How much time do you save with dictation? A calculation you can show your boss

“Is it worth it?” is the first question any manager asks when hearing about a new tool. For dictation, the answer can be calculated quite precisely. Here’s how.

Starting numbers

• We speak in conversation about 130-160 words per minute.
• We type on average 35-45 words per minute; good typists get over 70, but they’re few.
• We write a lot: an office worker easily spends an hour or two a day writing emails, messages, notes, and documents.

Why the gain isn’t quite 4×

The raw ratio is almost 4 to 1, but in reality we also think, reread, and correct. With classic dictation, correction takes up a big part of the gain. With AI-cleaned dictation, correction drops a lot, but doesn’t disappear. A cautious estimate: you save about 40 minutes for every hour of writing.

Calculation for a team

Assumptions: 10 people, one hour of writing a day each, 21 working days, cost of 60 lei per hour for the company.

Compare this figure to the cost of the Business package for 10 people and you have the ROI. The For teams calculator on the page does the math with your numbers.

Meeting notes: the second gain

The second gain, often bigger, comes from meetings:

• No one writes minutes anymore (10-20 minutes per meeting).
• The follow-up email writes itself.
• Fewer recap meetings, because anyone can read the summary or ask the assistant.
• Tasks no longer get lost between the meeting and the project manager.

How you measure, not just estimate

In Zicelo Business, the admin panel shows dictated words per person and group, meetings with notes, and estimated time saved. After a month’s pilot with a team, you get your real numbers, not ours.

Tip: choose the team that writes the most for your pilot – support, sales, purchasing. That’s where the gain shows in the first week.