The basic calculation
For a given workflow, over a month:
- Volume: how many times it happens (count from your records — form submissions, bookings, invoices).
- Time saved per occurrence: minutes of manual work the automation removes, measured, not guessed.
- Value of that time: what an hour of that person's time costs you, or what else they'd do with it.
- Error and delay cost: how often things go wrong today and what each one costs — a missed follow-up, a wrong invoice, a no-show.
Monthly benefit ≈ (volume × minutes saved ÷ 60 × hourly cost) + (errors avoided × cost per error).
Worked example (hypothetical numbers)
The costs people leave out
| Cost | Notes |
|---|---|
| Build or setup | One-off; quote or internal time |
| Software subscriptions | Connector platform, extra CRM seats, messaging fees |
| Usage | Per task, per message or per minute charges that scale with volume |
| Maintenance | Someone fixing it when an app changes; budget some time every month |
| Monitoring | Time spent checking alerts and reviewing runs |
| Change | Updating the workflow when your process changes |
Spread one-off costs over a realistic period — the time until you'd expect to rebuild or replace it — rather than forever.
Reading the result
- Benefit clearly above cost: a good candidate. Start small and measure.
- Roughly equal: consider the unmeasured benefits honestly, or look for a simpler version.
- Cost clearly above benefit: don't automate yet. Improve the manual process, or look at a higher-volume workflow.
Measure after launch
Use the same method after a month of real use. Did volume and time saved match your estimate? Did maintenance take more time than expected? This keeps decisions grounded and makes the next estimate better.
Be wary of
- Savings claims based on "industry averages" with no source.
- Calculations that assume 100% of time is saved.
- Revenue projections attached to an automation. An automation can remove friction; it can't guarantee more customers.
For missed phone calls specifically, the missed-call cost calculator guide applies the same own-numbers approach.
Questions
What if I don't track time?
Time a few real occurrences with a phone stopwatch and use the middle value. A rough measured number is better than a precise guess.
Should I count benefits I can't measure?
List them separately — faster replies, fewer forgotten steps, less stress — but make the decision on the measurable part if you can. If the measurable part doesn't justify it, be honest about whether the rest does.
Next step
Start with one workflow worth fixing.
Bring the real steps, the tools you already use and the place the handoff gets stuck. We review feasibility, access and approval points before quoting — no instant integration promise.
See Business Automations for what we scope, or prepare a custom quote brief.