BYTEC Guides · Article 3 of 8
Capacity is not profit: how to calculate AI honestly
Many AI calculations promise savings that never reach the bank account. The reason is almost always the same: freed-up time is confused with money saved.
Step 1: Estimate hours honestly
Cases per month × minutes per case ÷ 60 = hours per month. Include checks and corrections, and only count the part an agent can realistically take over.
Step 2: Fully loaded cost per hour
Total cost of a position per year, that is salary, social security, workplace and overheads, divided by around 1,800 productive hours. Example: CHF 120,000 ÷ 1,800 ≈ CHF 67 per hour. Our calculator uses CHF 65 as its starting value.
Step 3: Capacity value
Hours per month × fully loaded cost per hour × 12. Example: 200 hours × CHF 65 × 12 = CHF 156,000 per year.
The crucial difference
CHF 156,000 is not automatically CHF 156,000 more profit. If all employees keep their salary, the company initially saves no money. It gains working capacity.
When capacity turns into money
- Less overtime is needed.
- External service providers or temporary staff are needed less.
- The company grows without needing an additional position.
- Faster workflows bring more orders or shorter waiting times.
- Fewer errors mean less rework.
Each of these effects can be measured. Only count the ones that can really occur in your company.
Step 4: Deduct costs
Deduct setup and operation (see What an AI agent really costs). What remains is the calculated benefit, not yet a result.
Step 5: Measure in the pilot instead of assuming
The best figure is a measured one. A pilot of around 30 days shows how much time is actually freed up and how much of it has an economic effect (see The first AI pilot).
Try it with your figures: to the calculator.