Worth investigating.
The repeated path is clear enough to scope. Use the setup-spend limit to avoid overbuilding the solution.
Free automation ROI + payback calculator
Is this manual process worth fixing?
Put real numbers on one repetitive job. See what it costs each year, what 25%, 50% or 75% less manual work would be worth, and how much you could sensibly spend on a fix while still hitting your payback target.
Example process checkDecision ready
Process being tested
Quote follow-up
35 follow-ups a week · 12 minutes each · one person · $42/hour staff-time cost.
Current staff time336 hours / year
Current staff-time cost$14,112 / year
If half the hands-on work disappeared$7,056 / year
12-month payback · 50% improvement~$7,056
Approximate one-time setup spend this scenario can support while still hitting the payback target.
The calculator
One process.
A clear spending limit.
Use one repeated job at a time. Rough estimates are enough for a first pass. You will see the annual cost, improvement scenarios and the maximum one-time spend each scenario can support.
01
What repetitive job are you looking at?
Name one thing that happens again and again. Do not combine a whole department or several different workflows.
02
How much staff time does it use?
Answer five simple questions. If you do not know an exact number, use a sensible average.
times
minutes
people
$
Wage or salary alone is fine for a quick estimate. Add employer costs if you know them.
weeks
What the first result means: this is the value of staff time currently tied up in the process. It is not automatically a cash saving if the process improves.
03
What would a project need to prove?
Choose how quickly you would want the investment to pay for itself. You can also test a quote you have already received.
$
For example licences, API usage, support or maintenance.
$
We will compare it with the 25%, 50% and 75% improvement scenarios.
04
Is the process predictable enough to improve?
Cost alone is not enough. These questions check whether the routine path is clear and unusual cases can still be handled by a person.
Does this job happen in roughly the same way each time?The normal path should be recognisable even if some cases differ.
Are the normal rules easy to explain to a new employee?If the answer is always “it depends”, the process probably needs mapping first.
Is the information already in email, spreadsheets, software or other digital systems?Reliable digital inputs are easier to connect than information that only exists in people's heads.
Do unusual cases happen occasionally rather than constantly?Exceptions are normal. The problem is when half the work is an exception.
Can a person take over when something unusual happens?A good system can route edge cases to a person instead of pretending they do not exist.
How to read the result
The answer is not always automate it.
The useful output is a maximum sensible setup spend plus a simple process-fit check. Together they show whether the process is worth investigating and how large a solution the numbers can justify.
Map it first.
The economics may still be attractive, but at least one rule, input or exception needs clarifying before money is spent.
Do not automate it yet.
Fix the underlying process first. Automating unclear work usually preserves the mess rather than removing it.
Methodology
See every assumption.
The calculator separates facts you enter from assumptions about what a better process might recover. Every important step is visible below.
01
Current staff time
We multiply how often the job happens by the hands-on minutes and the number of people involved.
weekly team hours = times per week × minutes each × people ÷ 60
02
Current staff-time cost
We multiply those team hours by the number of working weeks and the hourly staff-cost estimate you entered.
annual staff-time cost = weekly team hours × working weeks × hourly staff cost
03
Improvement scenarios
25%, 50% and 75% are deliberately shown as scenarios. The tool does not claim any particular process will achieve them.
annual capacity released = annual staff-time cost × selected improvement %
04
Maximum setup spend
This is the most you could spend up front and still hit the payback period you selected, after subtracting expected monthly running costs during that window.
maximum setup spend = monthly value released × payback months − monthly running cost × payback months
05
Quote payback
If you enter a setup quote, we divide it by the monthly value left after the running cost. If the running cost is higher than the capacity released, the quote cannot pay back under that scenario.
quote payback = setup quote ÷ (monthly capacity released − monthly running cost)
06
Process suitability
The five questions are a simple checklist, not AI judgement. They look at repeatability, clear rules, digital information, manageable exceptions and human fallback. We show Strong, Mixed or Weak rather than pretending there is a scientifically precise score.
Why measure manual work?
Admin time is worth putting a number on.
These external figures do not affect your result. They simply show why time spent on routine work is a real business issue in both the US and UK.
United States · SCORE article · 2025
31%
Reported spending roughly a quarter to half of the workweek on routine admin.
SCORE reported survey findings where 31% of respondents said routine administrative work such as expense logging, research, invoicing and document formatting consumed roughly a quarter to half of their workweek.
Read the source →United Kingdom · Department for Business and Trade · 2025 publication
8.0 days
Average monthly staff time reported dealing with regulation.
The UK Business Perceptions Survey 2024 reported an average of 8.0 staff days per month spent dealing with regulation. That is one specific category of administrative burden, not all manual work.
Read the source →The US and UK figures come from different sources, populations and definitions. They should not be compared directly. Your calculator result uses only the values you enter.
FAQ
Useful before you trust the number.
What does this calculator actually measure?
It estimates the staff time tied up in one repeated process, converts that into an annual staff-time cost, and then shows the maximum setup spend different improvement scenarios can support over the payback period you choose.
Does a positive result mean I should automate the process?
No. A process can cost a lot and still be a terrible automation candidate. That is why the suitability questions are separate. If the routine path is unclear, map or simplify the process first.
Is released staff time the same as cash savings?
No. Released time is capacity. It becomes a direct cash saving only if staffing cost actually falls. Otherwise the benefit may be faster service, more output, fewer delays or more time for higher-value work.
What hourly staff cost should I use?
For a quick first pass, wage or salary is fine. If you want a fuller view, include employer taxes, pension, benefits and other employment costs. The important thing is to be consistent and treat the answer as an estimate.
Can I compare a software or automation quote?
Yes. Add the one-time setup quote and any expected monthly running cost. The calculator will show whether that quote fits the payback target under 25%, 50% and 75% reductions in hands-on work.
Why does the tool use 25%, 50% and 75%?
They are scenario bands, not forecasts. Showing three levels makes the uncertainty visible and prevents one optimistic assumption from deciding the whole business case.