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Workflow Automation ROI Calculator
Headcount, hours, hourly cost. Annual savings, payback, and the cost of leaving it manual — no signup.
Your potential savings
Annual cost of manual work
€260,000
Based on your current workflow
Estimated annual savings
€182,000
70% reduction in manual work
ROI percentage
3,540%
Investment: processes × €1,000
Payback period
10 days
Time to recover the initial investment
How this calculator works
The math is the same one we use on discovery calls. Labor cost of the manual work, a savings rate you can defend, and a simple build estimate of €1,000 per process.
Annual cost = employees × hours/week × hourly cost × 52
Annual savings = annual cost × (savings rate / 100)
Investment = processes × €1,000
ROI% = (annual savings − investment) / investment × 100
Payback = investment / (annual savings / 12)
Change any input and the results update. Default savings rate is 70% (range 50–90%).
What the numbers mean
- Annual cost is what those hours cost you today, fully loaded at the hourly rate you entered.
- Annual savings is that cost × your savings rate — not 100%, because some review and exceptions stay human.
- ROI% is first-year return against a €1,000-per-process build estimate. Real quotes can be higher or lower.
- Payback is months (or days) until the build cost is covered by monthly savings.
- The bars are before/after annual labor cost. After = annual cost − annual savings.
This is a planning model, not an invoice. Error reduction, faster cycle time, and revenue lift are not in the formula — they usually make the case stronger. For the full write-up, see the methodology article.
FAQ
How is ROI calculated?
Annual labor cost of the manual work, times your savings rate, minus a €1,000-per-process investment, divided by that investment. The five formulas sit in the box above so you can audit them without reading the script.
What is included — and what isn’t?
Included: headcount × hours/week × hourly cost × 52, a savings rate, and a flat build estimate. Not included: software subscriptions, change management, error costs, or extra revenue from faster response. Those belong in a scoped proposal, not this widget.
Why is the savings rate 50–90% (default 70%)?
Full replacement of a human process is rare. 70% is a defensible default when the work is repetitive and rule-based. Drop toward 50% if judgment is heavy. Push toward 90% only when the path is already documented and exceptions are rare.
How should I read payback?
Payback is investment divided by monthly savings. Under a month is common when hours are high and the build is a handful of processes. If payback stretches past a year, the process may be too light, too messy, or priced wrong — don’t automate it yet.
Why €1,000 per process?
It is a planning stub for a contained workflow (one trigger, a few steps, existing tools). Complex CRM or AI decisioning costs more. Use it to size the conversation, then get a real quote. See agency pricing for ranges.
When should we not automate?
When the process is undocumented, happens a few times a month, or is the actual craft of the business. Automating a broken path just fails faster. Map it on paper first. If the hours are real and the path is stable, run the numbers here, then book a discovery call.