This post is part of the New Functionality In Microsoft Power Automate 2026 Wave 1 series in which I am taking a look at the new functionality introduced in Microsoft Power Automate 2026 Wave 1.
The next of the new functionality (originally in the Desktop flows section, although Microsoft sometimes move functionality between sections or into newly created sections) is measure time and cost savings for desktop flows.
Business value
This feature is designed for teams that want to demonstrate the business impact of desktop automation. It lets you automatically calculate time and cost savings compared to pre-automation processes, without relying on manual tracking or spreadsheets. These insights help you clearly show return on investment, justify automation initiatives, and communicate value to business stakeholders and Centers of Excellence.
Enabled for: Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically
Public Preview: –
General Availability: Jul 2026
Feature details
This feature introduces built-in rules that calculate time and cost savings for desktop flows based on successful runs. You can define how long a task previously took when performed manually and let the platform compute time saved using flow run data. Cost savings can be estimated by applying hourly rates or custom monetary baselines that scale with run volume. Savings accumulate automatically as flows run, making the impact of automation measurable over time.
The feature is not enabled automatically. To use it, you configure time-saving and money-saving rules for a desktop flow by specifying manual run duration and cost baselines. Once configured, savings are calculated per successful run and aggregated automatically. The calculations can be disabled by turning off the configured rules, allowing you to control when savings are tracked.
Comment
Demonstrating ROI from desktop automation has historically relied on manual tracking in spreadsheets or one-off calculations that quickly become outdated. Having the platform automatically accumulate time and cost savings based on actual run data — using configurable baselines for manual duration and hourly cost — gives automation teams a credible, always-current view of the value they’re delivering. This is exactly the kind of capability that justifies continued investment in automation programmes to business stakeholders and Centres of Excellence.
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