How to use the automation capture rate

The ROI calculator includes an “Automation Capture Rate” slider. It estimates the share of identified repetitive work that AI and automation could handle effectively.

It applies to that work, rather than to the team's entire week. If a team spends ten hours on a task and you assume a 40% capture rate, the starting estimate is four hours of capacity. You still need to account for review, corrections, and the work of operating the system.

Treat the default as a starting assumption #

The calculator starts at 40%. That is an input to the model, not a finding about your company. Change it to see how much the result depends on the assumption.

The experience behind that default includes first-year capture rates of 30% to 45%, rising to 50% to 60% over two years in well-implemented programs. Those ranges provide context for the starting point. The rate for your team still needs to be measured.

A documented, repeatable task with accessible data may offer more scope for automation than a task with frequent exceptions or decisions that require experienced judgment. The people doing the work can help identify those differences.

Test it on representative work #

Include ordinary cases and difficult ones. Measure the full process: preparing inputs, producing a result, checking it, and dealing with mistakes. Compare that with the existing process.

Use what you learn to update the estimate. Then decide how the freed time would be used. Additional capacity, faster service, and lower spending are different benefits; the business case should say which one you expect.

A useful forecast shows its assumptions and changes when the evidence changes. The slider helps explore a possibility. A measured trial helps decide whether to invest.