# How to Add Labor and Other Costs to an Assembly in Unleashed

> Add labor, packaging and contractor charges to Unleashed assemblies as Never Diminishing Products or Supplier Costs, so assembled stock carries its full cost.

- URL: https://logistify.ai/guides/unleashed/assembly-costs/
- Section: Unleashed Guides, Assemblies & BOM
- Applies to: Unleashed Core, Pro
- Steps checked against: Unleashed Help Centre articles, checked 23 October 2026
- Updated: 2026-10-23

**Short answer:** To add labor and other costs to an assembly in Unleashed, either put a Never Diminishing Product on the Bill of Materials, for standard costs per unit, or add a Supplier Cost on the Assembly, for charges known only when you assemble or billed by a supplier. Both raise the Assembly's total cost and the assembled product's Average Landed Cost, so sales margins include them. With Xero or QuickBooks connected, both export as journals or bills.

## Before you start

- Assemblies and bills of materials are part of Unleashed's Production & Manufacturing module. Unleashed's pricing pages list it as free on Unleashed Pro and an optional module on Unleashed Core: £49 a month in the UK, A$69 in Australia, NZ$69 in New Zealand and US$69 in the US, excluding applicable taxes (checked 23 October 2026).
- Decide which method fits each cost. Use a Never Diminishing Product (NDP) on the BOM when the cost is standard for every build, scales with the quantity assembled, and is an internal expense.
- Use a Supplier Cost on the Assembly when the cost is only known at assembly, is a fixed amount whatever the quantity, or is charged by a supplier.
- A supplier must already exist as a supplier record before you can add a Supplier Cost for them.
- If you are connected to Xero, QuickBooks or Access Financials, each NDP used on a BOM or Assembly needs an Expense Account.

## Step 1: Create a Never Diminishing Product for standard costs

1. Go to Inventory > Products and click Add Product.
2. Enter a Product Code and Description, for example a labor or packaging charge.
3. In the Details tab, under Type, turn on Never Diminishing.
4. In the Sale tab, enter a default Cost. It becomes the component's Unit Cost on a BOM.
5. If you are connected to an accounting system, set the Expense Account in the Details tab.
6. Click Save. The product holds no stock, so it never runs out.

## Step 2: Add the NDP to the Bill of Materials

1. Open the assembled product's BOM.
2. Select the NDP in the Component Product field, enter the Quantity per assembled unit, and click Add.
3. The NDP's Cost fills the Unit Cost. You can change it on this BOM. Later changes to the NDP's Cost don't update the BOM.
4. An Expense Account column appears for the NDP. It defaults from the product record and can be changed per BOM.
5. Every Assembly created from the BOM now includes the cost.

## Step 3: Add a Supplier Cost to the Assembly

1. Open the Assembly while it is Parked and select the Supplier Costs tab.
2. Select the supplier in the Supplier field.
3. Enter the tax-exclusive amount in Cost.
4. Tick Taxable if tax applies. The supplier's default tax rate is used.
5. If the supplier bills in another currency, check the Exchange Rate. It fills from your currency settings and can be changed per Assembly.
6. Enter the Cost Date, the supplier's Reference and any Comments. The date and reference go to your accounting system with the bill.
7. Click Add. Add more Supplier Costs as needed. While the Assembly is Parked, you can edit them or delete them with the bin icon.

## Step 4: Complete the Assembly

1. Check the Assembly's Total Cost, which includes component costs and Supplier Costs.
2. Select Complete. Unleashed updates stock and recalculates the assembled product's Average Landed Cost to include these costs.
3. With Xero, each Supplier Cost creates a draft payable and each NDP credits its Expense account. With QuickBooks, each Supplier Cost creates a bill and each NDP credits its Expense account. Both increase the Stock on Hand account.

To see how the higher cost flows into margins, see [How to see sales margins by product and customer](https://logistify.ai/guides/unleashed/sales-margins-report/). For what syncs to Xero, see [How to connect Unleashed to Xero](https://logistify.ai/guides/unleashed/connect-xero/).

