Adding & Configuring Outputs
Outputs present the calculated results of your ROI Model or Calculator.
They turn the assumptions and values entered into the model into meaningful business results such as cost savings, productivity benefits, ROI, payback or operational improvements.
Add an Output
To add an Output:
Open Show Components.
Find the Outputs section.
Select the Output type you want to add.
Complete the settings in the configuration drawer.
Add the required calculation or formula.
Select Save.
The Output is then added to your model.
Outputs and calculations
Unlike an Input, which normally provides a value or assumption, an Output typically calculates or presents a result.
For example, your model might contain Inputs for:
Annual transaction volume
Current cost per transaction
Expected reduction
Annual technology cost
Those values could then feed Outputs such as:
Annual Gross Benefit
Net Annual Benefit
ROI
Payback Period
This creates the calculation chain behind the business case.
Standard Formula Output
Use a standard Formula Output when you want to calculate and display a result from other values in the model.
The formula determines the numeric value shown by the Output.
For example:
Annual Volume × Cost per Transaction × Reduction Percentage
could calculate an annual saving.
The actual formula is built using the Formula Editor and references to the relevant model elements.
For detailed guidance, see Creating & Editing Formulas.
Formula references
Inputs and Outputs can have references that allow their values to be used elsewhere in the calculation model.
This means an Output can depend on:
Inputs
Other calculated Outputs
Supported formula operations
For example:
Gross Annual Benefit
could be calculated first.
A second Output for:
Net Annual Benefit
could then use Gross Annual Benefit together with Annual Technology Cost.
This allows you to build calculations in logical stages rather than forcing every result into one large formula.
Configure the Output
Select an Output to configure its available properties.
Depending on the Output type, configuration can include areas such as:
Display Label
Supporting detail
Formula
Prefix
Suffix
Currency
Percentage display
Number formatting
Icon
Colours
Conditional behaviour
Not every option is available for every Output type.
Display Labels
Use a clear Display Label that communicates what the result means.
For example:
Net Annual Benefit
is clearer than:
Benefit
if the value specifically represents annual benefit after costs.
Likewise:
Payback Period
is clearer than a generic label such as:
Months
The label should describe the business result rather than the underlying technical calculation.
Supporting detail
Where available, use supporting detail to explain what the Output represents.
This can be particularly useful for calculated KPIs where the meaning isn't immediately obvious from the label alone.
Keep supporting information concise and focused on helping the user interpret the result.
Currency Outputs
If an Output represents money, configure it as a currency value.
This allows a result such as:
250000
to be presented as a meaningful financial value such as:
£250,000
Use the appropriate currency for the model.
For more information about financial and numeric presentation, see Styling, Icons & Number Formats.
Percentage Outputs
Use percentage formatting when the calculated result genuinely represents a percentage.
Typical examples include:
ROI
Improvement rate
Cost reduction
Adoption
Utilisation
This allows the model to present the result with the appropriate percentage formatting rather than as an unexplained raw number.
Prefixes and suffixes
Outputs can use prefixes and suffixes to provide additional context around the calculated value.
For example:
£ can identify a monetary value.
% can identify a percentage.
A suffix such as:
months
can clarify a payback result.
Use formatting consistently so someone reviewing the model can immediately understand what each value represents.
Outputs can feed other Outputs
An Output doesn't have to be the final result displayed to the user.
It can also form part of a larger calculation chain.
For example:
Labour Hours Saved
↓
Labour Cost Saving
↓
Total Annual Benefit
↓
Net Annual Benefit
↓
ROI
This can make complex models easier to understand and maintain because each stage represents a meaningful business calculation.
Think in calculation chains
When building a business case, it can help to separate calculations into logical stages.
For example:
Establish the operational change.
Calculate the resulting volume or time impact.
Convert that impact into financial value.
Combine different benefit categories.
Subtract costs.
Calculate the final financial KPIs.
Outputs can represent each of these stages.
This is often easier to review than a single formula attempting to calculate the entire business case at once.
Output presentation types
Not every result needs to use a standard Formula Output.
ROI Studio provides additional ways to present calculated information, including:
Cards
Gauges
Tables
Charts
These components can make important results easier to interpret or compare.
For example:
A Card can emphasise an important KPI.
A Gauge can show a value relative to a range.
A Table can present related values together.
A Chart can visualise a series of results.
For detailed guidance, see Output Components, Table Outputs, and Charts.
Adjustable controls in the Outputs area
Some Input-style controls can also be added from the Outputs component group.
These include supported controls such as:
Range Slider Input
Numerical Input
Toggle Yes / No
This allows an adjustable assumption to be positioned alongside results when that makes sense for the experience you're designing.
The control still provides an adjustable value that can participate in calculations.
For detailed Input configuration, see Adding & Configuring Inputs.
Conditional visibility
Outputs can use conditional visibility when a result should only appear under particular circumstances.
For example, you might display an Output only when a related option has been enabled.
This can help keep the model focused and prevent irrelevant results from being displayed.
For more information, see Conditional Visibility & Calculate on Hidden.
Hidden calculations
Some calculated values may be required by the model even when they aren't intended to be displayed in every situation.
When conditional visibility is involved, the Calculate on Hidden behaviour determines whether the value should continue participating in calculations while hidden.
This distinction can materially affect downstream Outputs.
For detailed guidance, see Conditional Visibility & Calculate on Hidden.
Reorder Outputs
Outputs can be reorganised as you refine the model.
Consider placing the most important results where they're easiest to understand.
A Results area might, for example, move from supporting calculations into headline KPIs:
Operational Impact → Financial Benefits → Costs → Net Benefit → ROI & Payback
Use the Navigator when you need more control over model structure and ordering.
For more information, see Reordering & Layout with the Navigator.
Preview calculated results
Preview the model after creating or changing important Outputs.
Check:
Whether the result changes when relevant Inputs change
Whether the formula produces the expected result
Whether currency, percentage or units are displayed correctly
Whether the Display Label accurately describes the calculation
Whether conditional behaviour works as intended
Whether the result is positioned appropriately
A mathematically valid calculation can still be confusing if its presentation doesn't clearly communicate what the value means.
Changing an Output
You can continue editing an Output after it has been created.
Be particularly careful when changing an Output that is referenced by other calculations.
Because Outputs can feed downstream Outputs, changing one calculation can affect several results elsewhere in the model.
Preview the model after making changes to calculation logic.
Deleting an Output
Before deleting an Output, consider whether another formula or component depends on it.
ROI Studio can prevent actions that would leave invalid references or otherwise compromise the model structure.
If an action is blocked, review the dependencies associated with the element before trying to remove it.
For more information, see Editing, Copying & Deleting Elements and ROI Studio Troubleshooting.
Best practices
When creating Outputs:
Give each result a clear business meaning.
Use intermediate Outputs when they make a calculation easier to understand.
Keep formulas focused rather than unnecessarily complex.
Use currency and percentage formatting appropriately.
Make important final KPIs easy to identify.
Avoid presenting every intermediate calculation as a headline result.
Check dependencies before changing or deleting calculated Outputs.
Preview the model after significant calculation changes.
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