Peak One · Knowledge
ROI is a calculation with assumptions. If the assumptions are open, you can trust it.
Return on investment compares what an effort brings with what it costs. This guide shows how to calculate it honestly. The calculator on this page only works with your own numbers.
An example
Coordination time at Agentur Nordlicht
Example: The team estimates that each of its eight people loses two hours a week searching and chasing. In the calculator Lena enters team size, hours and her own hourly cost and sees hours and cost per year. Whether a tool wins any of that back, she checks afterwards with a pilot project.
Try it
What does coordination cost today?
Sample data · nothing is saved1,104 h · €88,320
Per year: 8 × 3 h × 46 working weeks × rate. This is the time that goes into coordination today, not a saving from Peak. Your assumptions, not a measurement or a promise.
Interactive demo with invented sample data. No account, nothing is saved or sent.
The method
The formula
ROI = (benefit − cost) ÷ cost. A positive value means the benefit exceeds the cost over the period you look at.
Capture all costs
Not just licences or material, but also people's time, onboarding and ongoing upkeep.
Make the benefit concrete
Hours saved, errors avoided, more billable work. Each figure with an assumption you can justify.
Fix the period
One year is common. Costs often come early and benefits later; over too short a period almost anything looks unprofitable.
A range, not one number
Calculate a cautious, a middle and an optimistic case. If the effort only pays off in the optimistic case, that is important to know.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ROI and payback?
ROI says how much benefit each unit invested produces. The payback period says when the costs have been recovered.
How do I value benefits that are hard to measure?
Name them separately and do not turn them into a number if you have no solid assumption. Honestly left out beats guessed.
Should I include internal time?
Yes. People's time is often the largest cost, even if it never appears on an invoice.
Calculate with your cards on the table.
An ROI with clear assumptions is a sound basis for a decision. Try the calculator with your own numbers.
Try the calculator