Measure What Matters: Unlocking Time and Cost Savings with Power Automate

echotransformation
Sep 19
2 min read

Automation is more than efficiency. It’s about measurable impact. With the new Savings preview feature in Power Automate, organizations can now quantify the value of their cloud flows in real terms, time saved and money retained.

This feature is designed for teams who want to move beyond anecdotal wins and start building a data-backed automation strategy. Whether you're optimizing internal processes or scaling enterprise-wide workflows, Savings gives you the numbers to prove it.

What Is the Savings Feature?

Savings is a built-in capability that lets you define rules for each cloud flow to estimate how much time and money is saved every time the flow runs successfully. These rules are visible in the flow’s details and in the Automation Center, making it easy to track performance over time.

There are two types of rules:

Time-saving rule: Estimate how long a task would take manually.
Money-saving rule: Assign a monetary value to that time using either an hourly rate or a fixed cost per run.

Important Requirement: To enable the Savings feature, your flow must be part of a solution. This is a key requirement. Flows outside of solutions will not support saving rules, so make sure your automation is packaged correctly before you begin.

How to Configure Savings

Open the flow’s detail pane.
Select the "Enable" button on the Savings (Preview).
Add a saving rule:
1. Enter the number of minutes saved per run.
2. Choose how to calculate cost savings: hourly rate or fixed amount.
Save the rule. Power Automate will begin tracking savings automatically after each successful run.

Screenshot of Power Automate Savings preview settings showing time and cost saving rule configuration for a solution-based cloud flow.

Forecasting ROI with the Savings Estimator

Before you build, you can use the Savings Estimator to forecast potential impact. Input your expected run frequency, time saved per run, and labor rate. The tool will calculate projected monthly and annual savings, helping you prioritize high-value automations.

For example: A flow that runs 1,000 times per month and saves 5 minutes per run at a $30/hour rate results in over $2,500 in monthly savings.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

Only solution-based cloud flows support saving rules.
Test runs do not generate savings.
Money-saving rules require time-saving rules to be enabled.
Hourly rate calculations are rounded to the nearest dollar.

Want to Learn More?

If you're ready to explore how Power Automate can drive measurable value for your organization, book a call with us today! We’ll help you design, implement, and scale automations that deliver real results.