Audit scheduling automation ROI: building the business case
How to calculate audit scheduling automation ROI: the four savings sources, the costs to include, a worked example and how to test the numbers on your data.
Key takeaways
- Subcontracting is usually the largest saving.
- Include licence, scoping and internal time on the cost side.
- Test the business case on your own data.
Audit scheduling automation ROI comes from four sources: subcontracted days brought in-house, planner time saved, travel reduced and rescheduling handled faster. Set against the licence, priced per scheduled day with lower rates at higher volumes, plus a platform fee and a fixed implementation fee, most bodies see payback within the first year.
The four savings
| Source | How it's measured | Typical driver |
|---|---|---|
| Subcontracting | Days brought in-house × subcontractor day rate | Internal auditors used first |
| Planning time | Planner hours saved × hourly cost | Allocation in minutes |
| Travel | Kilometres saved × cost per km | Clustering nearby audits |
| Rescheduling | Planner hours plus auditor days recovered | Changes re-planned with impact shown |
Subcontracting is usually the largest line, because every day a qualified internal auditor covers instead of a contractor saves the full day rate.
The costs to include
Licence
Per scheduled day, with lower rates at higher volumes. The savings calculator shows your estimate once you add a work email.
Platform fee
A fixed annual fee, shown with your licence estimate.
Implementation
A fixed fee agreed at scoping, paid once.
Internal time
Planners' time on rules, data and the pilot.
A scheduled day is one calendar day per auditor with a confirmed appointment, however many appointments fall on that day, and rescheduling or re-optimising jobs is unlimited. Enter your audit days in the savings calculator to see your licence estimate.
A worked example from our ROI model
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return (total value of benefits) | £456,944 | £1,421,000 | £2,718,667 |
The model assumes 25,000 scheduled days in year one, rising to 29,000 by year three. Returns grow as the engine takes on more of the programme and rescheduling, and as capacity freed up is used for new work. Your own figures will differ; the point of the model is to show the shape, not to promise a number.
A quicker estimate for smaller bodies
Take a UK body with 25 internal auditors, 6,000 audit days a year, 30% subcontracted at £1,000 a day and three planners. Our savings calculator's expected scenario puts the annual value at roughly £530,000, most of it from subcontracted days brought in-house.
Set against that value, the licence for 6,000 scheduled days is a small fraction, and payback is measured in months. The savings calculator shows your licence estimate once you add a work email.
Building a credible case
MythROI models are marketing numbers.
RealityUse them for the shape of the case, then replace every assumption with your own measured figures.
MythThe licence is the main cost.
RealityImplementation and your team's time matter too; include them.
- BaselineMeasure subcontracted days, planning hours and travel for three months.
- EstimateUse the savings calculator with your own figures.
- TestRun a free two-week demo on your data.
- Agree criteriaSet targets for the pilot in writing before signing.
See how to run a proof of concept and how to increase auditor utilisation.
See how ScheduleAI's audit scheduling software applies these rules across a whole programme in minutes.
ScheduleAI's business case is built on your own numbers: the savings calculator gives a first estimate, and a free two-week demo on your data measures it before you commit.
Book a demo Estimate your savingsQuestions
How is audit scheduling automation ROI calculated?
Savings from subcontracting, planning time, travel and rescheduling, set against licence, platform and implementation costs.
What's usually the biggest saving?
Subcontracted days brought in-house.
How is ScheduleAI priced?
Per scheduled day, with lower rates as volume grows, plus an annual platform fee and a fixed implementation fee. The savings calculator shows your estimate once you add a work email.
What is a scheduled day?
One calendar day per auditor with a confirmed appointment, however many appointments fall on that day. Rescheduling and re-optimising jobs is unlimited.
How can we test the business case?
With a free two-week demo on your own data.