This is, from the inside, the report delivered at the end of an operations audit. We have invented a company so we can show it in full without revealing anything about any client: a simulated B2B manufacturer of about 60 employees, with a generic ERP, a CRM and spreadsheets. What is real is the structure: what you receive and in what order.
1. Executive summary Simulated data
Over five working days, three processes of the simulated company were analysed. The theoretical annual cost of the time spent on them is €51,980 (simulated data). If only the part that the assumptions in section 7 consider recoverable were automated, the time freed up would be equivalent to about €34,040 a year, with an estimated investment of €11,500. We recommend starting with process 1, which accounts for two thirds of the cost.
2. Operating map Simulated data
This is how an order flows today in the simulated company, step by step and with who is involved:
- It arrives by email. Read by someone in sales (tool: email).
- It is copied by hand into the ERP. The same person, or administration (tool: ERP).
- Production is notified. By email or by phone (tool: email).
- Production checks availability. In a spreadsheet that someone updates (tool: spreadsheet).
- Administration prepares the documentation. From what is in the ERP.
- Someone updates the CRM. When they have time.
- The customer asks about the status. And someone looks for the information across three tools.
3. Problems detected and their cost Simulated data
- Duplication: the same order is entered in email, in the ERP and in the CRM.
- Waiting: production works with the previous day’s information.
- Trapped knowledge: only one person knows how special discounts are applied.
- Systems that don’t talk to each other: the ERP and the CRM are not integrated.
Theoretical annual cost of the time spent on each process, calculated with the simulated data the company would provide:
| Process | People × hours/week × €/hour × weeks | Theoretical annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Orders copied from email into the ERP | 3 × 10 h × €25 × 46 | €34,500 |
| Weekly production report prepared by hand | 2 × 4 h × €30 × 46 | €11,040 |
| Supplier onboarding across three tools | 1 × 5 h × €28 × 46 | €6,440 |
| Total (simulated data) | €51,980 | |
This is the cost of the time spent, not guaranteed savings: what can be recovered depends on the automation that is viable, on implementation costs and on how the freed-up time is used.
4. Opportunities and prioritisation Simulated data
- Priority 1 · Orders from email to the ERP. Automation with an AI agent that reads the order, validates the data and proposes the entry, with human review of doubtful cases. It addresses €34,500 a year. Estimated investment (simulated): €6,000.
- Priority 2 · Weekly production report. An integration that generates the report from the ERP without intervention, no AI. It addresses €11,040 a year. Estimated investment (simulated): €3,000.
- Priority 3 · Supplier onboarding. A single form that feeds the three tools, no AI. It addresses €6,440 a year. Estimated investment (simulated): €2,500.
5. Technical alternatives, with and without AI
For process 1, the report compares four paths before recommending one:
- Change the process: ask customers to use a form or a portal instead of email. Nothing has to be built, but it depends on customers adopting it.
- Integration without AI: it only works if orders arrive in a structured format, and in this case they don’t always arrive that way.
- AI agent with human review: reads the email, extracts the data, validates it against the company’s rules and leaves doubts to a person. It is the recommended option, combined with the form for customers who want to use it.
- Do nothing: the theoretical annual cost of the process and the risk of copying errors remain.
6. 90-day roadmap Simulated data
| Weeks | What is done | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Agree the validation rules and the exceptions for process 1 | Rules document signed by the company |
| 3–6 | Build the automation for process 1 and test it with real orders | Process 1 in production, supervised |
| 7–9 | Automatic weekly report (process 2) | Report in production |
| 10–12 | Supplier onboarding (process 3) and before/after comparison | Documented measurement |
7. ROI estimate with explicit assumptions Simulated data
The assumptions are in plain view so you can discuss them: process 1, 60% of the time is recovered (the rest is exception review and control); process 2, 80%; process 3, 70%. The percentages and the investments are simulated.
| Process | Recoverable time per year (assumption) | Estimated investment | Payback period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orders copied from email into the ERP | 60% of €34,500 = €20,700 | €6,000 | 3.5 months |
| Weekly production report prepared by hand | 80% of €11,040 = €8,832 | €3,000 | 4.1 months |
| Supplier onboarding across three tools | 70% of €6,440 = €4,508 | €2,500 | 6.7 months |
| Total (simulated data) | €34,040 | €11,500 | 4.1 months |
Important: this is freed-up time, not cash. It only turns into savings if that time is spent on something of more value or if it avoids hiring. The real report says so and calculates the payback with your data, not with these.
8. Risks, assumptions and what is out of scope
- Assumptions: the weekly hours are estimates by the owners of each process (simulated) and would be verified by measuring during the audit.
- Risks: the quality of customer data in the ERP and the variety of formats in which orders arrive.
- Out of scope: replacing the ERP and automating transport.
- What it would require from the company: naming an owner, documenting the exceptions that today live in someone’s head and reviewing daily what the system does during the first weeks.
9. Next step
The report ends with a decision that is yours, with no commitment. If you decide to build with Nexus, the audit amount is deducted from the project. If not, the report is yours and you can use it with whoever you like.
Frequently asked questions
Is this real data?
No. The company, the people, the systems and all the figures in this report are simulated. They do not correspond to any Nexus client or to real results: they are there to show the structure of what we deliver.
How long does a report like this take?
Five working days from the moment we receive the information, once the NDA is signed and with agreed access.
Can I see a real client’s report?
No: the data of real projects is under NDA and we don’t publish it. When a client authorises the publication of their case, we will add it on the examples page.