Cost Benchmarking Basic (vs. Full Analytical Cornerstone)

Cost Benchmarking Basic is a limited version of Fastmarkets’ full Cost Benchmarking database (Analytical Cornerstone). It is designed to give users of certain Fastmarkets' short‑term forecast packages a streamlined view of mill‑level cash cost competitiveness without the full depth, flexibility, and historical traceability of Analytical Cornerstone.

It is also available as percentage averages in the Index Builder, depending on subscription.

Key Differences Between Cost Benchmarking Basic and Full Analytical Cornerstone

1. Level of Detail

• Basic: Shows cost by mill by product only.
  → You cannot select cost by machine.
• Full AC: Allows cost by machine, mill, grade, product, and market‑level views.

2. Time Coverage

• Basic: Displays only the latest full quarter available.
  → No historical data is available.
• Full AC: Provides full historical coverage by cost date and balance date (quarterly updates + historical operational configurations).

3. Cost Breakdown

Depending on the subscription:

If the user has only short‑term forecasts:
→ Basic shows only total cash cost for each mill/product.
→ No visibility into cost categories.

If the user has long‑term forecasts:
→ Basic shows cash cost per category, including:

• Fiber
• Chemicals
• Energy
• Labor
• Maintenance

Full Analytical Cornerstone: Always displays detailed cost breakdowns, including:

• Fiber categories, recovered fiber grades
• Chemicals detail (e.g., caustic, starch, fillers)
• Energy type breakdown
• Labor and maintenance with modeled adjustments
• Delivered cost and unit cost structure
• Scenario modeling and custom market capabilities
• In addition, Direct cost (capital cost) and Total cost (overhead, SG&A)

4. Grade & Region Availability

Basic: Only shows costs for grades included in the user’s forecast package.
→ If a subscription covers only certain pulp, paper or packaging grades, only those will be visible.

Full Analytical Cornerstone: Provides all grades and deep cross‑comparisons across markets included in the user's package.

5. Cost Curve Availability

• Some grades/products in Cost Benchmarking Basic do not display a cost curve due to subscription, data availability, or model limitations.
• Full Analytical Cornerstone always provides:
  • Cost curves
  • Emissions curves (Scope 1 & 2)
  • Energy curves
  • Market-level comparisons