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Automation Opportunity Calculator

Estimate the capacity tied up in one workflow and decide whether an automation opportunity is worth scoping.

How to use it

Start with one workflow you can measure.

Choose the workflow, enter the team hours and fully loaded hourly cost, then rate its consistency and choose how the recovered capacity could be realised.

  1. 01Choose one specific workflow, not an entire department.
  2. 02Add the total team hours spent on it each week.
  3. 03Use a fully loaded hourly cost, including employer overhead.
  4. 04Rate the work's consistency and name the path for realising the capacity.

What you'll get

A range you can challenge, not an ROI promise.

The estimator turns your inputs into a practical first-pass view of the opportunity before implementation costs are known.

  • Conservative, expected, and upside scenarios
  • Annual capacity value range and hours recovered
  • Equivalent FTE capacity
  • A strong, worth-scoping, or limited verdict
  • Confidence and cashability ratings

Automation Opportunity Estimator

Build the case around one workflow.

Estimate the capacity and value at stake, then validate implementation cost and payback through a focused scope.

01Choose one workflow

A specific workflow produces a more credible estimate than an entire department.

02Size the work today

Across everyone involved, not per person.

hrs

Include salary, taxes, and employer overhead.

$
03How consistent is the work?
04How would the value be realised?

Annual capacity opportunity

Strong candidate to scope
Estimated annual opportunity: $22,815 to $52,650. Decision: Strong candidate to scope.

$0–$0per year

Labour-capacity value, before implementation cost. This is not booked savings or an ROI promise.

Conservative

$0

8.8 hrs/week0.2 FTE capacity

Expected

$0

14.4 hrs/week0.4 FTE capacity

Upside

$0

20.3 hrs/week0.5 FTE capacity

Cashability

High

Estimate confidence

Medium–low

Payback

Needs scoped cost

Strong candidate to scope

There is enough recurring capacity at stake to justify validating the workflow, systems, and exception rate.

Value path: High cashability when the capacity can defer a role already in the hiring plan.

Assumptions behind this range
  • The selected workflow starts with a 29–68% recoverable range after process consistency.
  • The expected case values 14.4 recovered hours/week at $50 per hour.
  • Build, integration, software, support, training, and change costs are not included. Those are required before calculating ROI or payback.
Validate this business case

Next validation: systems involved, weekly volume, exception rate, and the implementation path.