What is this calculator?

The WorkDynamics Digital Labour ROI Calculator estimates the value of activating AI agents — Digital Labour — across any employee services workflow. It is grounded in the AI Work Spectrum (AIWS) framework and designed to produce directional, honest estimates you can use in internal conversations and planning sessions.

The calculator has two modes. Quick Estimate

Before you start
You will need to know — or estimate — three things:
• The workflow you want to assess (e.g. new hire onboarding, injury management, ER case handling)
• Roughly how many times that workflow occurs in your organisation per year
• An estimate of what it costs in labour — either a dollar figure per transaction, or average hours and an hourly rate
You do not need exact figures. A reasonable estimate is sufficient for a directional tool.gives you a fast directional range in under two minutes. Activity Breakdown lets you decompose a workflow into its component parts and apply different activation targets to each — producing a more realistic picture of mixed activation.

Results are directional — they show you the order of magnitude, not a precise figure. They are designed to open a conversation, not close one.

Understanding the Spectrum Positions
Step 2 asks where your workflow currently sits on the AI Work Spectrum. Here is what each position means in plain terms.
Baseline — Human-only execution. No AI involvement at all.
Stage 1 — Assisted — AI assists individuals with tasks. Value stays personal, not organisational.
Stage 2 — Delegated — Defined tasks are handed to agents. This is where measurable ROI first appears.
Stage 3 — Orchestrated — Agents coordinate work across systems, eliminating the coordination tax.
Stage 4 — Directed Autonomy — Agents operate continuously within governance frameworks. Strategic, structural value.
If you are unsure where your workflow sits, ask: is AI doing any of this work independently — or is every step handled by a person? If every step is human, you are at Baseline or Stage 1.

Digital Labour ROI Calculator — WorkDynamics

Using Quick Estimate

Quick Estimate gives a directional saving range for moving a whole workflow from its current position to a target stage. Use this for an initial conversation or a fast sense-check.
Step 1 — Name the workflow
Type a short description — for example: New hire onboarding, Injury management, or Policy query handling.
Step 2 — Select the current Spectrum Position
Choose where this workflow sits today. If most of the work is done by people with little or no AI involvement, select Baseline or Stage 1.
Step 3 — Select the target stage
Choose the activation level you are aiming for. Only stages higher than your current position will be available. You can jump directly to Stage 3 or Stage 4 — you do not need to progress through each stage in sequence.
Step 4 — Enter annual transaction volume
Enter how many times this workflow occurs per year. Use your best estimate — the number of new hires, incidents, cases or requests per year, depending on the workflow.
Step 5 — Enter current labour cost per transaction
Choose one of two paths:
I know the cost — enter a dollar figure representing the total labour cost each time this workflow runs.
Help me estimate — enter the average total hours all roles spend on one transaction, and an average hourly rate. The calculator multiplies these to produce a cost per transaction.
Once all five steps are complete, the right panel shows your results — including the annual cost of staying where you are, the directional saving range at your target stage, and the value dimensions that activation creates. The Assumptions panel at the bottom states the saving ranges used and their basis. Always read this alongside any figures you share externally.

Using Activity Breakdown
Activity Breakdown is the more detailed mode. It recognises that within any real workflow, different activities will activate at different stages — and some will remain human. Use this mode when you want a more realistic picture of mixed activation.
Steps 1 to 4 are the same as Quick Estimate. Step 5 replaces the target stage selector with an activity builder.
For each activity in the workflow:
• Give it a name — e.g. Data entry, Screening review, Case coordination
• Enter its percentage of the total workflow cost (minimum 20% per activity)
• Select its activation target — Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, or Human (stays with a person)
You can add between 2 and 5 activities. The running total bar turns green when allocations reach exactly 100%.
Important rules:
• Each activity must be at least 20% of total cost. This prevents false precision from small estimates.
• All activities must sum to exactly 100% before results appear.
• Human activities show as Human retained in the results — contributing zero saving. This is intentional and honest.
The results table shows each activity with its target, percentage, and directional saving range. The Gap narrative states what percentage of cost remains human — making the honest picture visible.
Tip: If you have three meaningful activity groups, use three buckets — for example: 40% data entry and coordination (Stage 3), 40% case review (Stage 2), 20% risk escalation (Human). Do not create activities just to fill space.

About the saving ranges
The saving ranges used in this calculator are grounded in the WorkDynamics AIWS Value Creation Framework and supported by external case study evidence.
Any stage to Stage 2 — 40 to 65% labour cost reduction
Any stage to Stage 3 direct — 55 to 75% labour cost reduction
Stage 2 to Stage 3 — 20 to 40% additional reduction on the Stage 2 cost base
To Stage 4 — strategic and structural value (qualitative)
Results are directional estimates only. Actual outcomes depend on workflow complexity, current process efficiency, governance context and implementation approach. This calculator is not a financial model and should not be used as the sole basis for investment decisions.