How to calculate the ROI of an automation
The exact formula we use with clients, with the line items most people forget.
50% on kickoff, 50% on delivery · 30 days of free revisions · you own the code
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Why we wrote this. We ship work like this ourselves — not as a reseller or a marketplace. The timelines, deliverables, and price bands below come from real engagements we've run end-to-end at Smartly Built Ventures Limited (trading as Vibed Ventures).
Who this is for
- Ops leads building a business case for automation
- Founders weighing 'just hire someone' vs 'build the tool'
- CFOs and FDs sanity-checking software spend
What you get
- The 5-line formula: hours × rate × frequency − build − run
- The hidden line items: error rate, opportunity cost, morale
- How to estimate the 'softer' savings without overclaiming
- When NOT to automate (low frequency, changing process)
- A free spreadsheet you can copy
Dig deeper
Frequently asked
What payback window should I aim for?
12 months for low-risk automations. 6 months if you're being conservative for a board.
What happens next
- Step 1Tell us the problem60 seconds in the /solve box. You don't need a brief.
- Step 2Get a tailored reportROI, build plan and a rough price band — emailed to you.
- Step 3Book a 25-min callWe talk it through honestly. If it's not for us, we'll say so.
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