High-Impact Automation Examples

6 workflows that pay for
themselves in 30 days

Concrete automation examples. Realistic ROI models.

Typical payback timelines based on South African SMB scenarios—designed for teams ready to invest in reliable, managed automation.

R20k+
Starting investment
7–14
Days to go live
<45
Typical payback (days)
100%
ROI after payback
Find Your Perfect Workflow

Premium automation
with clear financial sense

Each example includes modeled ROI and typical payback timelines for South African SMBs

Example 1/6

Lead Capture Automation

Eliminate manual lead entry

Common Scenario

Businesses commonly lose 30-40% of web leads due to manual follow-up delays. Each lost lead can represent R2,000–R3,000 in potential revenue.

Automation Approach

Website forms → instant CRM entry → automated WhatsApp/email → task assignment to sales rep

Typical Outcomes
Near-100% lead capture rate achievable
Response time typically under 2 minutes
Around 12hrs/week saved on data entry
Significantly fewer leads lost
Before
~35% leads lost
After
~5% leads lost
Suitable for
Real estateCar dealershipsMedical practices
Modeled ROI (30 days)
Time saved per week
12 hours
Loaded cost per hour
R400
Typical SMB employee cost
Setup investment
R22,000
Monthly service
R9,000/mo
Hosting + support included
Monthly return
R0
After costs: R0
Payback period
> 90 days
Then pure profit
Example 2/6

Appointment Scheduling & Reminders

Reduce no-shows dramatically

Common Scenario

No-show rates around 15-25% are common, costing businesses R30k–R60k/month in lost revenue. Manual scheduling can consume 8-12hrs/week.

Automation Approach

Online booking → auto-confirmation → 24hr SMS reminder → day-of WhatsApp → post-appointment survey

Typical Outcomes
No-shows can drop from ~20% to under 8%
Around 10hrs/week saved on scheduling
Revenue recovery in the R25k–R45k/month range
Near-universal appointment confirmation
Before
~20% no-shows
After
~7% no-shows
Suitable for
ClinicsSalonsConsultantsService providers
Modeled ROI (30 days)
Time saved per week
10 hours
Loaded cost per hour
R350
Typical SMB employee cost
Setup investment
R20,000
Monthly service
R7,500/mo
Hosting + support included
Monthly return
R0
After costs: R0
Payback period
> 90 days
Then pure profit
$
Example 3/6

Invoice & Payment Follow-up

Accelerate cash collection

Common Scenario

Payment cycles averaging 40-50 days are typical. Around 12-18% of invoices go overdue, requiring 8-12hrs/week of manual chasing.

Automation Approach

Auto-invoice on delivery → payment reminders at 7, 14, 21 days → escalation workflow → auto-reconciliation

Typical Outcomes
Payment cycles can shorten to 28-35 days
Overdue invoices often drop to 5-8%
Around 10hrs/week saved on collections
Cash flow improvement in the 20-35% range
Before
~45-day cycle
After
~30-day cycle
Suitable for
B2B servicesAgenciesDistributorsContractors
Modeled ROI (30 days)
Time saved per week
10 hours
Loaded cost per hour
R450
Typical SMB employee cost
Setup investment
R28,000
Monthly service
R12,000/mo
Hosting + support included
Monthly return
R0
After costs: R0
Payback period
> 90 days
Then pure profit
!
Example 4/6

Stock Level Monitoring

Prevent costly stockouts

Common Scenario

Stockouts and emergency orders can cost R50k–R100k/month. Manual inventory checks typically consume 5-8hrs/week without preventing issues.

Automation Approach

Auto-track inventory → reorder point alerts → automatic supplier orders → delivery tracking → stock reports

Typical Outcomes
Stockouts become rare vs. constant
Emergency orders largely eliminated
Around 7hrs/week saved on inventory checks
Losses prevented in the R40k–R80k/month range
Before
Frequent stockouts
After
Rare stockouts
Suitable for
RetailWholesaleManufacturingDistribution
Modeled ROI (30 days)
Time saved per week
7 hours
Loaded cost per hour
R400
Typical SMB employee cost
Setup investment
R32,000
Monthly service
R14,000/mo
Hosting + support included
Monthly return
R0
After costs: R0
Payback period
> 90 days
Scope dependent
Example 5/6

Employee Onboarding

Onboard efficiently and consistently

Common Scenario

HR teams commonly spend 2-4 full days per new hire on manual onboarding. Inconsistent processes and lost documents are frequent issues.

Automation Approach

Contract generation → e-signature → access provisioning → training schedule → checklist tracking → completion alerts

Typical Outcomes
Onboarding time can drop from 3 days to 4-6 hours
Checklist completion approaches 100%
Around 20hrs saved per hire
New hires productive 1-2 days sooner
Before
~3 days to onboard
After
~5 hours to onboard
Suitable for
Any company hiring 5+ people/year
Modeled ROI (30 days)
Time saved per week
20 hours
Loaded cost per hour
R500
Typical SMB employee cost
Setup investment
R35,000
Monthly service
R15,000/mo
Hosting + support included
Monthly return
R0
After costs: R0
Payback period
60 days
Then pure profit
Example 6/6

Weekly Performance Reports

Automate time-consuming reporting

Common Scenario

Managers commonly spend 6-10hrs every week manually compiling data from multiple systems. Reports are often delayed or contain errors.

Automation Approach

Auto-pull data from all systems → compile & calculate → format → distribute to stakeholders → archive

Typical Outcomes
Report generation: 8hrs → 10-20 minutes
Near-perfect accuracy (minimal manual errors)
Around 8hrs/week returned to strategic work
Reports delivered consistently on schedule
Before
~8hrs manual work
After
~15min automated
Suitable for
All businesses with regular reporting needs
Modeled ROI (30 days)
Time saved per week
8 hours
Loaded cost per hour
R550
Typical SMB employee cost
Setup investment
R24,000
Monthly service
R10,000/mo
Hosting + support included
Monthly return
R0
After costs: R0
Payback period
> 90 days
Then pure profit

Why these workflows
deliver fast returns

Immediate value

Time savings start the day you go live. No waiting months to see results.

Compound returns

Every hour saved, every week, adds up. At R400/hr, 10hrs/week = R208k/year in value.

Revenue protection

Captured leads, prevented stockouts, faster payments—these drive direct revenue impact.

Which workflow should
you automate first?

Book a free 30-minute diagnostic. We'll analyze your processes and model realistic ROI for each potential workflow.

On the diagnostic call, we'll:
Map your time-consuming processes
Model ROI for each workflow
Show realistic payback timelines
Book Free ROI Diagnostic

No obligation. No sales pitch. Honest ROI modeling for your specific situation.