Formula Reference

Use this reference when building calculations in the ROI Studio Formula Editor.

For guidance on constructing, testing and maintaining formulas, see Creating & Editing Formulas.

Arithmetic operators

Operator	Meaning	Example use
+	Add	Benefit + Additional Saving
-	Subtract	Benefit − Cost
×	Multiply	Users × Saving per User
÷	Divide	Total Cost ÷ Users
^	Power	Compounding-style calculations
%	Percent helper	Percentage-based calculations
.	Decimal	Decimal numbers
,	Separator	Separate function arguments
( )	Grouping	Control calculation order

Comparison operators

Comparison operators are used when a calculation needs to evaluate a condition.

Operator	Meaning
<	Less than
>	Greater than
=	Equal to

These are commonly used with logical functions such as IF, AND and OR.

Quick constants

The Formula Editor provides quick access to:

• 100

• 12

• 365

These can be useful for common calculations such as percentage conversion and period-based calculations.

For example:

Monthly Benefit × 12

can be used to calculate an annual value from a monthly value.

Where a number represents an important business assumption rather than a fixed calculation constant, consider creating an Input for it instead.

IF

IF lets a formula return different results depending on whether a condition is true or false.

Use it for calculations containing branching business rules.

Conceptually:

IF condition → use one result → otherwise use another

For example, a calculation could use one value when an adoption threshold has been reached and another when it hasn't.

AND

AND evaluates multiple conditions together.

It is true only when all of the included conditions are true.

Use AND when several requirements must be satisfied before a particular calculation applies.

OR

OR evaluates alternative conditions.

It is true when any of the included conditions are true.

Use OR when more than one condition can trigger the same calculation path.

SUM

SUM adds a set of values together.

Use it when several values contribute to a total.

For example:

Labour Saving + Process Saving + Other Saving

can contribute to an overall benefit calculation.

AVG

AVG calculates an average.

Use it when you need the typical or mean value from a set of values.

AVG represents an AVERAGE calculation.

MIN

MIN returns the smallest value.

It can be useful where a calculation needs to identify or work with the lowest available value.

MAX

MAX returns the largest value.

It can be useful where a calculation needs to identify or work with the highest available value.

ABS

ABS returns the absolute value.

In practical terms, it removes the negative sign from the magnitude of a number.

For example:

ABS(-250)

represents:

250

This can be useful when the magnitude of a difference matters rather than whether it is positive or negative.

NPV

NPV supports net-present-value-style calculations.

Use it when building discounted cash-flow style models where future values need to be considered in present-value terms.

Because NPV calculations can materially affect a business case, verify the calculation and assumptions carefully before publishing the model.

Parentheses

Use:

( )

to control the order of calculation.

For example:

A + B × C

can produce a different result from:

(A + B) × C

Use parentheses whenever grouping makes the intended calculation clearer.

Percent helper

The % control is a percentage helper represented in the calculation as:

*1%

Use it when constructing percentage-style calculations.

Always check the Formula Editor's Result to confirm that the percentage is being applied as intended.

Formula references

References connect a formula to Inputs or Outputs elsewhere in the Calculator.

For example:

[Annual Volume] × [Cost per Transaction]

The reference chip represents the current value of that element.

If the referenced value changes, calculations using that reference can update accordingly.

For more information, see Creating & Editing Formulas.

Chart-only token

Charts provide an additional token:

index

The index represents the position of a data point:

1, 2, 3...

Use this when a Chart calculation needs to reference the position of each data point.

index is specifically a Chart-related token rather than a general Calculator reference.

Quick reference

Function	Purpose
IF	Return different results based on a condition
AND	Require all conditions to be true
OR	Require any condition to be true
SUM	Add values
AVG	Calculate an average
MIN	Return the smallest value
MAX	Return the largest value
ABS	Return an absolute value
NPV	Net-present-value-style calculation

Before saving a formula

Check the Formula Editor's Result before saving.

Make sure:

• References point to the intended elements.

• Operators are in the correct places.

• Parentheses group calculations correctly.

• Percentage calculations behave as intended.

• Logical conditions produce the expected result.

• The final number makes sense for the business case.

If a formula isn't valid, ROI Studio may display:

Please confirm the formula.

Correct the expression and check the Result again before saving.

What to avoid

Avoid:

• Empty operator gaps

• Incomplete expressions

• References to elements you intend to delete

• Unnecessarily complicated nested logic

• Hiding important business assumptions inside formulas when they would be clearer as Inputs

Where a calculation becomes difficult to understand, consider breaking it into several meaningful intermediate Outputs.