Tech Pack Automation ROI Calculator - Know What You Should Spend 

I spent $20,000 annually on manual tech pack creation for a fashion client. We implemented automation for $1,200/year.

Savings: $18,800 annually. ROI: 1,503%. Payback: 23 days.

But here's the thing; those numbers only made sense after we calculated them. Before that, my client kept saying "$1,200 sounds expensive for software."

This calculator shows you what automation actually saves you vs what you're spending now on manual processes.

Why Most Fashion Brands Underestimate Tech Pack Costs

When I ask fashion founders "How much do tech packs cost you?", they usually say something like:

"I don't know, maybe $100-200 each? My designer handles it."

Then we actually calculate it:

• Designer time: 5 hours per tech pack at $25/hour = $125

• Revision cycles: 2-3 rounds averaging 2 hours total = $50

• Manufacturer back-and-forth: 1 hour = $25

• Actual cost per tech pack: $200

For a 30-piece collection: $6,000 in direct labor

But that's just what shows up on payroll.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Calculates

Hidden Cost #1: Opportunity Cost

Your designer spent 150 hours (5 hours × 30 tech packs) on administrative work instead of actual design.

At $25/hour, that's $3,750 in designer time that could've been spent on:

• Creating new designs

• Trend research

• Customer feedback analysis

• Improving product quality

Opportunity cost: $3,750-7,500 (depending on what else they could've accomplished)

Hidden Cost #2: Manufacturing Errors

One unclear measurement in a tech pack. The manufacturer interprets it wrong. They produce 500 units with incorrect sleeve length.

Real example from my client:

• Reproduction cost: $8,500

• Delayed launch: 3 weeks of peak selling season

• Lost revenue estimate: $25,000

Error cost for one mistake: $33,500

If manual tech packs have a 5% error rate (1-2 mistakes per 30-piece collection), you're looking at potential losses of $15,000-30,000 per season.

Automation typically reduces errors to under 0.5%.

Savings from error reduction: $14,000-29,000 per season

Hidden Cost #3: Scalability

Going from 30 pieces to 60 pieces per collection?

Manual approach:

• Hire another designer ($50,000/year)

• Or overwork current team (burnout risk)

• Or bottleneck production (miss market windows)

Automated approach:

• Software scales without linear cost increase

• Same $1,200/year handles 60 tech packs just as easily as 30

Scalability savings: $50,000/year when you need to double output

Hidden Cost #4: Time-to-Market Delays

Manual tech pack creation for a 30-piece collection: 150 hours over 4-6 weeks

Automated tech pack creation: 20-30 hours over 1 week

You launch 3-5 weeks earlier.

In fashion, timing is everything. Getting to market 1 month earlier during peak season can mean 20-40% higher sales.

For a collection targeting $100,000 in revenue, that's $20,000-40,000 in additional sales.

Time-to-market value: $20,000-40,000 per collection

What the ROI Calculator Actually Shows You

The calculator I built factors in all four hidden costs, not just direct labor.

Tech Pack ROI Calculator

What You Input:

1. Current Process Metrics:

• Number of tech packs per season

• Hours per tech pack (manual)

• Hourly rate for whoever creates them

• Revision cycles per tech pack

• Current error rate (estimate 3-5% for manual)

2. Production Costs:

• Average production cost per style

• Number of units per style

• This helps calculate error cost impact

3. Revenue Metrics:

• Target revenue per collection

• Peak season timing importance

• This calculates time-to-market value

4. Automation Costs:

• Software subscription or tool cost

• Setup/training time investment

• This shows your break-even point

What You Get:

Annual Labor Cost (Current State): Shows what you're actually spending on tech pack creation including revisions and back-and-forth.

Annual Error Cost: Estimates cost of manufacturing errors based on your error rate and production volume.

Opportunity Cost: Values the designer time freed up for higher-value work.

Time-to-Market Improvement: Quantifies revenue impact of launching faster.

Total Annual Cost (Manual): Sum of all four factors; your real current cost.

Automation Investment: Shows annual cost of automation tools.

Annual Savings: Manual cost minus automation cost.

ROI Percentage: How much return you get on automation investment.

Payback Period: How many days/months until automation pays for itself.

5-Year Projection: Shows compounding savings over time.

