Gross yearly savings
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Hours saved × hourly cost, over 47 working weeks.
Free tool
What is automating a process worth? Estimate it in 30 seconds.
Enter hours, people and costs: the tool estimates yearly savings, ROI and payback time with transparent assumptions. No data is sent to the server.
How long it takes one person to complete the process today.
How many people run the process on average.
Average company cost per hour, not net salary.
How much of the manual work disappears. 60–80% is a prudent range.
Results
Hours freed per year
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12-month ROI
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(savings − first-year costs) ÷ first-year costs.
Payback
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Months needed for savings to cover the one-off cost.
Method
How the estimate works
Four inputs, two readings of the result.
1. Hours and frequency
How many hours the process absorbs today, how many times a week it runs and how many people it involves.
2. Hourly cost
The average fully-loaded cost per hour of the people involved, not the net salary.
3. Automation costs
One-off cost (tools, integration) and yearly recurring cost (licenses, maintenance).
4. Result
Gross yearly savings, 12-month ROI and payback in months, with the saved time also read as capacity.
When to use it
When the estimate is reliable
The estimate helps when the assumptions are explicit and verified.
Recurring processes
Activities that repeat every week with fairly stable rules: savings really compound.
Several people involved
Value grows with the number of people touching the process, not just with speed.
Before choosing the tool
Compare payback with the real cost of alternatives: the tool separates setup cost from yearly cost.
Note
What the tool does not say
Positive ROI is not enough: if the process is unclear (owner, exceptions, data) automation still fails. Assess readiness first with the Process Readiness Tool.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate process automation ROI?
Compare the value of saved time (hours saved × hourly cost) with the cost of automation (tools, integration, maintenance). This tool estimates yearly savings and payback time from your own assumptions.
How much does it cost to automate a process?
It depends on complexity: a simple automation with no-code tools costs a few hundred euros per year; a process with integrations and decision logic costs more. The tool separates one-off cost from yearly cost.
Which processes have the highest ROI?
Repetitive, high-volume, cross-team processes: data collection, reporting, approvals, reconciliations, follow-ups. ROI grows when the process involves more people and runs several times a week.
Is saved time really money?
Yes, if the freed time is reinvested in higher-value work or reduces hiring needs. If the saved time is not used, the benefit is capacity, not cash: the tool shows both readings for this reason.
Go deeper: AI process mapping →
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Project control
From estimated savings to real control.
ROI is measured over time: ControlRoom keeps project progress, costs and risks together, including automation initiatives.