On-Call ROI: Making the Case for Reliability Investment

On-call burden × engineer cost = real money. The ROI math is straightforward; most teams just never do it.

Why ROI math wins

‘On-call sucks’ doesn’t fund reliability work. ‘On-call costs $X/year and we can save Y%’ does.

The math is simple; doing it puts the conversation on solid ground.

Four ROI inputs

• 1. Pages per quarter.
• 2. Engineer time per page.
• 3. Engineer fully-loaded cost.
• 4. Estimated reduction.

Spreadsheet pattern

100 pages/q × 30 min × $200/hr = $10k/q. 50% reduction = $20k/yr saved per team.

Conservative numbers; defensible; fundable.

Executive engagement

Bring the math to engineering leadership quarterly.

Without the math, reliability work loses every prioritization conversation.

Antipatterns

• No ROI math. Reliability work unfunded.
• Aggressive numbers nobody believes. Lost credibility.
• One-time pitch. Funding fades.

What to do this week

Three moves. (1) Apply this practice to your next on-call rotation. (2) Survey the team after one cycle. (3) Iterate based on feedback; the discipline is the cadence.