What Influences Automation Costs?
The costs for process automation depend on several factors. The most important is the complexity of the process: How many systems are involved? Are there exceptions and special cases? Are decisions being made or just data being copied?
The processing volume affects the architecture: With 10,000+ transactions per day, different requirements for scaling and monitoring are needed compared to 50 transactions per week.
The existing IT infrastructure also plays a role: Modern systems with APIs are cheaper to integrate than legacy systems that require RPA bots.
RPA vs. Workflow Automation
RPA (Robotic Process Automation) simulates human actions in existing systems – clicks, inputs, copy-paste. Ideal when no APIs are available. Disadvantages: susceptible to UI changes, higher maintenance costs.
Workflow automation uses APIs and integrations for more robust solutions. Cheaper to maintain, but requires technical interfaces. We analyze your systems and recommend the optimal approach – often a combination of both.
Typical Payback Period
Most automation projects pay for themselves in 6-18 months. For high-volume processes with high manual effort, the break-even can be reached in as little as 3 months.
Example: A process currently costs you 4 hours of work time daily (≈ €8,000/month at €50/hour). An automation costing €25,000 excl. VAT pays for itself in about 3 months – after that, every month is profit.
