ROI calculator
AI ROI calculator for industry
Estimate the value of an AI project across your real levers: productivity, maintenance, quality, production, energy, supply chain and engineering. A conservative calculation, by use case, with no double counting.
Free · No sign-up · Instant result
Value trajectory
Cumulative value overtakes the investment, then the gap widens.
The essentials
- The formula stays simple: ROI = (gains - costs) / costs × 100
- The calculation distinguishes three natures of value: direct savings (cash), revenue or margin (cash if sellable), recovered capacity (non-cash, shown separately).
- The benchmarks stay below the maximums published by Deloitte, McKinsey and the World Economic Forum. They are benchmarks, never guarantees.
- The engine removes double counting: a maintenance gain and a production gain that overlap are never added in full.
Calculate your AI project ROI
A four-step path: your industry, your levers, your figures, then your costs. The result updates live. Nothing is sent: the calculation stays on your screen.
Your industry
It tailors the use cases shown in the next step. It changes none of the figures in the calculation.
Your value levers
Choose 1 to 3 levers. The calculation only combines what you tick.
0 / 3 selected
Your operating data
We prefill conservative benchmarks. Replace them with your figures to make the estimate more reliable.
How will the recovered time actually be used?
This answer decides whether the freed capacity becomes cash or stays a capacity, shown separately.
Your project costs
An honest ROI includes the full project cost, beyond the licence alone.
Year 1 (non-recurring)
Recurring (each year)
The first year includes the first annuity of the recurring costs.
We refine these figures with you, free and with no obligation.
What ROI can AI generate in industry?
Gains depend on the lever, the sector and maturity. Here are external benchmarks, published and verifiable.
| Lever | Observed (sources) | Benchmark used here | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Productivity and automation | +7 to +20% productivity | +5 / +10 / +15% | Deloitte, Smart Manufacturing 2025 |
| Production | up to +20% volume | +3 / +7 / +10% | Deloitte, Smart Manufacturing 2025 |
| Freed capacity | up to +15% capacity | +3 / +7 / +10% | Deloitte, Smart Manufacturing 2025 |
| Maintenance and reliability | -30 to -50% downtime | -10 / -20 / -30% | McKinsey, predictive maintenance |
| Quality | -41% defects (lighthouse sites) | -10 / -20 / -30% | World Economic Forum |
| Energy | -10 to -25% consumption | -3 / -7 / -10% | Industrial cases, ScienceDirect |
| Supply chain (inventory) | -20 to -30% inventory | -5 / -10 / -15% | McKinsey, forecasting |
| Engineering / R&D | +10 to +15% productivity | +5 / +10 / +15% | McKinsey |
The simulator applies conservative values, below these benchmarks. It keeps a reasonable central benchmark, adjustable at any time.
The 8 value creation levers
Each lever turns an operating figure into annual value. You combine one to three of them. The engine never adds two gains that overlap.
Productivity and automation
Recoverable repetitive hours, valued at the loaded hourly cost.
AI Systems DesignMaintenance and reliability
Downtime hours avoided, valued at the hourly downtime cost.
Maintenance IntelligenceHow do you calculate the ROI of an AI project?
ROI compares the value created to the cost incurred. The formula stays simple.
Formula
- Year 1 ROI = (gains - costs) / costs × 100
- Example: €120,000 of gains for €60,000 of costs gives a 100% ROI.
Payback is computed by dividing the initial investment by the net monthly gain. It is expressed in months.
The three-year net value adds up the gains, with a 60% ramp-up in the first year, then subtracts the total cost over three years. Amounts are not discounted.
Before any calculation, the engine distinguishes four natures of value.
- Direct savings: cash actually avoided.
- Recovered capacity: the value of the time made available, shown separately.
- Additional revenue: counted when the capacity is sellable.
- Risks avoided: shown separately, because they are probabilistic.
Which costs should you include? (TCO)
An honest ROI includes the total cost of ownership. The simulator asks for seven items.
- Audit and scoping (year 1).
- Development and integration (year 1).
- Team training (year 1).
- Internal project time (year 1).
- AI and software licences (recurring).
- Infrastructure (recurring).
- Maintenance and support (recurring).
The result shows the total cost of ownership in year 1, which includes the first annuity of the recurring costs, then the cumulative cost over three years.
Examples of AI ROI in industry
Three illustrative estimates, with conservative values consistent with the simulator. Your figures remain the only reference.
Predictive maintenance, food & beverage
- Unplanned downtime
- 200 h/yr
- Downtime cost
- €3,000/h
- Reduction used
- -20%
- Annual value
- €120,000
- Year 1 investment
- €60,000
Quality, pharmaceuticals
- Cost of poor quality
- €800,000/yr
- Reduction used
- -20%
- Annual value
- €160,000
- Year 1 investment
- €120,000
- 3-year net value
- ~€236,000
Productivity, machining
- People involved
- 25
- Repetitive hours
- 10 h/wk
- Recovered share
- 10%
- Annual value
- ~€58,500
- Year 1 investment
- €38,000
These examples rely on conservative reductions (10 to 20%), below the published maximums. They illustrate a method, to confirm with your data.
Methodology and sources
Our benchmarks come from public, verifiable sources. We deliberately stay below the observed maximums.
Up to +20% production, +20% workforce productivity and +15% freed capacity thanks to smart manufacturing technologies.
deloitte.comPredictive maintenance reduces machine downtime by 30 to 50% and extends equipment life by 20 to 40%.
mckinsey.comAI applied to forecasting reduces errors by 20 to 50% and inventory by 20 to 30%.
mckinsey.comAI use cases at lighthouse sites reduce defects by about 41% and energy consumption by about 28%.
weforum.orgAI-based energy optimisation reaches 10 to 25% consumption savings in industry.
sciencedirect.comFrequently asked questions
How do you calculate the ROI of AI?
What is the average ROI of AI in industry?
How do you calculate the ROI of predictive maintenance?
Which costs should you include in an AI project?
How long does it take to pay back an AI project?
Which AI use cases are the most profitable in industry?
From estimate to business case
We refine these benchmarks with your real data, then scope an AI project with a proven ROI. Free and with no obligation.
Book a call