How to estimate AI time savings
Quick answer: Estimate weekly hours saved as tasks per week × (current minutes − assisted minutes) ÷ 60. Assisted time must include preparation, checking, and corrections. Validate the estimate with a pilot.
A fast first draft is only part of the job. The number that matters is how long it takes to reach a result you can actually use.
Measure two complete workflows.
For the current process, time the task from input to approved output. For the assisted process, include preparation, drafting, checking, corrections, and the final handoff. Use comparable examples and record failed attempts as well as successful ones.
Use transparent arithmetic.
Weekly hours saved = tasks per week × (current minutes − assisted minutes) ÷ 60.
Setup recovery in weeks = setup hours ÷ weekly hours saved, when weekly savings are positive.
For example, 20 tasks a week taking 10 minutes each use about 3.3 hours. At 5 minutes each, including review, the assisted workflow uses about 1.7 hours. The possible saving is about 1.7 hours a week. Two hours of setup would take about 1.2 weeks to recover. These are illustrative assumptions, not measured results.
Time recovered is not cash saved.
Time can be used for other work, but it does not automatically reduce payroll or increase revenue. Software charges, maintenance, training, and quality problems can change whether a project is worthwhile. The Maibly planner estimates time only.
Replace guesses with observations.
Start with a small set of representative examples. Note how many minutes each took and whether it passed review. Then repeat during a normal week, including exceptions. Small samples help you learn; they do not prove performance at every volume.
Keep the quality bar fixed.
If the faster result is less accurate or creates work for somebody else, include that cost in the comparison. Continue only when the complete workflow earns its place.