Source: [Original HTML page](https://stolenorbit.com/en/tools/automation-roi-calculator/)
Language: English
PLANNING WORKBENCH
# How much time could automation release?
Compare today’s work with all the manual work that would remain on the same cases after automation. The result describes potential capacity: a cash benefit requires actual spending reductions or realised additional margin.
## Your assumptions
[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/tools/automation-roi-calculator/#tool-input-heading)
Values stay on this page. The website does not send or save them. Download your result before closing.
Calculation needs JavaScript. The method, formulas, example and downloadable templates remain available below.
Use what you know. A blank field means “not yet known”; enter 0 only when you know the value is zero.
01 · Work today
These two inputs estimate the current workload. You do not need a project price.
**Cases per month**
Total process volume, including cases that will remain manual.
**Current manual minutes per case**
Average active working time for the same task boundary across all cases.
**02 · Compare an automation scenario optional**
Optional. Include the work that would remain; missing values are never treated as zero.
**Cases covered (%)**
Share actually suitable for the new workflow; other cases stay outside the comparison.
**Remaining manual minutes per covered case**
Include preparation, review, approvals and manual handoffs that remain, even without errors. Put extra correction time in its separate field.
**Cases needing corrections (%)**
Percentage of covered cases that need extra work.
**Extra minutes per correction**
Extra time for cases with errors, beyond remaining manual work already counted; do not count it twice.
**Monthly monitoring hours**
Internal effort for checks, maintenance and team support.
**Covered cases currently take a different amount of time from the average**
Otherwise, the comparison assumes covered cases take the average time entered above. Check this assumption when selecting simpler or more complex cases.
**03 · Add an hourly value and costs optional**
Optional. Leave unknown costs blank; the comparison in hours remains available.
**Assumed value per hour (€)**
Used to value capacity; it does not demonstrate an expense reduction.
**Additional monthly costs (€)**
Software, usage and services. Exclude effort already counted as monitoring.
**Initial investment (€)**
Your estimate: assessment, implementation, testing and training. This is not a quote.
## Your result
Enter what you know and choose “Review assumptions”. See what the answers support and what still needs checking.
## How to read the result
[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/tools/automation-roi-calculator/#tool-method-heading)
Current workload is volume × average minutes ÷ 60. The future comparison uses the same covered cases and task boundary, with the current average or your separate covered-case time. Covered cases = volume × coverage ÷ 100. Before hours = covered cases × current minutes ÷ 60. After hours = covered cases × (remaining manual minutes + exception percentage ÷ 100 × correction) ÷ 60 + monitoring hours.
Net valued capacity = (before hours − after hours) × hourly value − additional monthly costs. Theoretical recovery = initial investment ÷ positive monthly net capacity value. This is not cash payback.
### A checkable example
When the fictional example is loaded: 800 covered cases, 106.7 hours before and 48.7 after, including 2 monitoring hours. This releases 58 hours, valued at €1,740. Subtracting €300/month leaves €1,440 net capacity value: about 4.9 theoretical months for €7,000 upfront.
Sensitivity adds two review minutes to the remaining manual work for each covered case. Tax, cost of capital, ramp-up time and losses from errors are excluded: assess them separately. For cash ROI, measure expenses actually removed and realised incremental margin.
[Guide to costs and assumptions](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/ai-implementation-costs/) [Measure actual outcomes](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/measuring-automation-outcomes/) [All templates and tools](https://stolenorbit.com/en/tools/)
## Turn assumptions into a test.
Bring a concrete process, a representative sample and the outcome you want to observe.
Review the text before sending. Only your email is needed alongside the message; other details are optional.
[Contact us](/en/contact/)
## Turn the question into a next step.
- [AI implementation costs](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/ai-implementation-costs/)
- [Measuring automation outcomes](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/measuring-automation-outcomes/)
- [Controlled AI reporting](https://stolenorbit.com/en/services/controlled-ai-reporting/)