What's the ROI of Hiring an AI Agent?
ROI math that finance will accept: hours returned, error cost avoided, and revenue acceleration — with a simple worksheet.
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Direct answer
ROI = (hours saved × loaded rate) + (errors avoided × cost) − (platform + inference + oversight). Most mid-market pilots show payback in 3–9 months when scoped to one high-volume queue.
Key points
- Measure baseline cycle time before automation
- Track rework rate — bad drafts cost more than no agent
- Include owner review time — do not assume zero oversight
Sample worksheet
| Metric | Before | After (8 wk) |
|---|---|---|
| Min / ticket triage | 12 | 3 |
| Tickets / week | 200 | 200 |
| Hours / week | 40 | 10 |
At $45/h loaded → $1,350/week returned minus ~$800/month platform.
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