like maintenance and downtime, and post-ownership costs like warranty repairs or environmental impact. Calculating TCO allows managers to make informed supplier selection and negotiation decisions based on the total lifetime costs rather than just the purchase price. TCO analysis provides benefits like improved performance measurement, decision making, communication, insight, and support for continuous improvement efforts. However, cultural resistance to change, lack of education and resources can present barriers to implementing a TCO approach.
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