AI Value and Cost Worksheet
Choose value measures, establish a baseline, and count delivery and operating costs.
Download printable guide (PDF) ↓Download editable template ↓Download spreadsheet (CSV) ↓Open original session worksheet ↗
Use this guide to structure a discussion, then record your answers in the editable template or printable PDF. Use synthetic or authorized information. A named person owns each decision.
1. Choose the value that matters
Use the seven layers: efficiency, scale, quality, experience, risk, capability, and financial impact. Select only those relevant to this workflow.
- Workflow and outcome
- What result matters, and to whom?
- Priority measures
- Choose a small set with units, data source, owner, and case mix.
- Baseline
- What happens today, over which period, and how reliable is the evidence?
- Target and period
- What useful improvement would justify continuing?
See a completed companion example
- Workflow and outcome
- Routine policy questions receive supported answers with less total active handling effort.
- Priority measures
- Active handling minutes per question; corrected claims per reviewed draft; missed escalations.
- Baseline
- Illustrative baseline: 15 minutes per routine question, including specialist review.
- Target and period
- Illustrative target: 9 minutes for the same case mix, with supported citations and defined escalations preserved.
2. Account for effort and spending
Count each benefit once. Time released is capacity unless spending actually changes. Compare benefits and costs over the same period.
- Capacity calculation
- Volume × minutes saved ÷ 60. State the assumptions.
- Financial mechanism
- What actual change in spending or revenue connects to the benefit?
- One-time costs
- Build, integration, change, training, and evaluation effort?
- Recurring costs
- Tools, usage, support, monitoring, maintenance, and human review?
- Observed result and decision
- Complete after the review; distinguish measured results from targets.
- Owner and review date
- Who owns the evidence and next decision?
See a completed companion example
- Capacity calculation
- Assume 300 questions/month × (15 - 9) minutes ÷ 60 = 30 hours/month of capacity.
- Financial mechanism
- None established. Do not call the 30 hours cash savings.
- One-time costs
- Illustrative: $3,000 including assigned delivery and training effort.
- Recurring costs
- Illustrative: $250/month incremental tool and support cost; review time is included in handling minutes.
- Observed result and decision
- Not yet measured. Owner will compare the same case mix before making an expansion decision.
- Owner and review date
- Service-desk lead with finance partner; two weeks after the pilot starts.
Record the next decision.
What will you do next, who owns it, and when will you review the evidence? Keep unresolved assumptions visible.