Does the juice earn the squeeze?
Plug in the numbers from a workflow you're considering automating. The calculator does the same first-pass math we run against every Quick Win in a friction audit. Green light, amber light, red light. If your shop runs different numbers, the audit is where we get them exact.
How the math works.
Three formulas, one verdict. The audit version adjusts for risk weighting per Quick Win; this calculator gives you the first-pass picture.
1. Hours saved.
Hours per occurrence × occurrences per week × 52 weeks. That's your gross annual hour reclaim.
2. Dollars saved.
Hours saved × loaded hourly rate. We use loaded (fully-burdened) rates because that's what's actually on the table: wage plus overhead plus opportunity cost of senior people doing junior work.
3. Net year-one ROI.
(Dollars saved − build cost − first-year maintenance) ÷ build cost. We treat maintenance at 15% of build cost per year as a conservative default.
The complexity and stability adjustments.
The verdict logic raises the ROI bar when complexity goes up or stability goes down. Simple + stable + 3:1 is a build. Complex + brittle + 3:1 is a no. Same dollar return, different recommendation, because the maintenance tail is different.