Decision guide · Operations
Calculate business application ROI without inflating savings.
Theoretical time saved is not yet a realised saving. A sound business case connects current performance, real usage, adoption and the full cost of change.
Assess the opportunityBase
measured
Adoption
real
Net
after costs
01 — Baseline
Observe the process before attributing a gain to a future tool.
Measure volume, average time, mistakes, rework, people involved and loaded cost. Flag unusual periods so the starting point is not distorted.
02 — Calculation
Move from theoretical gain to prudent value.
Potential saving combines volume, minutes saved and loaded cost. It is then adjusted for adoption, the share genuinely attributable to the tool and additional operating costs.
- Annual volume genuinely affected
- Time before and after
- Loaded hourly cost
- Expected adoption
- Attributable share of the gain
- Support, licences and change management
03 — After launch
Measurement decides whether to optimise, expand or stop.
At an appropriate cadence, usage and operational data are compared with the baseline. A successful launch proves the tool works; it does not yet prove the process improved.
FAQ
Useful answers.
What if the value is not financial?
Use a defensible proxy such as time, errors, SLA, satisfaction, compliance, quality or avoided risk, with a precise definition and source.
Can I use the website calculator?
Yes for a simple threshold. Full scoping adds adoption, attribution, recurring costs, risk and several scenarios.
Apply the calculation
Which process should be measured before it is automated?
Share the people, volume, current time, errors and the constraint making change a priority.