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Automation ROI calculator
Put in how often a task happens, how long it takes and what an hour costs you. See the monthly saving, the payback period and the break-even point, before anyone quotes you for a build.
Answering quote requests
Net saving a month
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This is an estimate. The saving only counts if the freed hours go to something useful; decide what before you build.
How it works
01
Time spent now
Times a week × 52 ÷ 12 gives the runs a month. Runs × minutes per run ÷ 60 gives hours a month. Errors are runs × error rate, and each one costs the minutes it takes to fix.
02
What the automation takes off
Hours saved = share handled × (runs × (minutes per run − minutes still spent checking) ÷ 60 + error-fixing hours). It assumes automated runs do not produce the manual errors.
03
Money
Saving a month = hours saved × hourly cost. Net saving = saving − monthly running cost. Payback = build cost ÷ net saving. The 12-month figure is net saving × 12 − build cost.
04
Then sanity-check it
If payback is longer than a year, look for a smaller first slice or a busier task. If the net saving is negative, the task is too small or too rare to automate yet.
Questions
How accurate is this calculator?
It is as accurate as the numbers you put in. Time a task a few times rather than guessing, and count how often it really happens in a normal week. The result is an estimate to help you decide whether a project is worth scoping, not a promise.
Why does it ask what share of the task the automation would handle?
Almost no automation handles every case. Odd requests, missing information and anything sensitive usually still go to a person. If you are not sure, use 60 to 80 percent for a well-defined task and less for a messy one.
What should I put as the hourly cost?
What an hour of that person’s time really costs you: wage plus overheads such as benefits, equipment and office space. If you do the task yourself, use what your hour is worth on paying work.
What counts as a running cost?
Everything you pay each month to keep the automation going: the automation platform, AI model usage, hosting, and any maintenance plan. Ask for this figure before you agree to any build.
The saving looks big. Is it real?
Only if the freed hours go to something useful. If a person saves eight hours a month but those hours just disappear into the day, the business has not saved anything. Decide in advance what the time will be used for.
The next step
Want a person to look at your result?
A free tool gives you a first answer. The AI Workflow Automation service turns it into a plan for your business, with a fixed quote before any build.