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How do I create an Index in the Index Builder?

Written by heide matussek

Updated at October 28th, 2025

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Table of Contents

How do I create an Index in the Index Builder? Index Name Cost basis selection

How do I create an Index in the Index Builder?

There are several ways to create an Index with your desired options:

1. Select from the library of index templates

  • Specific to packaging type, material used, and other indicators.
  • Benchmark portion (%) of package price corresponding to material based on external research.

2. Build an index from scratch

  • Navigate directly to edit, without any pre-populated selections.

3. Quick navigation via saved library

  • As indices are built, it populates a library below the template menu, which offers one-click navigation to each one of them.
  • Users may delete saved indices by clicking x.
 

Index Name

 
The Index Name will be the only identifier from the Library Landing Page. Saving the index under a unique Index Name is required and allows you to easily find your index in the saved library. At least one character needs to be added to the index names of existing indices in order to be able to use it.

Cost basis selection

Regional average drives the region/country for which price and cash cost will be shown. Company/Mill will show evolution of cash cost of the selected option.
Cost Driver determines which price assessment(s) will be used, depending on the grade(s) selected, in combination with the selection under REGION above.

Materials percentage should only reflect the part of the paper(board) cost to the converter (in form of sheeted paper(board) for those that are usually sold in this format). 

You may ask your converter/corrugator for the breakdown between his paper material and converting cost to update the Materials and Converting percentage. Overhead/Profit/Other will calculate automatically to reach 100% in total.

Converting and Overhead/Profit/Other remain flat values throughout the contract period in the Index Builder. E.g. a contract starting at $100/1,000 pc, 15% of which covers converting costs, will maintain a $15 converting cost throughout the contract period. Fastmarkets does not have enough insight into the evolution of the converting cost to show it in detail.

The Start Date Month and Start Date Year can be based on current supplier contract start or last contractual cost adjustment.

It can also be chosen based on the period that you would like to compare (we only show historical data).

Contract Costs can be based on original package unit cost or on last contractual cost adjustment. It can also be built to show simple percentage changes by entering 100 and Index rather than a currency

create an index new index open index

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