A worked example, with numbers
A forwarder with about 10 people and 500 orders a week: where the figure comes from and what it costs. A planning illustration, not a measurement.
net yearly impact
≈ €45,200 / year
What is left after service and API costs.
freed team capacity
50 hours / week
Office capacity back, without hiring.
Order intake — today vs. after
manual work compared with the automated workflow
today vs. after
| we measure | today | after | what changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| hours savedtyping PDFs into the TMS | 7 min by hand | 1 min checking | −6 min per order0.1 hour × €20 = €2.00 |
| office hours a weekall intake time together | 58 h on intake | 8 h | 50 hours freedfor customer care, dispatch and sales |
| fasterfrom arrival to confirmation | 1–2 days | same day | the customer hears back today |
| cost of mistakeswrong orders, complaints, rework | counted in the process check | target agreed with you | priced only if it shows |
how the number is made
the maths, nothing hidden
value of the freed hours25,000 orders × €2.00€50,000
− running costsservice €250/month · your own API ≈ €150/month€4,800
= yearly impact≈ €45,200
Per order≈ €1.80 per order
Your investment
€3,000 once
Prototype€500credited to the build
Build€2,500in two milestones
Live: €250/month service + your own API ≈ €150/month, paid straight to the model provider.
About 7 % of the yearly impact, ceiling 10 %.