1. Establish the baseline
Pick a representative period and record task volume, time spent, errors and exceptions. Name the person responsible for the workflow. A quiet week or a single difficult task is not enough to describe normal operations.
- What triggers the task, and when is it complete?
- How often does it happen?
- Where does someone copy, check, chase or correct information?
- Which decisions still need human review?
2. Estimate the change, including review
The example below is hypothetical. These are not AureliaEdge prices, client results or promised savings. It values released staff capacity; it does not establish a cash return.
| Input or calculation | Example |
|---|---|
| Tasks each week | 100 |
| Current effort per task | 12 minutes |
| Effort after automation, including review | 5 minutes |
| Capacity released each week | 100 × (12 − 5) ÷ 60 = 11.7 hours |
| Illustrative value of staff time | €30 per hour |
| Weekly capacity value | (100 × 7 ÷ 60) × €30 = €350 |
| Weekly running and maintenance costs | €80 |
| Net weekly capacity value | €350 − €80 = €270 |
| Illustrative one-time implementation cost | €3,000 |
| Capacity-value payback | €3,000 ÷ €270 ≈ 11.1 weeks |
Keep full precision when calculating and round only the displayed result. If net weekly value is zero or negative, this estimate has no positive payback period. Do not assume task volume or savings will stay constant.
3. Separate capacity from cash
An employee who spends less time preparing a report may still have the same salary. That time can be useful elsewhere, but it is not automatically money removed from the budget. For a cash ROI estimate, use realized cost reductions or evidenced additional contribution, subtract all costs over a defined period, then divide the net benefit by those costs. Do not count the same benefit as both time value and revenue.
List one-time costs separately from recurring costs. Include training, integration, maintenance, usage charges and human review. Use low, expected and high task-volume scenarios before committing.
4. Choose a manageable first workflow
Favor repeated work with accessible inputs, a clear owner and an observable result. Fixed rules often suit predictable steps; AI may help with interpretation, retrieval or drafting. Keep approval and escalation points where mistakes would affect customers or business records.
After the workflow is live, repeat the baseline measurement. Include correction time and adoption: an automation people work around has not delivered the expected value.
Bring one workflow to the conversation
Use the free Operations Audit to identify a starting point. For a scoping discussion, bring task volume, sample inputs, current effort and the tools involved.