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Does AP automation
pay for itself?
Build a business case with your own numbers. See cash savings and staff time separately, with every assumption in the open.
See how the calculation works01 / Your inputs
Start with your baseline.
The starting values are an illustration—not a quote, customer result or benchmark. Replace them with measured values. Calculations run in your browser; input values are not sent to analytics.
Results update as you change the inputs.
02 / The business case
Your estimate
Illustrative example
Net monthly cash benefit
$1,500.00
$5,000.00 avoidable cost − $3,000.00 software − $500.00 administration
Simple payback
12 months
At a constant monthly run rate after go-live. Rollout delays would extend calendar payback.
Staff capacity released / month
200 hours
$8,000.00 of capacity value—not necessarily cash saved.
Not added to cash benefit or ROI. Count an actual avoided expense once, under avoidable cost.
12-month net benefit
$0.00
12-month cash ROI
0%
$60,000.00 avoided cost − $60,000.00 total cost over 12 months
To break even within 12 months
You need $5,000.00 per month in actual avoidable costs.
Covers implementation plus ongoing costs at the assumed full run rate. Time freed up alone does not meet this target.
Your current inputs, results and assumptions. Opens in Excel or Sheets. No email required.
Put the assumptions to the test.
Bring your ERP, invoice mix and cost assumptions. We’ll discuss the workflow and the scope you need to validate.
Discuss your AP workflowNo black box
How this AP ROI calculator works
All amounts are USD. This is a planning estimate, not a vendor quote, tax calculation or guaranteed return.
Prefer an editable spreadsheet? Download the example worksheet (.xlsx). It contains the starting example and formulas, not your edited inputs. Use “Save this estimate” above for your current numbers.
- Monthly hours released
- Invoices per month × minutes saved per invoice ÷ 60.
- Monthly capacity value
- Hours released × hourly value. Reported separately; never added to cash savings.
- Net monthly cash benefit
- Verified avoidable monthly cost − monthly software cost − monthly administration cost.
- Simple payback
- Implementation cost ÷ positive net monthly cash benefit. If benefit is zero or negative, there is no positive cash payback.
- 12-month cash ROI
- (12 × avoidable monthly cost − total 12-month cost) ÷ total 12-month cost × 100. Total cost includes implementation plus 12 months of software and administration. ROI is undefined when total cost is zero.
- 12-month break-even target
- Total 12-month cost ÷ 12, rounded up to the nearest cent. This is the monthly avoidable cost needed to cover the modeled investment within a year.
What the estimate leaves out
It assumes the full monthly run rate from the first month after go-live, with implementation cost paid upfront. It does not model rollout delays, changes in volume, tax, financing, discount rates or working-capital timing. Avoided costs must be achievable and attributable to the project. Validate assumptions with your finance team and a scoped pilot.