Interactive tool · T-02
Automation Time Estimator
Estimates the hours per year spent on a repetitive task and how much of that time automation could return.
- For
- Teams weighing up whether a manual, repetitive task is worth automating.
- Service area
- Digital & Automation Solutions
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
The task
min
per wk
Per person.people
weeks
%
R/h
Salary plus overheads.R
To estimate a payback period.Results
- Time spent now
- 240hours/yr
- Time automation returns
- 144hours/yr
- Per week
- 3hours
- Working days
- 188-hour days/yr
- Share of a full-time role
- 8%
- Value of time returned
- —
This task takes about 240 hours a year. Automating 60% of it would return roughly 144 hours, or 18 working days. Add a cost per hour to see the value in rand.
Why it matters
Small tasks repeated every week add up. Quantifying the time makes the automation decision a factual one.
How it works
Annual time is minutes per occurrence × occurrences per week × people × working weeks ÷ 60. The time automation returns is that figure multiplied by the share of the task you expect to automate.
With a cost per hour, the returned time is converted to rand. With a one-off automation cost as well, the payback period is that cost divided by the monthly value of the time returned.
Assumptions and limits
- The automated share is your estimate; the result is only as good as that input.
- Does not include ongoing maintenance, licences or the time needed to handle exceptions.
- Full-time role equivalent assumes a 40-hour working week.
- Returned time only has value if it is put to other use.