Okay, I must tell you something that blew my mind. Just this week, two different people casually mentioned that pumpkin spice lattes are coming back soon, and they’re already thinking about Halloween decorations.

September is here — and let’s be honest, we’re all feeling a little of the back-to-school blues. The long days of summer are winding down, vacations are over, and routines are back in full swing. But instead of sinking into post-summer sadness, let’s lighten the mood together.

Dear SPCEA Community - I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you!!  My first book, Authentically Yours: The Global Woman’s Guide to Confident, Cross-Cultural Leadership, officially launches on December 1, 2026.

Knowledge is power, but how would you know whether more or new knowledge is needed? What if you were convinced that the knowledge you had was, in fact, the best and only knowledge you needed? Would you refuse to seek new knowledge and resist its merits? Based on human history, the answer is probably yes. As much as human civilization has advanced in the last several thousand years, change has always been resisted with fervor. From the advent of cars over horse buggies to the recent advent of AI, most people have always preferred to stay within their comfort zone of well-established social and technological structure. Costing has not been any different.

As the demand for cost engineers continues to grow, understanding the academic backgrounds that hiring managers seek has become increasingly important. In a recent survey conducted by SPCEA, we explored the educational qualifications preferred by employers when hiring cost engineers. The results offer valuable insights into the qualifications that are most valued in this profession.

Hey everyone! It’s Halloween week and I believe it is the perfect opportunity to talk about Leadership.

An accountant, a financial analyst, and a cost estimator walk into a bar. They sit down on the stools at the counter.

For those lucky enough to have had careers in the automotive industry, Long-Term Agreements (LTAs) are as common as cars themselves. Most consider them a normal part of doing business. They are meant to provide suppliers with assurances of volumes over the full life of the program in exchange for steady supply and cost reductions for the customers. It’s standard practice for the suppliers to offer customers LTAs in the form of annual price reductions (or rebates) over program life and/or an upfront lump sum payment before the start of production (SOP). The larger the price decreases or lump sum payments, the better for the customers. The supplier sales team is happy to win the business, and the customer purchasing team is happy to bring savings to their company every year. Except that none of it is real.

I had some time to reflect and do a bit of research on key trends over the holiday.

The product cost engineer plays a crucial role in ensuring efficient product design, production processes and cost-effective operations within manufacturing settings. Here are ten important skills that I think every product cost engineer should possess: