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Compare ongoing procedure-related support time with documentation upkeep and a one-time writing budget.
Choose one repeated procedure
Use a specific support or recovery task with a measurable start and finish. Avoid counting the same event under both downtime and support hours. Measure what people actually need help with before writing a broad manual.
How the calculation works
freed up hours = events × (current minutes − proposed minutes) ÷ 60. Net monthly value = freed up hours × hourly cost × capture fraction − upkeep hours × hourly cost. One-time investment = writing/checking hours × hourly cost. First-year value = 12 × monthly net value − investment.
A worked example
Twenty events saving 15 minutes release five hours monthly. At 50 per hour and 60% capture, value is 150. Two upkeep hours cost 100, leaving 50 monthly net value. Twelve writing hours cost 600; first-year net value is zero and simple payback is 12 months.
Budget checking and upkeep
An outdated procedure can create extra work. Include owner review and updates in ongoing upkeep, and test the draft with someone performing the task. Compare a smaller pilot before valuing a large documentation project.
What the result leaves out
This does not generate SOPs or predict downtime. It values entered support time and excludes revenue losses, safety outcomes and ramp-up. Documentation must be accurate, accessible and tested in the actual process; time freed up is not automatically cash saved.
Open the calculator with your own figures →
The defaults are constructed examples, not market benchmarks. Choose one currency for every monetary input; the currency selector formats values and does not convert exchange rates. Keep a copy of the records and assumptions behind your result so you can repeat the comparison after the next reporting period.
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