Who this suits
Business owners comparing a narrow automation scenario with current handling effort.
When a simpler option is a better fit
Do not treat an estimated capacity value as guaranteed cash savings or a reason to eliminate roles.
Try your automation scenario
Defaults are illustrative. Edit any assumption; calculations stay in your browser. Results estimate capacity value, not realised cash savings or proven customer outcomes.
- Monthly baseline hours
- 166.67
- Net monthly capacity hours
- 64.67
- Monthly capacity value
- Ksh 38,800.00
- Net monthly economic benefit
- Ksh 28,800.00
- Estimated setup payback
- 2.08 months
Capacity can be used for other work. It becomes cash savings only if actual costs are reduced. No additional sales are included.
Transparent formulas
- Baseline hours = tasks × current minutes ÷ 60.
- Net capacity hours = tasks × assisted share × (current minutes − remaining human minutes) ÷ 60 − maintenance hours.
- Capacity value = net capacity hours × loaded hourly cost.
- Net monthly benefit = capacity value − monthly operating costs.
- Setup payback = implementation cost ÷ positive net monthly benefit.
Negative capacity and benefit remain visible. If benefit is zero or negative, there is no positive payback in this model. A zero setup cost has zero-month payback only when the monthly benefit is positive.
Proposed workflow
Enter task volume and current handling time
Estimate assisted share and remaining human review time
Compare net capacity value with monthly costs and setup investment
Illustrative operating rules
Working transparent calculator with editable assumptions and capacity-versus-cash distinction
Illustrative design example. Adapt these rules with the responsible team before implementation.
| Record or decision | Illustrative rule | Accountable owner |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline hours | Tasks times current minutes divided by 60 | Process owner |
| Net hours | Assisted tasks times minutes saved divided by 60, less maintenance | Scenario planner |
| Payback | Setup cost divided by positive net monthly benefit only | Budget reviewer |
Required inputs
- Observed or explicitly illustrative handling times
- Loaded hourly cost and monthly operating budget
- A realistic assisted share including human review
Limits and exceptions
The model excludes speculative additional sales. If remaining human time exceeds current time, or maintenance exceeds saved hours, the result stays negative. No positive payback is shown for zero or negative benefit.
Scope and operating costs
Include software, hosting, model and messaging costs in the monthly operating input. Setup is one-time. Labour capacity can be redeployed; realised cash savings require separate evidence.
Acceptance and measurement
Test the assumptions against a pilot before investment. The calculator runs locally in your browser and does not submit business figures to a server.
Questions before starting
What evidence should replace the sample assumptions?
Observed or explicitly illustrative handling times; Loaded hourly cost and monthly operating budget; A realistic assisted share including human review.
Discuss the scope and availability
Tell CraftDuka about the task, your current systems and the people who will use it. Our team is based in Nairobi and serves Kenya and East Africa. We will assess the fit and availability before agreeing a project.