From what point does Power Automate consulting really pay off?
Before you commission Power Automate consulting, you want to know whether the effort pays off. This page shows the rule of thumb we use to estimate every project in advance: participants in the process, hourly rate, and time saved per week yield the monthly savings and the payback period. Three example calculations show the order of magnitude for different team sizes.
Does the consulting pay off, or is the effort greater than the benefit?
Most decision-makers in SMEs know the problem, but not the number behind it. Before investing in consulting, an honest benchmark is often missing.
- 01No one has ever calculated how many hours the team actually spends each week on manual approvals and forwarding.
- 02Consulting proposals state daily rates, but give no indication of when the investment pays for itself.
- 03The worry of investing in an expensive pilot that ultimately doesn't fit daily operations keeps many from making the first inquiry.
- 04Without benchmark values, it's hard to assess whether your own process size even qualifies for consulting.
The rule of thumb in three steps.
For an initial assessment, three values you already roughly know are enough: how many people are involved in a recurring approval process, how much time each person spends on it per week, and the average hourly rate within the team.
1. Time saved per week, summed across all participants, multiplied by the hourly rate, multiplied by 4,33 weeks per month, gives the monthly savings.
2. Monthly savings multiplied by 12 gives the annual savings.
3. Typical pilot investment divided by monthly savings gives the payback period in months.
The three example calculations below show how this plays out in practice. The free initial analysis provides your own numbers.
Three example calculations for different team sizes.
Benchmark values based on typical NordFlux projects. Your actual savings depend on the process and system landscape and are calculated specifically in the initial analysis.
| Criterion | Small team (~5 participants) | Mid-sized company (~15 participants) | Larger department (~30 participants) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participants in the process | 5 | 15 | 30 |
| Avg. hourly rate | 45 € | 55 € | 60 € |
| Time saved per week (total) | 6 h | 15 h | 30 h |
| Savings per month | ≈ 1.170 € | ≈ 3.570 € | ≈ 7.790 € |
| Savings per year | ≈ 14.000 € | ≈ 42.900 € | ≈ 93.500 € |
| Typical pilot investment | 5.000–8.000 € | 8.000–14.000 € | 14.000–22.000 € |
| Payback period | ≈ 4–7 Monate | ≈ 2–4 Monate | ≈ 2–3 Monate |
Individual calculation for your case in the free initial analysis
From benchmark to real number.
The example calculation doesn't replace an initial analysis. Here's how we arrive at your own number together.
Free initial analysis
60 minutes, no obligation: we look at your process together and estimate participants, time spent, and hourly rate.
Concept and fixed price
You get a concrete payback calculation for your case, not a generic benchmark.
Pilot in 30 days
We launch the first workflow live, usually within your existing Microsoft 365 license.
Measurement and decision
After the first few weeks, real numbers show you whether expanding to further processes pays off.
What Power Automate consulting at NordFlux specifically includes.
This page puts the benefit into context. On the Power Automate service page, you can see which workflows we specifically build and how the collaboration works.
Shall we work through your case together?
In 60 minutes, we'll look at your process and tell you honestly whether and when Power Automate consulting will pay off for you.
- Honest assessment, even if it doesn't pay off
- Fixed price instead of an open-ended timesheet
- Usually on your existing Microsoft 365 license
What decision-makers often ask about the ROI of Power Automate consulting.
From how many employees does Power Automate consulting pay off?
There is no fixed lower limit; what matters is the time tied up in the process, not the size of the company. Even a team of four to five people with recurring approvals or requests can recoup the investment within a few months if several hours a week are spent on manual forwarding. The example calculation above shows the order of magnitude; the free initial analysis provides the concrete number.
What does Power Automate consulting typically cost?
Depending on scope, an initial pilot typically ranges between 5.000 and 25.000 euros as a fixed price, depending on the number of workflows, approval levels, and connected systems. You get the concrete figure after the free initial analysis, before you decide. Ongoing costs afterward are usually low, because Power Automate is often already included in your existing Microsoft 365 license.
How quickly does the investment pay for itself in practice?
In the projects we implement, payback is often between two and seven months when several people regularly spend time on manual approvals or forwarding. With low volume, it takes correspondingly longer. The calculation hinges on three levers: number of participants, hours saved per week, and hourly rate; you can see all three in the example table above.
What if consulting doesn't pay off for us at all?
Then we'll tell you just as openly in the free initial analysis. With very low volume or processes that occur rarely anyway, the effort is sometimes not proportionate to the benefit. We don't sell projects that don't pay off; instead, we tell you honestly when a simpler solution or no automation at all is the better path.