How-To Guide

How to calculate the ROI of AI automation

Most ROI calculations are theatre. This is the formula Aiprosol uses with paying clients — based on measured hours BEFORE and AFTER, not vendor-pitched projections.

Time2h

Cost$0 (DIY with our $47 calculator)

Steps7

Tools you'll need

SpreadsheetCalendar reviewAiprosol ROI Calculator ($47)

Steps

1
Measure baseline manual hours BEFORE automation
For each candidate workflow, measure how many hours/week the team currently spends. Use time-tracking, calendar review, or self-reported with stopwatch. Don't trust gut estimates — they over-count by ~30%.
2
Estimate post-automation hours
Conservative: 70% reduction of manual time. Aggressive: 90%. Don't assume 100% — there's always edge cases requiring human handling.
3
Calculate weekly hours reclaimed
Weekly hours reclaimed = baseline − post-automation. Sanity check: Aiprosol's average across clients is 35 hrs/week. If yours is materially higher or lower, double-check the inputs.
4
Calculate annual savings
Annual savings = weekly hours × fully-loaded hourly cost × 50 weeks. Fully-loaded hourly cost = (annual salary × 1.4 benefits multiplier) / 2,000 hours. Don't use unloaded rate — it underestimates by 30-40%.
5
Subtract implementation cost
Implementation cost = (build hours × hourly rate) + tool subscriptions for 12 months + your time investment. For Aiprosol-built: managed plan × 12 months. For DIY: 80-200 hours of internal time.
6
Compute payback in weeks
Payback weeks = implementation cost / weekly savings. Most automation projects pay back in 4-12 weeks. If yours is >26 weeks, the workflow probably isn't worth automating yet.
7
Don't fake the numbers
Vendor-pitched ROI assumes best case. Real ROI measures actual hours-reclaimed at days 30/60/90. Aiprosol's 90-day reclaim guarantee is based on measured deltas — that's the standard to hold any automation vendor to.

Steps

Measure baseline manual hours BEFORE automation

For each candidate workflow, measure how many hours/week the team currently spends. Use time-tracking, calendar review, or self-reported with stopwatch. Don't trust gut estimates — they over-count by ~30%.

Estimate post-automation hours

Conservative: 70% reduction of manual time. Aggressive: 90%. Don't assume 100% — there's always edge cases requiring human handling.

Calculate weekly hours reclaimed

Weekly hours reclaimed = baseline − post-automation. Sanity check: Aiprosol's average across clients is 35 hrs/week. If yours is materially higher or lower, double-check the inputs.

Calculate annual savings

Annual savings = weekly hours × fully-loaded hourly cost × 50 weeks. Fully-loaded hourly cost = (annual salary × 1.4 benefits multiplier) / 2,000 hours. Don't use unloaded rate — it underestimates by 30-40%.

Subtract implementation cost

Implementation cost = (build hours × hourly rate) + tool subscriptions for 12 months + your time investment. For Aiprosol-built: managed plan × 12 months. For DIY: 80-200 hours of internal time.

Compute payback in weeks

Payback weeks = implementation cost / weekly savings. Most automation projects pay back in 4-12 weeks. If yours is >26 weeks, the workflow probably isn't worth automating yet.

Don't fake the numbers

Vendor-pitched ROI assumes best case. Real ROI measures actual hours-reclaimed at days 30/60/90. Aiprosol's 90-day reclaim guarantee is based on measured deltas — that's the standard to hold any automation vendor to.