/13AI ROI
Estimate capacity returned by an AI workflow without pretending that saved minutes automatically become cash.
Intermediate
6 min
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AI ROI
Estimate capacity returned by an AI workflow without pretending that saved minutes automatically become cash.
Intermediate
6 min
Time saved is not the same as money saved. Measure both, then be clear about which kind of value you actually created.
Leave knowing / Estimate value without fake ROI
Read the result correctly
If a workflow returns 40 hours a month, that is capacity. It becomes cash savings only if spending actually falls. It becomes growth value only if the time is used to create more useful output.
The cleanest AI business case names the value mechanism: cost removed, throughput increased, cycle time improved, errors reduced, or revenue increased.
Never multiply minutes saved by salary and call the answer "savings" unless the business can actually realize that money.
Before you call it ROI
Include the costs people forget.
Human review time after AI is added.
Software, model, API, or seat cost.
Integration and maintenance time.
Rework caused by bad outputs.
Training and change-management time.
The cost of keeping a fallback or manual recovery path.
Try it
Estimated monthly capacity returned
34.6h
This is capacity, not a financial return. To build a real business case, separately measure what happens to cost, throughput, quality, cycle time, errors, or revenue after the workflow changes.
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