What ROI should we realistically expect from AI, and how long before we see it?

The honest answer most vendors will not give you: AI ROI depends entirely on which workflow you target and whether you did the diagnosis first. A well-targeted automation on a high-volume, rule-based workflow will show returns within 90 days. A poorly targeted one may never show returns regardless of how much you spend.

What we consistently see across engagements: 20% to 40% cost reduction per transaction on the targeted workflow. 50% to 70% reduction in manual labor hours. 40% to 60% reduction in error rates. Time to first results: 60 to 90 days after deployment. These are production numbers, not pilot numbers.

The bigger ROI compounds over time. Your first automated workflow saves money and frees capacity. That capacity and credibility funds the second workflow. Each one builds on the last. After 12 months, the portfolio effect, multiple automated workflows running simultaneously, produces returns that far exceed any single deployment.

The companies that report zero ROI from AI almost always made the same mistake: they deployed AI on the wrong workflow without doing the diagnostic work first. The INSIGHTS assessment exists to prevent that. Two weeks to identify the highest-ROI target. Then deploy. Then measure. The arithmetic is straightforward when the methodology is right.