AI ROI Calculator
Turn an AI idea into the only numbers that matter: what the manual work costs now, what automation would save, when it pays back — and when to kill it.
How do you calculate ROI for an AI project? Four numbers: (1) current annual cost — people × hours × loaded rate, plus rework; (2) realistic automation percentage — this calculator shows a conservative 35% and optimistic 65% band for rule-heavy document workflows; (3) run cost — subscriptions, monitoring, review time; (4) payback — implementation cost divided by net monthly savings. If conservative payback exceeds roughly 18 months, narrow the scope; the discipline is in the kill criteria, not the optimism.
The only numbers that matter.
Current cost of the manual work, run cost of automation, payback period — the math most AI pitches quietly skip. Estimates update live; nothing leaves your browser.
Kill criteria: if conservative payback exceeds ~18 months, narrow the scope or pick a different workflow. If it's under 6, ask why nobody automated it already — usually data access. Both answers are useful.
Pressure-test these numbers on a call →Estimates for planning only, based entirely on your inputs. Automation percentages reflect typical ranges for rule-heavy document workflows; your Audit replaces these with measured baselines.
From estimate to evidence
This calculator uses your estimates; an engagement replaces them with measured baselines. The AI Operations Audit baselines your actual workflows in two weeks — and its roadmap sequences the paybacks shortest-first.
Find out what AI can actually do for your operations.
Start with an AI Operations Audit — a fixed-scope diagnostic that maps your workflows, scores your AI readiness, and hands you a prioritized 120-day roadmap. If we don't find real opportunities, you'll know that too.
Request an AI Operations Audit → Prefer to talk first? Book a 30-minute scoping call.