A clearer starting point

Explore the value of automation.

Build a business case from your own assumptions. Compare time released, operating costs and potential payback.

Illustrative inputs · Replace with your estimates

Current task hours per monthTotal team time on this workflow.Loaded hourly labor cost (USD)Your own salary and overhead assumption.Potential task time automated (%)Share of the work suitable for automation.Expected adoption (%)Share of eligible work using the new workflow.Human review of automated time (%)Time still needed to check the automated work.Monthly operating cost (USD)Your assumed tools, hosting and support cost.One-time implementation cost (USD)Your own planning assumption, not a service quote.

Estimated monthly capacity

128hours

Time potentially released after adoption and review assumptions.

Monthly capacity value: $3,200
Monthly value less operating costs: $2,700
First-year net modeled value: $27,400
Modeled first-year ROI: 249%
Simple payback: 1.9 months

Released time is capacity, not guaranteed cash savings. The estimate assumes constant monthly use and excludes ramp-up, taxes and financing. Real value depends on whether the released capacity can be used productively.

How the estimate works

Released hours = current hours × automation share × adoption share × (1 − review share).

Monthly capacity value = released hours × hourly labor cost.

First-year net value = 12 × (monthly capacity value − monthly operating cost) − initial cost.

ROI = first-year net value ÷ (initial cost + 12 × monthly operating cost). Payback = initial cost ÷ positive monthly net value.