Real Example: My Client's Numbers

Let me walk you through my actual client's calculation:

Current Process:

• 47 tech packs per year (two collections)

• 5 hours per tech pack

• $25/hour designer rate

• 2 revision cycles averaging 1.5 hours

• 5% error rate

Manual Labor Cost:

• Initial creation: 47 × 5 hours × $25 = $5,875

• Revisions: 47 × 1.5 hours × $25 = $1,763

• Total labor: $7,638/year

Error Cost:

• Production value: $175,000/year

• Error rate: 5%

• Error cost: $8,750/year

Opportunity Cost: Designer freed up: 305 hours/year Value of that time in actual design work: $7,625-15,000/year Conservative estimate: $7,625/year

Time-to-Market: Launch 4 weeks earlier with automation Peak season revenue impact: ~15% increase Target revenue: $200,000/season Time-to-market value: $30,000/year

Total Manual Cost: $53,013/year

Automation Cost:

• Software: $1,200/year

• Setup time: 20 hours at $25/hour = $500 one-time

• First year: $1,700

• Ongoing: $1,200/year

Results:

• Annual savings: $51,313

• ROI: 3,018%

• Payback: 12 days

• 5-year savings: $255,065

My client almost didn't do it because "$1,200 sounds expensive."

After seeing these numbers, they realized they were spending $53K annually to avoid a $1.2K subscription.

When the Calculator Says "Don't Automate"

Sometimes the numbers don't work out. The calculator will show you this too.

Example: Small Brand

• 8 tech packs per season

• 3 hours per tech pack

• $20/hour rate

• Low production volume ($15,000/season)

Manual cost:

• Labor: 8 × 3 × $20 = $480

• Errors: ~$750 (5% of $15,000)

• Opportunity cost: Minimal (only 24 hours)

• Time-to-market: Limited impact at this scale Total: ~$1,800/year

Automation cost: $1,200/year

Savings: $600/year ROI: 50% Payback: 2+ years

Not worth it yet. Better to wait until you're doing 15-20+ tech packs per season.

The calculator tells you this. That's why it's honest.

The Break-Even Point

Based on dozens of brand calculations, here's when automation makes sense:

Definitely Automate (ROI > 500%):

• 30+ tech packs per season

• 4+ hours per tech pack

• $25+/hour labor rate

• Production value > $100K/season

Typical payback: 1-3 months

Probably Automate (ROI 200-500%):

• 15-30 tech packs per season

• 3-5 hours per tech pack

• $20+/hour labor rate

• Production value > $50K/season

Typical payback: 3-6 months

Maybe Wait (ROI < 200%):

• Under 15 tech packs per season

• Under 3 hours per tech pack

• Low production volume

• Limited error impact

Typical payback: 12+ months

Wait until you scale to 20+ tech packs per season, then recalculate.

How to Use the Calculator (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Gather Your Current Data

Track one collection:

• Count total tech packs created

• Time yourself creating 3-5 tech packs (get average)

• Count revision rounds per tech pack

• Note manufacturing errors (unclear specs causing issues)

Calculate costs:

• Hourly rate (include benefits, not just base pay)

• Production costs per style

• Revenue per collection

This takes 30-60 minutes of data gathering. Worth it to get accurate numbers.

Step 2: Input Into Calculator

Open the Tech Pack ROI Calculator

Fill in:

• Volume section (tech packs per season)

• Time section (hours per tech pack, revision time)

• Cost section (hourly rates, production costs)

• Revenue section (collection revenue, season importance)

The calculator auto-fills the rest.

Step 3: Review Your Results

Look at these numbers specifically:

Total Annual Cost (Manual): This is what tech packs actually cost you. Most brands are shocked by this number.

Annual Savings: This is what automation saves you annually.

ROI Percentage: Over 300%? Automate immediately. 100-300%? Automate within next season. Under 100%? Wait and grow, then recalculate.

Payback Period: Under 3 months? No-brainer. 3-6 months? Strong case. 6-12 months? Consider your cash flow. Over 12 months? Wait until you scale.

Step 4: Make the Decision

If ROI is over 300% (typical for 25+ tech packs/season):

Stop reading. Go implement automation. You're bleeding money every day you delay.

If ROI is 100-300%:

Calculate how much runway you have. If you can afford the upfront cost and wait 3-6 months for payback, do it. The savings compound.

If ROI is under 100%:

Wait. Focus on growing to 20+ tech packs per season. Check back in 6-12 months.

Common Mistakes in Calculating ROI

Mistake #1: Only Counting Direct Labor

Most brands only calculate: Tech packs × Hours × Rate

They miss errors, opportunity cost, and time-to-market value.

Result: They think tech packs cost $5,000 when they actually cost $20,000+.

Mistake #2: Using Base Hourly Rate Instead of True Cost

$20/hour base pay ≠ $20/hour cost to company.

Add:

• Payroll taxes (7.65%)

• Benefits (~20-30%)

• Overhead (~15%)

$20/hour base = ~$27-30/hour true cost

Use the true cost in your calculation.

Mistake #3: Not Accounting for Scalability

"We're only doing 15 tech packs now, so automation isn't worth it."

