A useful automation business case compares the existing workflow with an operating alternative over a stated period. Include time spent on the exceptions, the human review the new process still needs, and the one-time work required to change systems or procedures.
Measure the current process
Count a sample of comparable items and estimate hands-on effort by role. Record the volume range and what triggers rework. Keep waiting time separate from labor so a faster response is not counted as labor saved. Note where the evidence is a measurement and where it is an assumption.
Estimate the proposed operating effort
List the steps that become automatic and those that remain manual. Include review time, exception handling, monitoring, and routine changes. Add design, implementation, testing, and handoff as one-time costs. Include recurring platform costs and people needed to run the workflow.
Compare scenarios and plan a follow-up
Use a conservative, expected, and higher-volume case if the inputs are uncertain. Document the breakpoints that would change the decision, such as a higher exception rate or a new license tier. After launch, use the original units and measurement window to check whether the assumptions held. Decide who owns the review.
Example
Use hypothetical processing volumes and show how manual review changes the estimate.
What to do next
Present measured values and assumptions side by side, with a follow-up plan to replace estimates with operating evidence.