Automation
Measuring Automation ROI: Beyond Simple Cost Savings
How to evaluate automation opportunities and measure the full business impact, including time savings, reduced errors, and improved customer experience.
7 min read
⚡ Beyond Cost Savings
Automation ROI goes far beyond simple labor cost savings. The real value includes time savings, reduced errors, improved customer experience, and enabling your team to focus on higher-value work.
High-Impact Automation Opportunities
1
Customer Intake
Auto-create tickets, assign owner, send confirmation
2
Invoice Matching
Match PO vs invoice vs receipt
3
Onboarding Checklist
Provision accounts + starter docs
4
Status Reporting
Pull metrics + push weekly summary
5
Inventory Alerts
Threshold-based reorder triggers
6
Password Reset Flow
Self-service with audit trail
Selection Criteria
📅
Happens daily or weekly
✓
Has clear rules
🔄
Causes handoff delays
📊
Easy to measure before/after
Simple Approach
1
Document current steps
No tools yet - just map the process
2
Identify decision rules
What logic determines next steps?
3
Choose a lightweight tool
Zapier, n8n, or small script
4
Pilot with a small group
Test before rolling out company-wide
5
Measure time saved + error reduction
Track actual ROI metrics
Track Outcomes
⏱️
Hours Saved Per Month
Track time reclaimed
🖱️
Manual Touches Eliminated
Count reduced interactions
✓
Error / Rework Rate Drop
Measure quality improvement
⚡
Cycle Time Reduction
Speed improvements
Common Pitfalls
⚠️
Avoid These Mistakes
× Automating broken processes "as is"
× No owner for maintenance
× Excessive tool sprawl
× Skipping security review for data flows
💡⚡ Find Your Automation Opportunities
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