But you're planning to do 30 next season. And 50 the season after.

Manual scaling cost:

• 15 tech packs: 1 designer ($50K/year)

• 30 tech packs: 2 designers ($100K/year)

• 50 tech packs: 3 designers ($150K/year)

Automation scaling cost:

• 15, 30, or 50 tech packs: $1,200/year

The ROI gets better as you scale.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Error Costs

"We rarely have manufacturing errors."

Then one $8,500 reproduction wipes out 7 years of potential automation savings.

Even if errors are rare, the cost when they happen is massive. Factor in at least 2-3% error rate conservatively.

What Changes After You Automate

My client's experience 6 months after implementing automation:

Time savings: Tech pack creation: 5 hours → 45 minutes (90% reduction) Revision cycles: Nearly eliminated (specs are clearer) Total time saved: 220 hours per collection

Error reduction: Manufacturing errors: 5% → 0.5% (90% reduction) Zero reproductions needed in 6 months Manufacturer relationship improved (they appreciate clear specs)

Capacity increase: Designer freed up for 220 hours per collection Used that time to:

• Design 8 additional styles

• Improve fabric sourcing

• Research trend forecasting

Revenue impact: Launched 3 weeks earlier than previous season Hit peak selling window perfectly Revenue increased 22% (not all due to automation, but timing helped)

Unexpected benefits:

• Faster manufacturer onboarding (standard format)

• Easier to work with multiple manufacturers

• Better quality control (consistent documentation)

• Easier to train new team members

They wish they'd done it two years earlier.

ROI Calculator vs Other Calculators

Most ROI calculators show:

• Simple payback period

• Basic cost vs savings

This calculator shows:

• Labor displacement value

• Error reduction savings

• Opportunity cost quantified

• Time-to-market revenue impact

• Scalability cost avoided

• 5-year projection

• Break-even analysis

Why the difference matters:

Simple calculator says: "Save $5,000/year, pay $1,200 = 4x ROI"

This calculator says: "Save $51,000/year (including hidden costs), pay $1,200 = 42x ROI"

That's the difference between "maybe worth it" and "implement immediately."

Calculate Your Real ROI Now

Don't guess at whether tech pack automation is worth it. Calculate it based on your actual numbers.

Tech Pack Automation ROI Calculator

Takes 3 minutes. Shows you:

• What tech packs actually cost you now

• What automation saves you annually

• Your ROI percentage and payback period

• Whether you should automate now or wait

Most brands discover they're spending 10-20x more than they think on manual tech pack creation.

My client thought tech packs cost them $6,000/year. Calculator showed $53,000/year.

That's a $47,000 difference. Hard to make good decisions without accurate numbers.

Next Steps After Calculating

If your ROI is over 300%:

1. Download your calculator results

2. Research tech pack automation tools

3. Compare features vs your needs

4. Implement within next 30 days

5. Track actual vs projected savings

If your ROI is 100-300%:

1. Evaluate cash flow and runway

2. Consider phased implementation

3. Start with highest-volume collection

4. Measure results before expanding

If your ROI is under 100%:

1. Save your calculator results

2. Set reminder for 6 months

3. Focus on scaling to 20+ tech packs/season

4. Recalculate once you hit that volume

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What if I don't know my exact error rate?

Use 3-5% as conservative estimate for manual processes. Most fashion brands experience 2-8% error rate depending on complexity and communication quality.

Q: Should I include freelance designer costs or just full-time staff?

Include both. If you're paying freelancers $35-75/hour for tech pack creation, that's your input number. The calculator works for any labor structure.

Q: What counts as "opportunity cost"?

Any higher-value work your designer could do instead of tech pack creation. Designing new styles, improving existing products, trend research, customer feedback analysis. Use their hourly rate as minimum value.

Q: Do I need to automate all tech packs at once?

No. Start with one collection, measure results, then expand. The calculator shows annual savings, but you can implement gradually.

Q: What if my production is overseas?

Automation often helps more with international manufacturing because clearer specs reduce communication errors across time zones and language barriers.

Q: Can I use this calculator for other types of automation?

The principles work for any labor-intensive, repetitive process. Adjust the input categories to match your specific automation opportunity.

My Honest Take

Most fashion brands wait too long to automate tech packs because they're guessing at costs instead of calculating them.

They see the $1,200/year subscription and think "that sounds expensive" without realizing they're spending $20,000-50,000 annually on manual processes.

Use the calculator. See your real numbers. Make a data-driven decision.

If you're doing 25+ tech packs per season, you're almost certainly spending enough to justify automation immediately.

If you're under 15 tech packs per season, you might want to wait until you scale.

But don't guess. Calculate.

Get Your Real Numbers: Tech Pack ROI Calculator