Measuring the return on automation

Automation projects are often approved on instinct and judged on anecdote. That makes it hard to decide what to build next.

We track three numbers for every system: hours saved per month, error rate before and after, and any revenue that can be tied directly to faster turnaround. None of them needs special tooling. A spreadsheet is enough.

Review the numbers each quarter. Systems that are not paying their way should be changed or retired, and the ones that are should be extended to neighbouring teams.