Hours saved
Process hours/month × % automatable = hours/month you would stop spending.
Tool · applied AI
Automation ROI calculator
Enter your own numbers (hours, hourly cost, % automatable, budget) and get the payback period in months, the annual saving and a pessimistic/optimistic range. No preloaded figures: the result is only as good as your estimate.
In short: You enter how much time the process takes today, what that hour costs, what share you believe can be automated, and what the project and its monthly upkeep would cost. The tool works out the payback period in months, the gross and net annual saving, and those same three figures in a pessimistic and an optimistic scenario (±20%). There is no preloaded price, rate or "typical saving": everything comes from what you type.
This tool is indicative and does not constitute professional advice. The result depends entirely on the estimates you enter (hours, hourly cost, % automatable, budget): it does not validate whether the process is technically automatable, nor does it replace a real diagnosis. Check your situation with n8n + LLM automation or with a professional before committing to an investment.
How the calculation works.
Methodology · formulas in plain sightGross and net saving
Hours saved × hourly cost = gross monthly saving. Gross saving − running cost = net monthly saving. Both ×12 for the annual figure.
Payback period
Project cost ÷ net monthly saving = months to pay back. If the net saving is not positive, the tool says so instead of forcing a number.
±20% sensitivity
Pessimistic: saving ×0.8 and costs (project + running) ×1.2. Optimistic: saving ×1.2 and costs ×0.8. Base: exactly as you enter it.
Sources
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy — Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investment Projects (Dec. 2014), section 2.9.1 "Sensitivity analysis", p. 68: "combinations of 'optimistic' and 'pessimistic' values of the critical variables could be useful to build different realistic scenarios" — ec.europa.eu (accessed 16-07-2026). This is the methodological basis for the pessimistic/base/optimistic analysis; this tool simplifies the approach to a fixed ±20% band instead of computing switching values per variable.
- Corporate Finance Institute — definition and calculation of the Payback Period : the time needed to recover the cost of an investment — corporatefinanceinstitute.com (accessed 16-07-2026).
- Corporate Finance Institute — formula for ROI: "ROI = Net Income / Cost of Investment" — corporatefinanceinstitute.com (accessed 16-07-2026).
- Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) — Quarterly Labour Cost Survey (ETCL), Q1 2026: average labour cost per hour actually worked = €24.88 — ine.es (published 16-06-2026, accessed 16-07-2026). A general reference figure shown as help next to the hourly-cost field; it is not used as a default value and does not replace the figure the user enters.
Frequently asked questions about this calculator.
Where do the figures in the result come from?
Only from the five figures you enter: hours per month, hourly cost, % automatable, project cost and monthly running cost. The tool preloads no price, rate or market benchmark: if your estimates change, the result changes with them.
What does the payback period in months mean?
It is how long the net monthly saving would take to cover the project cost: project cost divided by net monthly saving. If the net monthly saving is not positive, the project does not pay back with those figures and the tool says so instead of forcing a number.
Why are there three scenarios (pessimistic, base, optimistic)?
Because the % automatable and the costs are estimates, not facts. The pessimistic scenario cuts the saving by 20% and raises the costs by 20%; the optimistic one does the opposite. That way you see a range instead of a single number that looks more precise than it really is.
What if my % automatable is only a rough estimate?
That is to be expected: few small businesses measure the % automatable precisely before starting. That is why the result always comes with the pessimistic/optimistic range and the warning that it depends on your estimate, not on a measured figure.
Does this calculator replace an analysis done by a consultant?
No. It is an indicative financial calculator to put a first estimate in order. A real automation analysis reviews the whole process, its exceptions and its technical feasibility — things this tool cannot see.
How do I estimate the role's hourly cost if I do not have it to hand?
Approximate it as that role's total annual cost to the company (gross salary + employer social security + a share of indirect costs) divided by the hours actually worked in a year. HR or your accountants usually have this figure precisely.