Automation ROI

Automation ROI (return on investment) answers a simple question: does an automation earn back more than it costs, and how quickly?

How to calculate it

ROI = (gains − costs) ÷ costs × 100, with both measured over the same period, usually a year.

Gains usually come from three places:

• Recovered revenue: sales you were losing and now win, such as calls answered after hours or quotes followed up. Count the gross profit on those sales, not just the revenue.
• Time saved: hours no longer spent on the task, multiplied by the loaded hourly cost of the people who did it. Count it only if that time is actually freed for other useful work.
• Fewer errors: the cost of mistakes avoided, such as missed invoices or double bookings.

Costs include the build, software subscriptions, usage such as call minutes and messages, maintenance, and the staff time to manage it.

The payback period, upfront cost divided by monthly net gain, is often easier to discuss than a percentage.

Doing it honestly

Measure a baseline before you change anything, or you will have nothing to compare against. Be conservative about attribution: a busier month is not always caused by the automation. Agree in advance which numbers define success, and check them at set intervals after launch.

How it relates to Worcia

Each Build Sprint in the Worcia Method has a fixed scope and agreed targets. Estimate your own numbers with the calculators in the Lab or the automation ROI worksheet in the Toolkit, and read How to calculate the ROI of AI automation before you buy.