Automation ROI Calculator
Enter how a task is done today and what automating it would cost. Get a transparent estimate of your annual savings, break-even month, and three-year return — no email required to see it.
STEP 1
Tell us about the task today
How many people do it, how long one occurrence takes, and how often it happens per week or month.
STEP 2
Tell us what automating it would cost
A one-time implementation cost, an ongoing monthly software cost, and any human maintenance time it will still need.
STEP 3
Get transparent numbers, not a black box
Current annual labour cost, hours and dollars saved, break-even month, and 3-year ROI — plus conservative and optimistic scenarios so you know the range, not just one number.
Example scenarios
Manual invoice data entry
2 people, 15 minutes per invoice, 40 invoices a week, $35/hr loaded cost, 75% automatable with a $3,000 implementation and $80/month software cost — typically breaks even in 3-5 months.
Client onboarding paperwork
1 person, 45 minutes per new client, 8 clients a month, $45/hr loaded cost, 60% automatable with a $6,000 implementation cost — often takes 12-18 months to break even, which the calculator will show plainly rather than hide.
Assumptions & methodology
- Labour cost should be the fully loaded hourly cost (wages plus taxes/benefits/overhead), not just take-home pay — using base salary alone will understate your real savings.
- The automation percentage is your estimate of how much of the task the automation will handle end-to-end, not how much cheaper the tool claims to be. Be conservative if you are unsure.
- The conservative scenario applies a 0.7x multiplier to your automation percentage and the optimistic scenario applies a 1.15x multiplier (both capped at 100%) — you can override these in Advanced assumptions.
- Ongoing maintenance hours are converted to a dollar cost using the same hourly loaded cost you entered for the task itself.
- Break-even is calculated over a 5-year (60-month) horizon. If your inputs never recoup the implementation cost within that window, we report it as "not reached" rather than guessing further out.
- These are estimates based on the numbers you provide, not guarantees. Real results depend on execution, change management, and vendor performance.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to give you my email to see results?
No. Results are shown immediately after you submit the form. We only ask for an email if you want a copy of your results emailed to you or want to discuss implementation.
What if my task doesn’t have a clean weekly or monthly frequency?
Estimate the closest average. The calculator is meant to give you a directionally solid number to plan with, not a precise audit.
Why do you show three scenarios instead of one number?
Automation projects rarely hit their target adoption rate exactly. Showing a conservative and optimistic case alongside your expected case gives you an honest range instead of a single number that looks more certain than it is.
Can I share my results with a colleague?
Yes — after you submit the form you get a private, shareable results link. It is not indexed by search engines and does not include your name or email.
Plan the rest of your automation
Once you have the numbers, line up the next decision.
Learn how automation ROI is calculated
The formulas behind the calculator, two fully worked examples, and the mistakes that inflate estimates.
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