When does automation pay off? Compare personnel costs with the investment in an automated solution.
Manual, repetitive tasks cost your company valuable working hours every month – and the costs rise with every salary increase. Our ROI calculator shows when the investment in automation pays for itself and how much you save over 5 years.
Manual processes don't scale: with double the order volume, you need twice as many employees – or your existing teams work overtime with increasing error rates. Automation breaks this vicious cycle. The savings compound over time, as automated processes incur no additional costs with growing volume while quality remains consistently high.
ROI calculator
Automation vs. manual work
When does an automation solution pay off compared to manual effort? Adjust the values to your processes.
160 h
10 h2000 h
45 €
20 €120 €
3 %
0 %10 %
40,000 €
5,000 €200,000 €
300 €
0 €3,000 €
80 %
50 %98 %
Employees don't work 12 months at 100% – vacation, sick leave and holidays increase effective personnel costs.
Spread initial costs over 6 years (72 months) instead of paying upfront.
Cost comparison over 5 years
Break-even
8 months
Difference after 1 year
+25,520 €
Difference after 3 years
+162,843 €
Difference after 5 years
+308,967 €
Manual process
458,709 €
Total costs over 5 years
Automated solution
149,742 €
Total costs over 5 years
Important note
This calculator provides a simplified estimate. Actual costs depend on many factors (team size, technology, integrations, compliance, etc.). In a free initial consultation we create an individual analysis for your company. All prices plus VAT.
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Ihre ROI calculator automation-Ergebnisse
Manual hours/month160 h
Hourly rate45 €
Annual cost increase3 %
Automation investment40,000 €
Monthly operating costs300 €
Degree of automation80 %
LeasingNo
Break-even8 months
5-year difference308,967 €
Why Automation Almost Always Pays Off
Time Is Money
160 hours of manual work per month at €45/h costs €86,400 per year. With 80% automation, you save over €69,000 annually.
Reduce Errors
Manual processes typically have a 1-5% error rate. Automation reduces this to below 0.5% – less rework, fewer complaints.
Scalable Without Extra Costs
Double the volume? No problem. Automated processes scale without additional personnel costs.
Typical Break-Even Periods
3–8 months
High Manual Effort
200+ h/month manual
Structured data
High automation level
8–18 months
Medium Effort
80-200 h/month manual
Partially complex
Multiple systems
18–30 months
Complex Automation
AI-assisted decisions
Unstructured data
High investment
Get Your Investment Funded
Automation and RPA are particularly frequently funded as digitalization measures. Programs like "Digital Jetzt" and regional digitalization grants can cover up to 50% of the investment.
Frequently Asked Questions: Automation vs. Manual Work
When does automation pay off?
Automation is especially worthwhile for: recurring tasks with high time expenditure (from approx. 40 h/month), error-prone manual processes, rising personnel costs, and scaling requirements. The break-even typically falls between 6-18 months.
Which processes are best suited for automation?
Ideal candidates are rule-based, repetitive tasks with clear decision logic: data entry/transfer, document processing, invoice verification, report generation, email routing, or order processing. The more structured the process, the higher the achievable automation level.
What does automation level mean?
The automation level indicates what proportion of the process runs automatically. At 80%, 80% of cases are processed fully automatically, while 20% still require manual intervention (e.g., exceptions, special cases). A realistic automation level is between 70-90%.
What are the ongoing costs of automation?
Ongoing costs include: infrastructure/hosting (€50-500/month), monitoring and maintenance (€100-500/month), occasional adjustments for process changes. In total, typically €200-1,000/month – significantly less than the saved personnel costs.
How quickly can automation be implemented?
Simple process automations can be implemented in 2-4 weeks. Medium complexity (multiple systems, exception handling) requires 4-8 weeks. Complex automations with AI components take 2-4 months. The ROI begins from go-live.
How does the calculator account for rising personnel costs?
The calculator factors in an annual increase in personnel costs (default: 3%). This means: the manual process becomes more expensive every year, while automation costs remain stable. As a result, savings grow over the years.
What happens with the freed-up employees?
Automation rarely replaces entire positions but rather frees employees from repetitive tasks. The time gained can be used for value-adding activities: customer consultation, process optimization, strategic projects. This increases the overall value for your company.
Which processes are best to start with?
Rule-based, recurring tasks with high volume and clear structure are ideal starting candidates: invoice processing, data migration between systems, automated report generation, or email routing. Start with a process that delivers quickly visible results – this builds team acceptance and provides budget for further automations.
How quickly will I see results after go-live?
Initial savings occur from the day of go-live. The time savings are immediately measurable, as automated processes complete in seconds what previously took employees hours. Full savings are typically achieved after 2–4 weeks, once the system is running productively and edge cases are covered.
Can I start with a small pilot project?
Yes, we recommend an iterative approach. Start with a manageable process (e.g., automated invoice verification), measure the results, and then scale to additional processes. This minimizes risk, builds experience, and lets you concretely demonstrate ROI before making larger investments.
Next Step
Need a custom cost estimate for your project?
We provide a realistic effort estimate based on your specific requirements.
