ROI calculator

Let your own numbers speak

Your figures, simple formulas, a result you can stand behind. The calculation stays in your browser: nothing is sent.

At a glance

Return on investment is calculated as follows: annual benefits minus annual costs, divided by annual costs, multiplied by 100. Enter your own figures: Kognisia assumes none.

Run a diagnostic of your situation

Choose your profile and answer without embellishing: the calculator first puts a figure on what your current situation costs you, then on the gain you can reasonably aim for.

Coach, independentTraining providerApprenticeship centre (CFA), school, institutionCompany

Who is filling this in?Show everythingManagementOperations team

Everyone answers what they know. Costs and prices usually sit with management, volumes and time spent with the operations team. Copy the link so a colleague can complete the rest.

A few factual questions about your day-to-day work. Answer approximately, but without embellishing.

Your activity today

Your income depends on your hours, so let us start there.

How many hours a week do you actually bill to your clients?hHow many hours a week do you work in total (preparation, follow-up, administration, sales)?Note down an ordinary week, evenings included.hWhat is your average hourly rate, or the value of an hour of your time?Your rate, or your monthly target divided by your billable hours.€How many weeks a year do you work?After deducting leave, public holidays and quiet weeks.

Share of your time actually billed-

Billed income per year-

Income per hour actually worked-per hour

Your clients

How many you support, and how many reach the end.

How many clients do you support each year?What is the average price of a pathway or programme?€What share of your clients drop out or disappear before the end?Count those who did not finish, even if they have paid.%How many hours a week do you spend on follow-up and administration (reminders, documents, checking who has done what)?hHow many requests do you put off or turn away each year for lack of time?

What this costs you, and what you could recover

For each line, the cost is calculated from your answers. You then choose the share you consider realistic to reduce.

Time spent outside your sessions

Every hour of admin is an hour you do not bill.

In your view, what share of this time could be simplified or automated?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Clients who do not reach the end

A dropout means lost revenue and one recommendation fewer.

In your view, what share of these dropouts could you avoid by spotting them earlier?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

The requests you cannot take on

For lack of time, you put off or turn away clients.

In your view, what share could you take on with freed-up time or an online format?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

An online programme, sold without your hours

Development hypothesis: a recorded pathway, followed through the platform, sells without extra hours.

How many sales of an online programme do you expect to make per year?Be cautious: start from your current audience.At what price would you sell it?€What share of the price do you keep, after payment and platform fees?%

-Targeted gain: -

What the solution would cost

Annual licence under considerationIndicative: from 490 € (Starter) to 3,490 € (Established) per year, depending on your active learners.€Other annual costs (catalogue, content, in-house facilitation)€

Questions about your sessions, your costs and your break-even points. Approximate figures are enough: the aim is to know where you stand, not to find a flattering number.

Your activity today

Your sessions, their places and what you charge.

How many training sessions do you run per year?Inter-company, in-house, CPF: count the scheduled sessions.How many places can a session hold?On average, how many trainees actually take part in a session?Take the average of the sessions that went ahead.What price do you charge per trainee, for one session?For in-house sessions, divide the session price by the number of participants.€How many hours does a session last?h

Fill rate-

Revenue of an average session-

What a session costs

Trainer, preparation, room, administration: what a session costs before the first trainee even arrives.

How much does one trainer hour cost, including employer charges?Hourly delivery rate paid, or loaded salary divided by the hours actually billable.€How many hours of preparation and follow-up per session?hHow much do the room and related items cost per session (rent or hire, energy, maintenance, materials)?If you rent by the year, spread the rent and charges across the number of sessions.€How many hours of administration and evidence per session (invitations, attendance sheets, assessments, funder file)?hWhat is the loaded hourly cost of the person who handles it?Fully loaded gross salary divided by about 1,600 working hours per year.€What share of your overheads (management, sales, marketing, quality, tools) do you allocate to one session?Annual overheads divided by the number of sessions. Leave at zero if you prefer to look only at direct costs.€How much does one additional trainee cost (materials, catering, equipment)?€

Cost of a session before the first trainee-

Margin per trainee-

Break-even point of a session (trainees)-Below this, the session loses money.

Result of an average session-

What happens when sessions do not fill

Cancellations, sessions run at a loss, requests you do not serve, dropouts.

How many sessions do you cancel or postpone per year for lack of registrations?When a session is cancelled late, how much had it already cost you (preparation, room booked, communication)?€How many sessions do you run with fewer trainees than the break-even point?Compare with the break-even point calculated just above.On average, how many trainees are there in these sessions?How many requests do you refuse or defer per year, for lack of a trainer or a room?What share of your trainees drop out during training?In your reports, the exits before the end of the programme.%What share of the price do you lose when a trainee drops out?Partial invoicing, refund, funding not received.%

What this costs you, and what you could recover

For each line, the cost is calculated from your answers. You then choose the share you consider realistic to reduce.