## Step 5: Check the costs in reports

- Costing Analysis Report (Reports > Purchases): filter Transaction Type to Assembly. Trans Unit Cost shows the cost per unit including Supplier Costs. Compare it with Pre and Post Avg Cost.
- Transaction Enquiry (Reports > Inventory): filter Transaction Type to Assembly In. Value shows the total cost including Supplier Costs. NDP values show under Assembly Out.
- View Assemblies: the Total Cost column includes Supplier Costs and NDPs.
- Reports reflect these costs only after the Assembly is completed.

## If something doesn't look right

- A component's cost field is grayed out on the Assembly: its Unit Cost comes from the product's current ALC and updates as stock is received, until the Assembly is completed.
- A component cost looks too high: review the product's transaction history and cost details for receipts or adjustments that moved its ALC.
- Components cost less after a Disassembly than expected: Disassembly recalculates costs rather than restoring the originals. Unleashed suggests a Stock Adjustment instead, then a Stock Revaluation to correct costs.
- Nothing exported to your accounting system: the Assembly needs Supplier Costs or NDPs to create exportable journals.
- QuickBooks shows "Purchase account must be set for never diminishing product": assign a Purchase Account on the NDP, save, and export again.

## Where Unleashed leaves the work to you

- Standard costs on NDPs are only as good as the rates you enter. When labor or packaging rates change, someone updates the BOMs, because the BOM keeps its own Unit Cost.
- Supplier Costs have to be keyed onto each Assembly before it is completed. A completed Assembly can't be edited.
- Expense Accounts on NDPs have to match your chart of accounts in Xero or QuickBooks.
- Unleashed records the cost. Deciding whether sell prices still cover it is up to you.

## Where Logistify fits

Logistify doesn't add costs to assemblies or post assembly costs to Xero or QuickBooks. It works on the order side: the [Sales Order Service](https://logistify.ai/agents/sales-order/) enters customer orders into Unleashed as sales orders, at the buyer's stated price or, if the order has none, the customer's Unleashed sell price tier.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I add labor cost to an assembly in Unleashed?

Create a Never Diminishing Product for labor with a default Cost and add it to the Bill of Materials as a component. For a contractor's invoice, add it as a Supplier Cost on the Assembly instead.

### Should I use a Never Diminishing Product or a Supplier Cost?

Use an NDP for a standard internal cost that scales with quantity. Use a Supplier Cost for a charge known only at assembly, a fixed amount, or one billed by a supplier.

### Do assembly costs change the product's average landed cost?

Yes. When the Assembly is completed, its total cost, including NDPs and Supplier Costs, goes into the assembled product's Average Landed Cost.

### Do Supplier Costs create bills in Xero or QuickBooks?

Yes. Each Supplier Cost creates a draft payable in Xero or a bill in QuickBooks, using the Cost Date and Reference from the Assembly.

### Can I change an NDP's cost on one BOM only?

Yes. Edit the Unit Cost on that BOM. The BOM keeps its own value even if the NDP's Cost changes later.

## Sources

- [Unleashed: Assembly Costs](https://help-unleashed.theaccessgroup.com/en/articles/11582021-assembly-costs)
- [Unleashed: Troubleshoot assembly cost and BOM quantity-related issues](https://help-unleashed.theaccessgroup.com/en/articles/12587151-troubleshoot-assembly-cost-and-bom-quantity-related-issues)
- [Unleashed: Never Diminishing Products (NDP)](https://help-unleashed.theaccessgroup.com/en/articles/11581962-never-diminishing-products-ndp)
- [Unleashed: Bill of Materials](https://help-unleashed.theaccessgroup.com/en/articles/11582022-bill-of-materials)
- [Unleashed: Assemblies and Sub-Assemblies](https://help-unleashed.theaccessgroup.com/en/articles/11582013-assemblies-and-sub-assemblies)
- [Unleashed: Pricing (UK)](https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/en-gb/pricing/)
- [Unleashed: Pricing (Australia)](https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/en-au/pricing/)
- [Unleashed: Pricing (New Zealand)](https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/en-nz/pricing/)
- [Unleashed: Pricing (US)](https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/en-us/pricing/)