# Measure the change. Include the effort.

> Agree the baseline before the pilot begins. Record quality, review time and running cost alongside the business outcome so a polished output does not stand in for a useful result.

**Compare the whole job, including review**

_Using the measurement template_

1. **Baseline** — Record accepted outputs, effort and errors in the current process. Before the pilot
2. **Pilot** — Use comparable work and include review, rework and operating cost. During the pilot
3. **Decision** — Compare the evidence with the target agreed at the start. Continue, change or stop

Measure what it takes to produce an accepted result, not just a first draft.

## Set up the comparison

- Name the workflow, owner, reviewer and review date.
- Choose comparable baseline and pilot periods; record volume and task mix.
- Write the acceptance criteria and target before the pilot starts.
- Keep the source of each number and note staffing, demand or policy changes that could affect the comparison.

**The measures in the downloadable worksheet**

| Measure | How to record it |
| --- | --- |
| Time per accepted output | Total preparation + review + rework minutes / accepted outputs. Use comparable task samples; include human review time. |
| Acceptance rate | Accepted outputs / reviewed outputs x 100. Write the acceptance criteria before collecting results. |
| Rework rate | Outputs requiring rework / reviewed outputs x 100. Count each output once, even if it is revised more than once. |
| Operating outcome | Choose one workflow-specific outcome and define its denominator. Record confounding changes such as staffing or seasonality. |
| Running cost | Model + hosting + other direct usage cost over the agreed period. Specify currency and keep implementation fees separate. |
| Exceptions | Count of cases requiring escalation or correction. Record severity and resolution, not just the total. |

## A worked example

> Illustrative: baseline work takes 240 minutes for 8 accepted reports, or 30 minutes per report. The pilot takes 180 minutes including review and rework for 9 accepted reports, or 20 minutes per report. The difference is 10 minutes per accepted report. These are example figures, not Genaima customer results.

Do not compare total minutes alone when the number of accepted outputs changes. If either period has zero accepted outputs, time per accepted output is undefined; record the failure and investigate it. Do not describe saved time as cash saved unless there is a real change in cost or capacity you can evidence.

## Use the worksheet

Download the CSV and open it in your spreadsheet tool. Fill the period, value, source, owner and target columns for each measure. The template contains definitions and empty measurement cells; it does not calculate results for you. Keep implementation fees separate from recurring usage costs, and retain the underlying logs.

## Make the review decision

Compare the result with the target agreed at the start. Review rejected outputs, exceptional cases and the effort of keeping the workflow running. Record one decision: continue, change scope or stop, with an owner and next review date. An improvement in one metric should not hide a deterioration in quality or an unmanageable review burden.

## Related

- [Workflow-selection playbook](https://genaima.ai/resources/workflow-selection-playbook)
- [Pricing & scope](https://genaima.ai/pricing)
- [Contact Genaima](https://genaima.ai/contact)

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