Calculate Your AI Automation Savings

How Much Can AI Save Your Business?

Artificial intelligence is no longer reserved for large enterprises with massive budgets. Today, UK SMEs across every sector are using AI automation to cut costs, improve customer service, and free up their teams for higher-value work. But the question most business owners ask is: “What’s the actual return?”

Our AI ROI Calculator gives you a data-driven answer. By entering your business details — industry, team size, salary costs, and customer enquiry volume — you get a personalised projection of how much AI could save you annually. The calculator factors in labour cost reduction from automating repetitive tasks, faster customer response handling, error reduction, the value of 24/7 availability, and potential software consolidation savings.

Most businesses we work with see a payback period of 2-6 months, with annual savings ranging from £10,000 for small teams to over £200,000 for larger organisations. The key is identifying which tasks consume the most time and offer the highest automation potential. Our AI consulting team can help you build a tailored automation roadmap based on your specific needs.

Understanding AI ROI

Several factors affect your AI return on investment. The most significant is the volume of repetitive tasks your team handles — data entry, responding to routine enquiries, scheduling, and document processing. Businesses spending 10+ hours per employee per week on these tasks typically see the strongest ROI.

Customer enquiry volume is another major driver. If you receive 50+ enquiries per day, an AI receptionist or RAG chatbot can handle the majority instantly, at a fraction of the cost of human handling. It’s important to set realistic expectations: AI doesn’t eliminate all manual work, but it typically automates 60-80% of routine tasks, allowing your team to focus on complex cases that genuinely need human expertise.

AI Automation by Industry

Different industries see different levels of AI automation potential. E-commerce and retail businesses benefit most, with up to 80% automation rates on customer service and order management. Hospitality and recruitment follow closely at 75%, thanks to high volumes of booking and candidate screening tasks. Healthcare, dental, and financial services typically see 65-70% automation on administrative tasks like appointment scheduling and patient enquiries. Even legal firms and trades businesses at 60% automation see substantial savings, particularly in client intake and quote management. Use our calculator above to see the specific figures for your industry.