Sessions held below the break-even point

Each session kept below the break-even point costs more than it brings in.

In your view, what share of this loss would disappear if you filled these sessions with remote registrants?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Sessions cancelled late

Room, preparation and communication already committed, with no revenue.

In your view, what share could you keep going by opening the session to remote participants?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Requests you do not serve

Capacity capped by a trainer or a room: the contribution margin lost.

In your view, what share could you serve online, without an additional room or trainer?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Administration and evidence

Invitations, attendance sheets, assessments, funder files, audit preparation.

In your view, what share of this time could be automated?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Trainees who drop out

A dropout is revenue that never materialises and a falling success rate.

In your view, what share of these dropouts could you avoid by spotting them earlier?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Producing your content

Designing, filming, writing, publishing online: a finished course takes many hours.

How many hours of new or reworked courses do you produce per year?hHow many working hours does it take to produce one hour of course?How many working hours does it take to produce one finished hour of course? The studies cited by Kapp and DeFelice (ASTD, 2009) range from 136 to 324 hours for one highly interactive hour. Enter your actual ratio, often much lower for a simple course.hWhat is the hourly cost of the person producing them?Fully loaded gross salary divided by about 1,600 working hours per year.€

In your view, what share of this content could you take from an existing catalogue?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

What the solution would cost

Questions about your classes, your costs and your opening thresholds. Answer with your real data, without rounding in your favour.

Your activity today

Your classes, their places and what a learner represents.

How many classes or cohorts do you open per year?How many places per class?On average, how many learners per class, once the class has opened?What funding or fees does one learner represent over the year?Funding level (NPEC) of the apprenticeship contract, or tuition fees. The average funding level is around €7,700 in France (see benchmarks).€

Fill rate-

Revenue of an average class-

What a class costs

Instructors, premises, equipment, coordination: what a class costs before the first learner.

How many instructor hours per class and per year?hWhat is the average hourly cost of a trainer?Rate paid for the session, including employer charges.€How much do the premises of one class cost over the year (rent, energy, maintenance, security)?Spread the annual rent and charges across the number of classes.€How much do the equipment and licences of one class cost over the year?€How many hours of coordination, employer follow-up and administration per class and per year?hWhat is the loaded hourly cost of these people?Fully loaded gross salary divided by about 1,600 working hours per year.€How much does one additional learner cost (materials, exams, support)?€

Cost of a class before the first learner-

Margin per learner-

Opening threshold of a class (learners)-Below this, the class costs more than it brings in.

Result of an average class-

What happens when sessions do not fill

Classes opened at a loss, classes that do not open, contract terminations and dropouts.

How many classes do you open with fewer learners than the opening threshold?On average, how many learners are there in these classes?How many classes do you postpone or not open per year, for lack of numbers?How many candidates were already registered in a class that does not open?How much does it cost you to recruit one registrant (communication, fairs, open days, commissions)?€What share of learners leave the pathway before the end (termination, dropout)?The termination rate of apprenticeship contracts at 9 months is about 21 to 22% in France (see benchmarks).%What share of the annual funding do you lose when a learner leaves during the year?%

What this costs you, and what you could recover

For each line, the cost is calculated from your answers. You then choose the share you consider realistic to reduce.

Classes opened below the threshold

A class kept below the threshold costs more than it brings in.

In your view, what share of this loss would disappear if you filled these classes with remote registrants or pooled courses?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Lost recruitment from classes that do not open

Candidates already recruited, a class that does not open, an acquisition cost with no revenue.

In your view, what share could you avoid by opening remotely or merging classes?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Terminations and dropouts

A learner who leaves means funding that stops and a pathway interrupted.

In your view, what share of these departures could you avoid by acting earlier?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Instructor hours redone for every cohort

The same module is often taught again at each intake.

In your view, what share of these hours could be pooled across cohorts (shared module, supported pathway)?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Coordination and follow-up

Reminders, attendance trackers, exchanges with employers, indicators.

In your view, what share of this time could be simplified or automated?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Producing your courses

Opening a programme means producing or buying in courses.

How many hours of courses do you produce or buy each year?hHow many working hours does it take to produce one hour of course?How many working hours does it take to produce one finished hour of course? The studies cited by Kapp and DeFelice (ASTD, 2009) range from 136 to 324 hours for one highly interactive hour. Enter your actual ratio, often much lower for a simple course.hWhat is the hourly cost of the designer?€

In your view, what share could you take from an existing catalogue?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

What the solution would cost

Questions about what your training policy mobilises today: time, costs, cancelled sessions, administration. Answer with the figures from the last year.

