https://toddschiller.com/2025-10-26T00:00:00-04:00Human ✘ Artificial Intelligence2025-10-26T00:00:00-04:002025-10-26T00:00:00-04:00Todd Schillertag:toddschiller.com,2025-10-26:/blog/agentic-value-not-hours.html

Focusing on hours (or FTEs) misses the point of the agentic opportunity.

<p>A fundamental mistake people make when assessing the agentic opportunity is a focus on hours (or FTEs) instead of value.</p> <p>It's indisputable that agentic automation will reshape the number of human hours for processes like order-to-cash and compliance.</p> <p>However, it fails to address what drives enterprise value (vs. COGS). Defensible enterprise value comes from empowering your people to be their best.</p> <p>At PixieBrix, we're focused on helping companies create customer success and loyalty to win.</p> <!-- markdownlint-disable MD013 --> <figure> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://toddschiller.com/assets/images/agentic-value-not-hours/hours-vs-value.png" alt="Stacked bar chart comparing % Hours to % Value across Agentic Copilot, Agentic Automation, and RPA. Agentic Copilot is 20% of hours but 60% of value (strategy, customer success, customer loyalty, brand experience, intellectual property, talent). Agentic Automation is 40% of hours and contributes to the 60% value bucket. RPA is 40% of hours but only 30% (fulfillment, order to cash) and 10% (compliance) of value."> <figcaption>Where agentic work creates value isn't always where it saves the most hours.</figcaption> </figure> <!-- markdownlint-enable MD013 -->