How much time would automating a task save?
Enter how often a repetitive task happens and how long it takes. See the hours, workdays, and payroll dollars that automating it could hand back every year.
How the calculation works
The calculator multiplies three things you already know: how often the task happens, how long it takes, and how many people do it.
- Runs per year = times per period × periods per year (250 workdays, 52 weeks, or 12 months) × people.
- Hours today = runs per year × minutes each ÷ 60.
- Hours saved = hours today × the share of the work automation removes.
- Dollar value = hours saved × the fully loaded hourly cost.
Small numbers add up quickly. A six-minute task done 20 times a week is about 100 hours a year for one person. Spread across a team, the same task can quietly consume weeks of paid time.
Why "share removed" is not 100%
Even a well-built automation leaves some work behind: reviewing exceptions, answering replies, and fixing the occasional bad record. Setting the share to 70% to 90% keeps the estimate honest. Tasks that need judgment every time (a custom quote, a sensitive conversation) are better candidates for partial automation, such as drafting or data gathering, than for full automation.
Turn the result into a decision
Hours saved are only half the picture. Many automations also prevent losses: leads that go cold, invoices paid late, appointments missed. Use the payback calculator to weigh the savings against the build and running costs, and the priority scorer to compare several tasks side by side.
As a rule of thumb, if building an automation costs less than one year of the savings it produces, it is usually worth doing, as long as the process is stable and the rules are clear.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate how long a task takes?
Time it a few times with a stopwatch, including the minutes spent opening apps, looking up information, and switching context. People usually underestimate small tasks by a third or more, because the interruptions are invisible.
What is a fully loaded hourly cost?
It is the true cost of an hour of an employee's time: wages plus payroll taxes, benefits, paid time off, and overhead. A common shortcut is to multiply the hourly wage by 1.25 to 1.4.
Which tasks save the most time when automated?
Tasks that happen often, follow clear rules, and move information between systems: data entry, follow-up emails and texts, appointment reminders, invoice creation, report building, and status updates. Our guide on how to automate repetitive tasks covers how to spot them.
Is saved time the same as saved money?
Only if the time is redeployed. Freed-up hours are worth the most when they go to revenue work, customer care, or growth, or when they let you avoid a new hire. Count the dollar figure as capacity you get back.