Agent Economics
Know the answer before you build.
Model the investment. Forecast the returns. Stress-test the assumptions. Every agentic deployment ships with a business case that holds up to scrutiny.
Investment Verdict
One number. One decision.
Investment VerdictSTRONG PROCEED
MONTHLY INVESTMENT
$0
MONTHLY RETURN
$0
Steady state
NET PRESENT VALUE (12 MO)
$0
NPV is positive across all three scenarios. Returns exceed costs within six weeks.
ROI+0%
Break-even~6 weeks
RiskLow
Transparent Modeling
Every dollar accounted for.
Every assumption visible.
Investment
AI Model Usage$300
Human Oversight$350
Maintenance and Monitoring$105
Guardrail Processing$45
Total Investment$800/mo
Projected Returns
Labor Cost Avoided$3,000
Response Time Value$700
Quality Cost Reduction$500
Total Returns$4,200/mo
Net Monthly Value+$3,400|Return on Investment+425%
Cost Controls
Guardrails for the budget,
not just the workflow.
Budget Governance
Agent: Customer Support TriageSpend Controls
Hard Cap
Stops at budgetSoft Cap
Escalates at limitAdvisory Only
Alerts, no enforcementAlert Thresholds
50%Midpoint check
80%Action required
90%Critical threshold
100%Budget reached
Controls Active5
Overhead$0/mo
Headroom+$945
Risk LevelLow
Growth Curve
See where the value builds.
Month by month.
12-Month Cumulative Net Value
$34,800
Monthly Returns
Monthly Cost ($800)
Stress-Tested
See the full range,
not just the best case.
Best Case25%
Monthly Return
$5,800
Annual NPV
$52,000
Payback Period
< 3 weeks
NPV Positive
Expected50%
Monthly Return
$4,200
Annual NPV
$34,800
Payback Period
~6 weeks
NPV Positive
Conservative25%
Monthly Return
$2,400
Annual NPV
$16,200
Payback Period
~10 weeks
NPV Positive
What Moves the Needle
Which assumptions matter most.
Impact on NPV when each variable changes ±20%
Decrease
Increase
Monthly Volume
-25%
+25%
Labor Rate
-20%
+20%
Automation Rate
-18%
+18%
Attribution Factor
-15%
+15%
Model Cost per Interaction
-8%
+8%
Monthly volume and labor rate are the primary drivers. Model cost has the smallest impact.