Unlock Your RPA & Workflow Automation ROI: A Transparent Cost Guide
Stop guessing what your automation initiatives will cost.
Get clear, predictable pricing models that align with your business outcomes, not just the
technology.
Investing in automation is a strategic decision, not just a technical one. Yet, the conversation often gets stuck on vague hourly rates and unpredictable project scopes. This leads to budget overruns and stalled progress. We believe in a different approach: transparent, outcome-based pricing. This page demystifies the costs associated with RPA, workflow automation, and business process automation, giving you the clarity to build a solid business case and invest with confidence. We'll break down the key cost drivers, from process complexity to the required technology stack, so you can see exactly where your investment goes and what kind of ROI to expect.
Why CIS for Transparent Automation Pricing?
Outcome-Based Models
We structure our pricing around your success metrics. You pay for tangible results like reduced processing time or error rate reduction, not just developer hours. This aligns our goals directly with yours.
No Hidden Fees
Our proposals are exhaustive. We detail every potential cost, from licensing and infrastructure to maintenance and support, ensuring you have a complete financial picture before we begin.
Flexible Engagement
Whether you need a full-scale enterprise deployment or a pilot project for a single department, our models adapt. We offer fixed-price projects, dedicated teams, and hybrid options to match your budget and risk tolerance.
Certified Expertise
Our team holds certifications in leading platforms like UiPath, Automation Anywhere, and Microsoft Power Automate. This expertise means we build efficient, scalable bots faster, reducing your total cost of ownership.
End-to-End Governance
We don't just build bots; we build a sustainable automation program. Our pricing includes establishing a Center of Excellence (CoE) framework, ensuring long-term value, security, and compliance.
Free Process Audit
We start with a complimentary discovery and analysis phase. Our experts identify the highest-ROI automation opportunities within your organization, providing a data-backed roadmap before you commit a dime.
Rapid Deployment
Leveraging our library of pre-built components and AI-enabled development tools, we accelerate the development lifecycle. Faster deployment means a faster path to realizing your ROI.
24/7 Bot Support
Automation doesn't sleep, and neither does our support. Our pricing includes comprehensive maintenance and support plans to ensure your digital workforce operates flawlessly around the clock.
Guaranteed ROI Reporting
We provide detailed dashboards that track bot performance and the financial impact on your operations. You see the value we deliver in real-time, quantified in dollars and hours saved.
Our Automation Services & Cost Structures
We offer a full spectrum of automation services, each with a clear pricing structure designed for specific business needs. From targeted RPA implementations to enterprise-wide intelligent automation strategies, our goal is to provide a solution that fits your scale, complexity, and budget.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Implementation
This is the foundation of automation, focusing on automating repetitive, rules-based tasks currently performed by humans. We deploy software 'bots' to mimic human actions like data entry, file transfers, and form filling. Our pricing is typically based on the number and complexity of the processes being automated.
Key Outcomes
- Cost Reduction: Directly lowers operational costs by reducing the need for manual effort in repetitive tasks.
- Accuracy Boost: Eliminates human error, ensuring 100% accuracy in data handling and transaction processing.
- Speed & Efficiency: Bots operate 24/7 without breaks, drastically reducing cycle times for key business processes.
Intelligent Automation (IA) Solutions
IA enhances traditional RPA by integrating Artificial Intelligence technologies like Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This allows bots to handle unstructured data, make simple decisions, and automate more complex, cognitive tasks. Costing for IA projects includes factors like data model training and AI service integration.
Key Outcomes
- Expanded Scope: Automate processes involving invoices, emails, and scanned documents that standard RPA cannot handle.
- Smarter Decision-Making: Bots can analyze data to classify information, route exceptions, and perform sentiment analysis.
- End-to-End Automation: Tackle entire business workflows, from data ingestion to final reporting, with minimal human intervention.
Custom Workflow Automation
Beyond task automation, we design and build custom workflows that orchestrate tasks across multiple systems, departments, and users. Using platforms like Zapier, Make.com, or custom-coded solutions, we connect your disparate applications (e.g., CRM, ERP, marketing tools) into a single, seamless process. Pricing is often based on the number of integrated systems and the complexity of the workflow logic.
Key Outcomes
- System Integration: Break down data silos by creating automated data flows between your critical business applications.
- Process Visibility: Gain a clear, real-time view of your business processes, identifying bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
- Improved Collaboration: Automate handoffs, approvals, and notifications to ensure teams work together efficiently.
Business Process Management (BPM) Solutions
BPM takes a holistic view of your entire business operation. We help you model, analyze, optimize, and automate core business processes from start to finish. This is a strategic service that combines consulting with technology implementation to drive significant organizational transformation. The cost structure is typically project-based, reflecting the strategic depth of the engagement.
Key Outcomes
- Strategic Optimization: Redesign processes for maximum efficiency before automating them, avoiding paving the cowpath.
- Compliance & Control: Enforce business rules and create audit trails to ensure regulatory compliance and operational consistency.
- Agility & Scalability: Build a flexible process architecture that can adapt to changing market demands and business growth.
Automation Center of Excellence (CoE) Setup
To ensure long-term success and scalability, we help you establish an internal Automation CoE. This service involves creating the governance structure, development standards, security protocols, and training programs needed to manage and grow your automation initiatives effectively. This is a fixed-cost consulting engagement designed to make you self-sufficient.
Key Outcomes
- Sustainable Growth: Create a centralized framework for identifying, prioritizing, and deploying new automations.
- Risk Mitigation: Implement robust security, change management, and disaster recovery protocols for your digital workforce.
- Internal Capability: Empower your own team to take ownership of the automation program, reducing long-term reliance on external vendors.
