AI automation ROI worksheet

Fill baseline minutes, volume, rework, review rate, model cost, and platform cost for one loop. Payback is a date, not a slogan.

One loop only. Copy the row for a second loop. Do not average three processes into one heroic payback.

Use last-30-day counts you can show, not hoped hours. If a cell is a guess, write GUESSED next to it.

flowchart LR
    B["Baseline minutes"] --> N["Net minutes after"]
    C["Model plus platform"] --> P["Payback months"]
    N --> P
    R["Rework plus review"] --> N

Name the loop

  • Loop name (one sentence, one owner)
  • Measurement window (start date, end date, usually 30 days)
  • Done means (the output a human currently produces)

Baseline (before the model)

CellWhat to writeDo not write
VolumeCount of jobs in the windowA yearly hope divided by 12
Human minutes eachTimed, or a sampled average“It feels like an hour”
Rework rate% of jobs that come backZero because you are optimistic
Minutes to fix a reworkClockedIgnored
  • Volume in the window
  • Human minutes per job (baseline)
  • Rework rate and minutes to fix

After (with a model in the loop)

  • Human minutes per job now (include review)
  • Share of jobs a human still opens
  • Model cost for the window (invoices, not a blog round number)
  • Platform seat or runtime for the window
  • Rework rate after (can go up)

Payback (framework, not a promise)

Net minutes saved × your loaded minute cost, minus model and platform cost. If that is negative, you bought a demo. Write the month you recoup build time, or write NEVER.

  • Loaded cost per human minute (salary + overhead / minutes worked). Guessed is allowed if labeled.
  • Hours to build and evaluate (once)
  • Monthly net (minutes saved value minus run cost)
  • Payback month, or NEVER

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