# Is a dimensioning system worth it? Benefits, costs and payback *Weigh benefits and costs and calculate the payback with your own numbers* When an automatic dimensioning system pays off: where the benefit comes from, what hardware and subscription cost, and a calculator for payback with your own numbers. Canonical: https://metrilus.com/en/knowledge/dimensioning-system-roi Alternate (de): https://metrilus.com/de/wissen/wirtschaftlichkeit-volumenmessung --- Whether a dimensioning system pays off depends on your numbers: how many shipments you measure, how often back-charges hit you and how much time measuring by hand costs. On the other side are the one-time investment in hardware and installation and the annual subscription. With the calculator on this page, you enter your own values. We do not quote a flat price. The price depends on the product line, installation type, optional modules and location, and you get it with the quote. ## Where the benefit comes from *What you gain* - **Fewer back-charges:** You know the dimensions and volumetric weight of every shipment before the carrier re-measures. - **Less working time:** The measurement takes around 200 milliseconds and runs with the scan, instead of someone measuring with a tape measure and typing in values. - **Better planned load space:** You plan loads with real dimensions instead of the details on the delivery note. - **Fewer invoice disputes:** Every measurement comes with a photo that documents the condition of the shipment. The first two points are easy to put a figure on, which is why the calculator uses them. It does not include load space and disputes. ## Investment and subscription *What it costs* MetriXFreight has a one-time cost for the hardware and the installation. On top of that, there is an annual subscription for software and service. It covers ongoing monitoring of measurement quality with notes on recalibration, predictive maintenance, and remote maintenance and support during business hours. The subscription tier depends on the number of sensors in the system. We add options such as the NSP Detection software module for non-stackable pallets or a legal-for-trade variant to your quote for your product line and location. ## Why is the subscription part of it? You pay for hardware and installation once, and MetriXFreight runs with an active subscription. It keeps the system up to date in operation: measurement quality is monitored continuously, improvements to evaluation and calibration arrive as updates, and remote maintenance and support help when there is a fault. That is why the calculator lists the subscription as an ongoing cost next to the one-time investment. ## Calculate payback ### How the calculator works - Shipments per year = shipments per day × working days per year - Avoided back-charges = shipments per year × share with back-charge × avoidable share × average back-charge - Saved labor = shipments per year × seconds of manual measuring ÷ 3600 × hourly rate - Net per year = avoided back-charges + saved labor − subscription per year - Payback in months = investment ÷ net per year × 12 You enter every value yourself. Investment and subscription are in your quote. The calculator does not include load space, disputes or photo evidence. ## Check throughput and processes Four simulations show how measuring affects throughput, travel and working time: - [Measure standing still or driving through?](/en/knowledge/measure-standing-or-driving-through) - [Static pallet dimensioning: what the stop costs](/en/knowledge/static-pallet-dimensioning-what-the-stop-costs) - [Parcel station: what the measuring cycle costs](/en/knowledge/parcel-station-what-the-measuring-cycle-costs) - [Master data capture: what do frame and corner stop cost?](/en/knowledge/master-data-capture-what-frame-and-corner-cost) How back-charges arise is explained on the page [Calculate volumetric weight](/en/knowledge/calculate-volumetric-weight). Which criteria count besides cost is shown in [Choosing a dimensioning system](/en/knowledge/choose-a-dimensioning-system). ## Frequently asked questions about cost-effectiveness ### Is a dimensioning system worth it for a freight forwarder? A dimensioning system is worth it for a freight forwarder if avoided back-charges and saved working time cover the investment and the subscription within a reasonable time. It depends on the number of shipments, how often back-charges occur and the time spent measuring by hand. The more shipments are billed by volumetric weight, the more likely it pays off. Use the calculator on this page to check this with your numbers. ### What ROI is realistic for freight dimensioning systems? There is no flat value, because volumes, rates and processes vary widely. The calculator shows after how many months the investment pays off with your values, and we are glad to work through it with you in the quote. ### What does an automatic pallet dimensioning system cost? The costs consist of hardware and installation as a one-time cost and an annual subscription for software and service. You get the price with the quote, depending on product line, installation type, optional modules and location. ### How quickly does a DWS system pay for itself? A DWS system has paid for itself once avoided back-charges and saved working time, minus the subscription, have covered the investment. How long that takes depends on your numbers. Enter them into the calculator and you see the payback in months. ### Is it worth upgrading from manual to automatic measuring? An upgrade is worth it if measuring by hand costs a lot of time or leads to back-charges. Measured automatically, you save this time and avoid typing errors in the dimensions. Use the calculator to work out how much that adds up to for you.