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Automation & cobot ROI calculator

Interactive, plant-ready calculator to capture task-level inputs for cobot/automation pilots so teams can estimate annual labor and quality savings, simple payback, and prepare numbers for NPV analysis.

Interactive Tool

Automation & cobot ROI calculator

Quick plant-ready ROI tool for cobots and automation pilots

Enter task-level numbers below to capture a consistent dataset for evaluating automation pilots. This tool helps you estimate annual labor savings, quality-related savings, total annual benefit, simple payback period, and prepares inputs for NPV. These estimates are quick, local decision-support numbers — validate with engineering, safety, and procurement before committing capital.

What this form saves for you

  • Stable, repeatable inputs for comparing candidate tasks
  • Clear assumptions (labor burden, operating days, defect cost)
  • Exportable data you can paste into a spreadsheet or feed into a calculation engine

Notes on interpretation

Outputs depend heavily on local assumptions: fully-burdened labor cost, whether automation replaces headcount or reallocates work, the true cost of defects, and integration effort. Use conservative assumptions for initial prioritization and then run a detailed engineering cost model for finalists.

Include wages, benefits, payroll taxes, overtime, and overhead. If unknown, multiply base wage by 1.3–1.5.
Time to complete one cycle including handling, inspection, and movement.
Average number of task cycles completed in a single shift.
Number of production shifts per day operating this task.
Typically 250–365 depending on holidays and planned downtime.
Percent of parts requiring rework or scrap currently.
Include scrap cost, rework labor, materials, inspection time, and customer quality costs if relevant.
Purchase price of robot/cobot, end-of-arm tooling, fixtures, safety guarding, and primary hardware costs.
Maintenance, consumables, license fees, and recurring costs per year.
Systems integration, PLC changes, engineering hours, testing, and training required to bring the cell online.
Percent change in throughput after automation. Use negative values if throughput will decrease.
Enter the expected reduction in defect rate as absolute percentage points (e.g., enter 1 to represent a reduction from 3% to 2%).
Factor to convert base wage into fully burdened cost (benefits, taxes, overhead). If unknown, use 1.35.
Use your cost of capital or corporate discount rate. Default 8% suggested.
Typical useful-life ranges for cobot cells are 3–7 years. Use expected useful life for NPV.
Document assumptions, local labor rules, overtime patterns, commissioning downtime, or risks that affect outcomes.
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