AI Automation ROI Analysis
Industry data and modeled scenarios for AI automation in professional services. Each analysis includes published company results, modeled P&L impact, unit economics before/after, and implementation considerations.
Methodology: These projections are built from published deployment data (ServiceNow, Lenovo, GHJ/Botkeeper, Vic.ai, and others), adjusted for mid-market firm economics. All figures are modeled, not guaranteed. Prepared by Attainment, a consultancy specializing in AI automation and growth systems for professional services firms. About our team.
$145K-$275K
Annual cash flow per company
3-6 mo
Payback period
+4-6 pts
EBITDA margin expansion
Day-1 ready
Integration playbook
IT/MSP: $180K-$275K in Annual Labor Savings Per Company
$180K-$275K annual labor savings. 4-6 point EBITDA margin expansion. 3-5 month payback period. Industry data from ServiceNow, Supra ITS, and Esusu.
Key Result: $180K-$275K saved per year. $1.8M-$2.75M cumulative cash flow over 10 years per company.
HR Services: $155K-$245K in Annual Labor Savings Per Company
$155K-$245K annual labor savings. Payroll processing costs drop 90%. Benefits inquiry handling drops 40-50%. Industry data from Lenovo, Johnson Controls, and Moveworks.
Key Result: $155K-$245K saved per year. $1.55M-$2.45M cumulative cash flow over 10 years per company.
Accounting: $145K-$235K in Annual Labor Savings Per Company
$145K-$235K annual labor savings. Bookkeeping labor reduced 80%. Advisory revenue mix shift from 30% to 40-50% at 2-4x billing rates. Industry data from GHJ/Botkeeper and Vic.ai.
Key Result: $145K-$235K saved per year. $1.45M-$2.35M cumulative cash flow over 10 years per company.
The Cross-Vertical Compound Effect
IT, HR, and Accounting are not independent verticals. They serve the same SMB clients with overlapping infrastructure. When all three run on a shared AI automation layer, the compound benefits go beyond what any single vertical achieves alone.
Shared AI Infrastructure
One automation platform across all verticals. Lower per-company deployment cost. Faster integration for each new acquisition.
Cross-Sell Revenue
An MSP client becomes an HR and accounting client. One relationship, three revenue streams. AI handles the operational load of serving them across all three.
Operating Leverage at Scale
Each new acquisition compounds the data advantage. Better AI models, faster integration, more predictable savings across the entire portfolio.
At 5 companies per vertical (15 total), the combined annual cash flow improvement reaches $2.4M-$3.8M in recurring annual savings. Over a 10-year hold, that compounds to $24M-$38M in cumulative cash flow from AI automation alone, before accounting for growth in the underlying businesses.
How This Becomes a Deployment
These analyses model what is possible. Turning them into real savings for your portfolio requires a structured process. Here is how we work with PE operators.
Portfolio Review Call
You bring 2-3 portfolio companies. We model the AI automation savings for each one using their actual financials. 30 minutes, no pitch deck.
Portfolio AI Audit
We go inside 1-3 companies. Map every automation opportunity. Model the P&L impact line by line. Deliver a 90-day deployment roadmap with clear milestones. The audit is complimentary.
Deploy and Scale
We build and deploy the automation. Same playbook rolls to every new acquisition. Each company gets automated faster and cheaper than the last.
You own everything we build. No vendor lock-in. No recurring platform fees to us. The automation runs on your infrastructure.
Model this for your specific portfolio companies.
Bring your top 2-3 acquisitions. We will model the AI automation savings for each one on the call, using their actual financials.
On the call
Walk through your portfolio companies and their cost structures. We model the savings live.
After the call
You get a written P&L impact model for each company we discuss, with assumptions clearly stated.
If it fits
We run a complimentary Portfolio AI Audit: every automation opportunity mapped, 90-day deployment roadmap delivered. No cost to you.
30 minutes. No pitch deck. Just your numbers and our models.