Cluster article
How to calculate automation ROI (honestly)
Automation ROI fails when teams overpromise uplift and undercount adoption cost. Here is a conservative framework operators use before approving £5k–£50k systems work.
Start with baseline metrics: enquiry volume, current response time, qualification rate, booking rate, average deal value, and hours spent on manual triage weekly.
Recovered revenue
Estimate leads currently lost to delay or drop-off. Apply a conservative recovery rate (often 10–25% of leaked volume in year one) — not 100%.
Labour saved
Hours removed × fully loaded hourly cost × 0.7 confidence factor for adoption friction.
Payback
(Annual benefit − maintenance) ÷ project cost. Target 6–18 months for mid-market UK deployments.
Full frameworkSee the complete business automation guide for sector examples, costs, and implementation order.
Full guide This article is part of our pillar resource: Business Automation UK.