Interactive Automation Cost Estimator
Get a real-time, ballpark estimate for your automation project. Adjust the sliders and options below to see how different factors influence the potential cost. This is a starting point for a more detailed, formal quote.
Estimated Project Cost
One-Time Implementation
Estimated Monthly Support
Ongoing Maintenance
This is a preliminary estimate. Actual costs depend on a detailed process assessment, specific technology choices, and licensing fees. Contact us for a precise quote.
Real-World ROI: From Cost to Value
Automating Procure-to-Pay for a Mid-Sized Manufacturer
"The efficiency gains were immediate. What used to take a team of four a full week at the end of each month is now done overnight by the bots, and with zero errors. It's completely changed how our finance team operates."
The Challenge
The client's procure-to-pay (P2P) cycle was plagued by manual data entry, lengthy approval chains via email, and frequent invoice-PO mismatches. This resulted in late payment penalties, strained vendor relationships, and a lack of visibility into cash flow.
Our Solution
We deployed a suite of intelligent bots to automate the entire P2P workflow. An OCR bot extracted data from incoming invoices, an RPA bot validated it against POs in the ERP system, and a workflow automation tool routed discrepancies for approval, flagging any exceptions for human review. The solution integrated seamlessly with their existing SAP environment.
Real-Time Shipment Tracking for a Logistics Provider
"Our clients demand instant updates. CIS built a workflow that pulls data from dozens of carrier portals into our central dashboard. Our customer service calls have dropped by 40% because clients can now self-serve."
The Challenge
The operations team spent hours each day manually logging into various carrier websites (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) to track shipments and update their internal TMS. This process was slow, error-prone, and failed to provide clients with proactive, real-time visibility.
Our Solution
We developed a custom workflow automation solution using a combination of RPA and API integrations. RPA bots logged into carrier portals that lacked APIs, scraping tracking data. For modern carriers, we used direct API calls. All data was aggregated and pushed into the client's central TMS and customer-facing portal every 15 minutes, providing a unified, real-time view of all shipments.
Streamlining New Hire Onboarding for a Tech Startup
"Onboarding used to be chaotic. Now, the moment I mark a candidate as 'hired' in our ATS, a workflow kicks off that handles everything from IT provisioning to benefits enrollment. Our new hires have a seamless Day 1 experience."
The Challenge
With rapid growth, the client's manual onboarding process was failing. HR, IT, and hiring managers struggled to coordinate, leading to delays in equipment setup, system access, and payroll enrollment. This created a poor first impression for new employees.
Our Solution
We designed a comprehensive workflow automation solution connecting their Applicant Tracking System (ATS), IT service desk (Jira), and HRIS (BambooHR). When a candidate's status changed, it triggered a workflow that automatically created IT tickets for hardware, provisioned accounts in Office 365, sent out digital paperwork via DocuSign, and enrolled the new hire in the HRIS.
Our Transparent Pricing & Delivery Process
1. Discovery & Audit
We start with a free, no-obligation workshop to understand your processes, identify high-impact automation candidates, and define clear success metrics.
2. Fixed-Price Proposal
You receive a detailed proposal with a complete cost breakdown, project timeline, and a defined scope of work. No surprises, no hidden fees.
3. Agile Development
We build your automation solution in iterative sprints, with regular demos to ensure the project stays aligned with your expectations and delivers value quickly.
4. Deployment & Support
After rigorous testing, we deploy the solution into your live environment and transition to a pre-agreed support plan to ensure flawless ongoing operation.
Technology Stack & Tools
What Our Clients Say
"CIS provided a level of cost transparency we hadn't seen from other vendors. Their fixed-price model for the initial RPA rollout gave us the budget certainty we needed to get executive buy-in."
"The interactive calculator on their site was surprisingly accurate. It helped us frame the initial budget discussion internally before we even engaged with their sales team. It set a tone of honesty from the start."
"We were concerned about the ongoing costs of maintaining a digital workforce. CIS broke down their support tiers clearly, allowing us to choose a plan that matched our internal capabilities and budget."
Frequently Asked Questions
The main cost drivers are: 1) **Process Complexity:** Simple, linear tasks are cheaper than processes with many business rules and exceptions. 2) **Number of Applications:** Automations that interact with multiple systems (e.g., ERP, CRM, web portals) require more development effort. 3) **Type of Data:** Working with structured data (like spreadsheets) is simpler than handling unstructured data (like PDFs or emails), which requires AI components like OCR. 4) **Development Platform:** Licensing costs for platforms like UiPath or Automation Anywhere are a significant factor.
It depends. For automating user-interface-level tasks without changing underlying systems, RPA is often faster and cheaper to implement initially. However, if the applications involved have robust APIs, custom workflow automation can be more stable, faster, and cheaper in the long run as it's not affected by UI changes. We analyze your specific use case to recommend the most cost-effective approach.
Many companies only budget for development. The "hidden" costs to be aware of include: 1) **Software Licensing:** Annual fees for the RPA platform. 2) **Infrastructure:** Costs for servers (cloud or on-premise) to run the bots. 3) **Maintenance & Support:** Ongoing costs to fix bots when applications change or processes are updated. 4) **Change Management:** The internal effort required to train employees and adapt the organization to new automated processes. Our proposals make all these costs visible upfront.
We calculate ROI using a comprehensive formula. The "Return" includes hard savings (e.g., hours of manual work saved x employee cost) and soft benefits (e.g., value of error reduction, improved compliance, faster customer response times). The "Investment" includes the total cost of development, licensing, and ongoing maintenance. We work with you to quantify these variables and build a solid business case with a clear payback period.
Ready for a Clear Automation Budget?
Let's move beyond estimates. Schedule a free, in-depth process audit with our automation experts. We'll provide a detailed roadmap and a firm, transparent quote for your highest-impact automation opportunities.
Book Your Free Automation Audit