Automation ROI calculator

1. Describe your monthly workload, manual time per task and loaded hourly labor cost.
2. Set the share of tasks automated, remaining review time, maintenance effort and costs. Enter only the share of capacity value that can actually reduce spending.
3. Review monthly capacity and cash outcomes separately. Change the horizon and download the inputs, results and formulas.

The illustrative starting model processes 1,000 tasks at eight minutes each. Automating 70%, with one minute of review per automated task and four maintenance hours, frees about 77.7 hours per month. With 0% converted to reduced spending, payroll savings remain zero; $150 monthly operating costs still apply.

Illustrative planning model, not a quote or evidence of achieved results. All currency fields use USD; the model contains no vendor prices or live rates.

Baseline hours = volume × manual minutes ÷ 60. After hours = non-automated work + review of automated tasks + maintenance. Freed hours = baseline − after hours. Review time applies only to automated tasks.

Capacity value = freed hours × loaded hourly rate. Positive capacity value becomes reduced spending only at your chosen cash-conversion percentage. Extra labor is counted as a cost even when this percentage is zero.

Monthly net cash = realized labor savings − monthly operating cost. Net cash over the horizon subtracts the one-time build cost as well. Simple payback = build cost ÷ positive monthly net cash. No positive cash flow means no payback in this model.

ROI compares net cash over the chosen horizon with build, operating and any extra labor costs. When modeled costs are zero, a percentage is undefined. The model assumes constant monthly volumes and no ramp-up; it excludes taxes, financing, discounting and unmodeled incidents or transition costs. Add a reserve to your cost assumptions where appropriate.