Your training policy today

Who is trained, for how long, at what cost.

How many employees do you train each year?On average, how many hours of training per employee trained?Count the actual duration, travel included.hWhat is the average loaded hourly cost of these employees?Fully loaded gross salary divided by about 1,600 working hours per year.€What external costs does training represent per year (instructors, rooms, travel, meals)?Excluding salaries.€

Your employees' time mobilised per year-

Full cost per employee trained-

What really happens

Unfinished training, cancelled sessions, administration.

How many registered employees do not complete their training each year?On average, how much has an unfinished training already cost (time and costs)?€How many sessions do you cancel or postpone per year for lack of participants?On average, how much does a cancelled or postponed session cost (instructor, room, reorganisation)?€How many hours a month does managing training take (invitations, reminders, supporting documents)?hWhat is the loaded hourly cost of these people?Fully loaded gross salary divided by about 1,600 working hours per year.€

What this costs you, and what you could recover

For each line, the cost is calculated from your answers. You then choose the share you consider realistic to reduce.

Employees' time in training

Travel, waiting, classroom: time counts, even when the training is useful.

In your view, what share of this time could be saved with shorter pathways, taken at the right moment?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Training costs

External trainers, rooms, travel, meals.

In your view, what share could disappear or be reduced?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Training started but not completed

Time and budget committed, without the targeted skill.

In your view, what share could you see through to the end with follow-up and reminders?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Sessions cancelled or postponed

For lack of participants, instructor or room.

In your view, what share could you avoid by offering the training online?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

Managing training

Invitations, reminders, attendance tracking, supporting documents.

In your view, what share of this time could be simplified or automated?Enter the figure you would be prepared to defend in front of a partner or a funder.%

Amount involved: -Targeted gain: -

What the solution would cost

Costs and losses involved per year0 €

Targeted annual gain0 €

Annual cost of the solution0 €

Return on investment-

Payback period-

Cost of a session or class = teaching hours x hourly cost + premises + administration + materials
Break-even point = fixed costs of the session / (price per learner - variable costs per learner)
Targeted gain = current cost x the share you think you can reduce
ROI (%) = (targeted annual gain - annual cost of the solution) / annual cost of the solution x 100
Payback period (months) = annual cost of the solution / (targeted annual gain / 12)

Indicative calculation, based only on your answers. An honest estimate is worth more than a flattering figure: if you are unsure, enter less.

The right indicators

Six indicators to track to steer your training

Cost per learner

Annual costs divided by the number of active learners.

Completion rate

Learners who have finished, divided by enrolled learners.

Drop-out rate

Learners who have dropped off, divided by enrolled learners.

Time to competence

Average time between entry and validation of learning.

Pass rate

Learners who have passed, divided by learners assessed.

Satisfaction

Average rating given by learners, across sessions.

How to read the result

A positive ROI means that benefits exceed costs. The payback period shows in how many months the licence pays for itself. To stay credible, count only the gains you can justify, and track the same indicators before and after deployment.

What if we did it with your own courses?

Thirty minutes to scope your project, see the platform in action and estimate the right licence. We reply within one working day.

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Let your own numbers speak

Run a diagnostic of your situation

1Your activity today

2Your clients

3What this costs you, and what you could recover

Time spent outside your sessions

Clients who do not reach the end

The requests you cannot take on

An online programme, sold without your hours

4What the solution would cost

1Your activity today

2What a session costs

3What happens when sessions do not fill

4What this costs you, and what you could recover

Sessions held below the break-even point

Sessions cancelled late

Requests you do not serve

Administration and evidence

Trainees who drop out

Producing your content

5What the solution would cost

1Your activity today

2What a class costs

3What happens when sessions do not fill

4What this costs you, and what you could recover

Classes opened below the threshold

Lost recruitment from classes that do not open

Terminations and dropouts

Instructor hours redone for every cohort

Coordination and follow-up

Producing your courses

5What the solution would cost

1Your training policy today

2What really happens

3What this costs you, and what you could recover

Employees' time in training

Training costs

Training started but not completed

Sessions cancelled or postponed

Managing training

4What the solution would cost

Six indicators to track to steer your training

Cost per learner

Completion rate

Drop-out rate

Time to competence

Pass rate

Satisfaction

How to read the result

What if we did it with your own courses?

Your activity today

Your clients

What this costs you, and what you could recover

What the solution would cost

Your activity today

What a session costs

What happens when sessions do not fill

What this costs you, and what you could recover

What the solution would cost

Your activity today

What a class costs

What happens when sessions do not fill

What this costs you, and what you could recover

What the solution would cost

Your training policy today

What really happens

What this costs you, and what you could recover

What the solution would cost