How do I prove the ROI of AI automations to a client?
Last updated · Written by the Bot Office team; it names Bot Office where it fits and says where it does not.
The short answer
Count the tasks the automations finished, multiply by a time-per-task estimate the client agreed, value that time at a rate the client agreed, and subtract what the automations cost to run (model usage and tool fees). Report it every week or month with the failures and the work that waited for a person, so the number is believable.
The honest version is a range or an estimate with its assumptions written next to it, not a single impressive figure.
Steps (with any tool)
- Agree the baseline first. How long the task took a person before, and what an hour of that person's time is worth. Get the client to agree it in writing.
- Count only finished work. Started runs and retries are not value. Count tasks that reached "done".
- Record the cost. Model tokens and spend per run, plus tool subscriptions. Many frameworks report token usage; keep "not reported" separate from zero.
- Show the misses. Failures, missed scheduled runs and work that waited for a person. A report that only shows wins is not trusted for long.
- Report on a rhythm. Weekly for operators, monthly for the person who pays.
How Bot Office does it
Bots report minutes_saved when they finish (and cost_usd or token usage when they have it; OpenTelemetry gen_ai.usage attributes are read for you). Bot Office turns them into hours and value saved per bot, spend per bot, and expected against done for scheduled routines, in weekly and monthly reports you print or save as PDF.
A bot that never sent a figure reads "not reported", never zero, and demo offices are marked DEMO. See an example use case or build an office for a client (free, branded from their website).
Questions
Where does the time-saved number come from?
From the bots themselves (minutes_saved on each finished run), which you set from the baseline the client agreed.
Can the client see it without my login?
Yes. Give them a client login with a viewer role, or a share link.
Are the reports emailed?
Not yet: emailed reports are planned (phase 2). Today you print them or save them as PDF.
Sources
Facts about other products are from their own documentation, linked above, as read on the date at the top. Bot Office is not certified or endorsed by their makers.