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.