Automation ROI Calculator
Estimate the net annual benefit of automating a manual business process — factoring in the two costs most business cases leave out.
It pays back, but not by enough to be an obvious first choice. Automation programmes usually stall when they start here. Look for a higher-volume process to prove the model first, then come back to this one.
| Line item | Annual value |
|---|---|
| Current manual process cost (2400 hrs/yr) | $60,000 |
| Gross automation savings (clean automated volume) | $52,800 |
| Exception drag (manual handling cost on hard cases) | -$2,160 |
| Annual software licensing | -$12,000 |
| Annual bot maintenance reserve (18% of build) | -$5,400 |
| Amortised initial build cost (3-year schedule) | -$10,000 |
| Net annual benefit (after build, licences & maintenance) | $23,240 |
Calculated using the methodology published in our engineering insight How to Calculate Automation ROI. Model amortises build over 3 years and reserves 18% annually for maintenance and exception drag.
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Send your inputs to our solution architects. We will sense-check the exception rate, verify licence tier assumptions, and return a validated business case within 24 business hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the calculation include an "exception drag" cost?
Automating the routine 80% of a process leaves human staff handling only the complex 20%. Because those staff no longer see routine cases daily, they lose context and take longer per exception. Business cases that ignore this routinely understate real operational cost after go-live.
What maintenance rate should I assume for Microsoft Power Automate vs UiPath?
We use a baseline 18% annual maintenance reserve (as a percentage of build cost). Pure cloud flows in Power Automate operating over stable APIs often run lower (~12%). Heavy desktop RPA (UI automation against legacy or virtualized apps) often runs higher (~22%) due to UI changes.
How accurate is this model for a formal business case?
This model reflects real delivery data across enterprise deployments. It is designed to be conservative — if a project clears this calculator with a strong verdict, it almost always survives finance committee scrutiny.
Need help building a formal automation business case?
Our team has delivered 200+ Microsoft Power Platform and UiPath RPA projects. We can scope your process and confirm expected ROI in a 30-minute discovery call.