ROI-first automation check

Should you automate this process?

Run any process through the five gates, do the ROI math, and place it on the Value × Complexity matrix. The brief writes itself.

Based on the AI Automation Decision System by Artem Kholomyanskiy (EVAI Consulting)

The process
Step 1 — The 5-gate check

Step 2 — The ROI math
Monthly savings
Payback period
Annual ROI
Hours freed / month
Step 3 — Value × Complexity
High value · Easye.g. social auto-responder
DO FIRST
Low value · Easye.g. email templates
QUICK WINS
High value · Harde.g. CRM–warehouse integration
DO SECOND
Low value · Harde.g. custom dev for minor tasks
DON’T DO

Pick the quadrant your process sits in — the action is the system’s prescription.

If it passes — the 1-3-6 plan
  1. Month 1 — quick wins: chatbot for typical questions, then email automation → about 20 hours/month back.
  2. Months 2–3 — main projects: order-processing integration, auto-reports → about 40 hours/month and ~$2k/month saved.
  3. Months 4–6 — optimization: refinements, team training, scaling what worked.

Norms from the system: audit takes ~2.5 hours; first process live in 1–2 weeks; stable results in 1–3 months.