A ten-minute task sounds insignificant. When it happens twenty times a day, waits between several people, and causes a handful of errors each month, the cost is no longer ten minutes.
Measure four kinds of cost
Hands-on work is only the first layer. Add waiting, correction, and the loss of focus caused by frequent interruptions.
- Active manual time
- Turnaround and waiting time
- Errors and rework
- Interruption and context switching
One representative week is useful
You do not need months of data. Tasks, frequency, and people involved in a typical week provide a good baseline. The goal is comparability, not accounting precision.
Do not optimise only for saved hours
Automation may create faster customer responses, lower risk, better auditability, or growth without matching growth in administration.
A useful metric shows how the operation improved, not just how many clicks disappeared.
AUTHOR
Kriside
Automation, AI, and custom software — always starting from the operation.