“The biggest mistake with automation is treating it as a technology decision. It's a financial decision. Hours saved times hourly cost minus automation cost equals monthly net value. If the payback is beyond 6 months, re-scope.”
On calculating automation ROI
Nick Hugh
Founder, Principal AI Engineer & Fractional CTO, Marshall Tech
Nick Hugh, Principal AI Engineer & Fractional CTO at Marshall Tech, Sydney
Last updated:
Related resources
Move from this quote into the person, proof, and longer explanation behind it.
Insight
How to Estimate Automation ROI: A Practical Framework
Automation ROI is calculated by comparing the cost of automation (build + maintain) against the value of time saved, errors eliminated, and throughput gained. A well-scoped automation project typically pays for itself in 2–4 months. The key is targeting processes that are high-volume, rule-based, and currently handled by expensive human time.
Updated 10 Aug 2026
Open resourceService
Workflows and automation
Marshall Tech builds custom workflows, APIs, and automation for Australian businesses with manual handoffs, broken connectors, or duplicated data. We map the process, design the integration layer, and ship monitored automation that reduces admin load, improves reliability, and removes vendor lock-in from critical operations.
Updated 26 Feb 2026
Open resourceInsight
Data Hygiene Guide: Getting Your Data AI-Ready
Data hygiene is the practice of ensuring your business data is accurate, consistent, complete, and accessible. It's the prerequisite for AI implementation, reliable automation, and trustworthy reporting. Businesses with poor data hygiene waste 20–30% of employee time on manual data wrangling and get unreliable results from any AI systems or workflow automation tools they deploy.
Updated 10 Aug 2026
Open resourceGlossary
Automation ROI
Automation ROI measures the return on investment from workflow automation projects. Calculated by comparing time/cost savings against implementation costs, it typically considers labour hours saved, error reduction, and speed improvements.
Open resourceExpert insight
On why AI and workflow automation are different technologies
Calling everything AI automation is a tell. AI systems handle language, judgment, and unstructured data. Workflow automation handles rules and deterministic handoffs. Good operators keep them separate, then staff the right engineer for each.
Updated 10 Aug 2026
Open resourceInsight
RevOps Explained: What Revenue Operations Actually Means for Your Business
Revenue Operations (RevOps) aligns sales, marketing, and customer success under a single operational framework. The goal is eliminating data silos, automating handoffs, and creating a single source of truth for revenue metrics. Companies with mature RevOps see 10–20% faster revenue growth and 30% lower customer acquisition costs.
Updated 10 Aug 2026
Open resource