1
Where do the baseline staff rates used in the model come from?
Baseline rates are sourced from the Management Dashboard Global Breakeven Rates. East Asia rates are provided separately.
2
What assumptions are made about disciplines and team composition?
There are no built-in team composition assumptions. Users define the team structure in Team Blender, and the model assumes staff within the same grade and location use the same rate.
3
Can I amend the overhead percentages used?
Not directly. Team Blender uses the breakeven rate (SAL + OH) for each grade and location.
4
What currencies are available?
Team Blender supports 36 currencies sourced from Arup Data Services (ADS), with exchange rate data updated annually in line with ADS.
Financial-year exchange rate data is available from 2024-2025 onward.
Available currencies are:
AED (UAE Dirham), AUD (Australian Dollar), BRL (Brazilian Real), CAD (Canadian Dollar), CNY (Chinese Yuan),
COP (Colombian Peso), DKK (Danish Krone), EUR (Euro), GBP (Pound Sterling), HKD (Hong Kong Dollar),
IDR (Indonesian Rupiah), INR (Indian Rupee), JPY (Japanese Yen), KES (Kenyan Shilling), KRW (South Korean Won),
KWD (Kuwaiti Dinar), MOP (Macanese Pataca), MUR (Mauritian Rupee), MXN (Mexican Peso), MYR (Malaysian Ringgit),
MZN (Mozambican Metical), NZD (New Zealand Dollar), PHP (Philippine Peso), PLN (Polish Zloty), QAR (Qatari Riyal),
RON (Romanian Leu), RSD (Serbian Dinar), RUB (Russian Ruble), SAR (Saudi Riyal), SGD (Singapore Dollar),
THB (Thai Baht), TRY (Turkish Lira), TWD (New Taiwan Dollar), USD (US Dollar), VND (Vietnamese Dong), and ZAR (South African Rand).
5
Can I amend the currency exchange rates?
No. Currency exchange rates are managed centrally from ADS data and are not editable in Team Blender.
6
How do I view the rates used for each grade?
On the world map, open the office tile and click the three-dot menu next to the office name to view grade-level rates and office details.
7
How does the inflation calculation work?
Each office has a default annual inflation rate, which you can view from the office tile menu.
The latest available financial year is treated as the base year, and Team Blender supports up to 10 future forecast years.
Future-year rates are calculated using: base_year_rate * (1 + inflation_rate) ** additional_years.
For example, a rate forecast three years ahead is calculated as base_year_rate * (1 + inflation_rate) ** 3.
8
Can I amend the office inflation rate?
Yes. In the office tile, use the pencil icon to enter a custom inflation rate and click Save. To return to the default office inflation rate, click the sync icon to reset the custom value.
9
How can I save my model data?
Use the export function to download your model data as a CSV file.
10
What level of precision does the app use in its calculations?
On the user interface, all values are displayed to two decimal places and rounded accordingly. This includes currency exchange rates, office average costs, and figures shown in the summary panel, ensuring clarity and consistency for users. However, when exporting data to CSV, a higher level of precision is retained to support further analysis. Currency exchange rates are provided to seven decimal places, and blended cost calculations are recorded to six decimal places. This approach balances readability on the interface with analytical accuracy in the exported data.