> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.minoa.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Create a Custom Calculation
> Build a custom calculation from scratch to quantify value in your own way
Custom calculations give you complete control over how value gets quantified. Whether you're modeling a unique business outcome or adapting an existing use case, you can build calculations that match your exact methodology.
This recipe walks you through creating a Cost Reduction calculation that measures time savings on a recurring task. You'll learn how to structure inputs, build subtotals, and configure totals that show current versus future costs.
Start by creating a new use case in your Value Framework.
Add a calculation to your use case and select the calculation type.
Give your calculation a clear name and description that explains the value story.
Configure inputs that capture the data points needed for your calculation.
Set up key inputs as highlighted inputs with value presets.
Create subtotals that combine your inputs to calculate intermediate values.
Set up totals that show current and future costs based on your subtotals.
## Create a new use case
You can add a calculation to an existing use case or create a new one. For this recipe, we'll create a new use case.
1. Navigate to the **Value Summary** tab of your business case
2. Click **Add Use Case**
3. Enter a name for your use case (e.g., "Reduce Time on Task")
4. Add a description that explains the value outcome
Use cases can contain multiple calculations. You might have one use case with several related calculations that
together tell a complete value story.
## Add a calculation
Once you've created your use case, add a calculation to it.
1. Click **Add Calculation** in your use case
2. You'll see options to select a calculation type
## Select a calculation type
Calculation types determine how your calculation is formatted and displayed in business cases. Each type has a specific structure optimized for different value scenarios.
| Calculation Type | Description | Best For |
| :----------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Cost Reduction** | Compares current costs to future costs, showing savings | Headcount reduction, time savings, software consolidation |
| **Revenue Uplift** | Compares current revenue to future revenue, showing growth | Sales acceleration, conversion improvements, upsell opportunities |
| **Custom** | Flexible structure for any calculation format | Unique business models, non-standard value metrics |
| **Non-Monetary** | Quantifies value without currency (e.g., hours, units) | Time saved, quality improvements, risk mitigation |
Learn more about how calculation types affect [use case card displays](/pages/business-case/use-case-cards) in
business cases.
For this recipe, select **Cost Reduction** since we're measuring how much time (and cost) we save on a task.
## Name and describe your calculation
Give your calculation a clear, outcome-focused name. The description should explain what value this calculation quantifies.
1. Enter a name (e.g., "Reduce Time on Task")
2. Add a description that explains the value story
Use outcome language, not feature language. "Reduce Time on Task" is better than "Task Automation Feature."
## Add your first input
Inputs are the building blocks of your calculation. They represent the data points you need to quantify value.
1. Click **Add Input**
2. You'll configure the input details in the next step
## Input types
Each input has a type that determines how it's formatted and validated. Choose the type that best matches the data you're capturing.
| Input Type | Description | Example Values |
| :------------- | :---------------------------------- | :-------------------------- |
| **Number** | Whole numbers or decimals | 50, 2.5, 1000 |
| **Currency** | Monetary values | \$50,000, €1,200 |
| **Percentage** | Percentage values (0-100) | 25%, 50%, 75% |
| **Duration** | Time periods (hours, minutes, days) | 2 hours, 30 minutes, 5 days |
| **Text** | Free-form text values | "High", "Low", "Enterprise" |
Input types ensure consistent formatting across business cases. Currency inputs automatically format based on the
business case's currency setting.
## Configure your inputs
For this Cost Reduction calculation, we need to measure how long a task takes, how often it's completed, how many employees do it, and what they cost per hour.
### Input 1: Time per task
This measures how long it takes to complete the task once.
1. Name: "Time per Task"
2. Type: **Duration**
3. Unit: Hours
4. Default value: 2 (hours)
### Input 2: Tasks per year
This measures how many times the task is completed annually.
1. Name: "# of Tasks per Year"
2. Type: **Number**
3. Default value: 100
### Input 3: Number of employees
This measures how many employees complete this task.
1. Name: "# of Employees"
2. Type: **Number**
3. Default value: 10
### Input 4: Average hourly rate
This measures the average hourly cost of employees who complete the task.
1. Name: "Average Hourly Rate"
2. Type: **Currency**
3. Default value: \$50
Your inputs are configured. You should see them in your calculation builder.
## Add highlighted inputs
Highlighted inputs appear at the top of the input list on use case cards and are always visible. They're perfect for improvement percentages, key future-value drivers, or customer profile variables. You can highlight multiple inputs per calculation.
For this calculation, we'll add an improvement percentage that shows how much more efficient your solution makes the task.
1. Click **Add Input**
2. Name: "Improvement %"
3. Type: **Percentage**
4. Check **Highlight this input** to make it a highlighted input
5. Set default value: 20%
### Configure value presets
Value presets let users quickly select common values instead of typing. This is especially useful for improvement percentages where you might have standard scenarios.
1. Click **Add Preset**
2. Add presets like:
* **Low**: 12%
* **Medium**: 20%
* **High**: 28%
Users can switch between these presets using buttons or a dropdown (depending on how many presets you create).
You can highlight multiple inputs per calculation. Any highlighted input can have its own value presets. This is
useful when a calculation has several key variables that buyers should focus on. Learn more about
[highlighted inputs](/pages/business-case/use-case-cards#highlighted-inputs).
## Build your first subtotal
Subtotals combine multiple inputs to calculate intermediate values. For this calculation, we'll create two subtotals:
1. **Annual hours (current)**: Total hours spent on the task per year
2. **Annual hours (future)**: Total hours after improvement
### First subtotal: Annual hours (current)
This multiplies all inputs except the improvement percentage to get the total annual hours.
1. Click **Add Subtotal**
2. Name: "Annual Hours (Current)"
3. Build the formula:
* Multiply: Time per Task × # of Tasks per Year × # of Employees
* Formula: `Time per Task × # of Tasks per Year × # of Employees`
This gives you the total number of hours spent on this task annually before any improvement.
### Second subtotal: Annual hours (future)
This applies the improvement percentage to show how many hours will be spent after your solution.
1. Click **Add Subtotal**
2. Name: "Annual Hours (Future)"
3. Build the formula:
* Multiply: Annual Hours (Current) × (1 - Improvement %)
* Formula: `Annual Hours (Current) × (1 - Improvement %)`
We use `(1 - Improvement %)` because a 30% improvement means we do 70% of the original work. If your improvement
percentage represents efficiency gain, you might structure this differently.
## Configure your totals
Totals are the final values that appear prominently on use case cards. For a Cost Reduction calculation, you typically have two totals: current cost and future cost.
### First total: Current cost
This shows the current annual cost of the task.
1. Click **Add Total**
2. Name: "Current Cost"
3. Build the formula:
* Multiply: Annual Hours (Current) × Average Hourly Rate
* Formula: `Annual Hours (Current) × Average Hourly Rate`
### Second total: Future cost
This shows the future annual cost after your improvement.
1. Click **Add Total**
2. Name: "Future Cost"
3. Build the formula:
* Multiply: Annual Hours (Future) × Average Hourly Rate
* Formula: `Annual Hours (Future) × Average Hourly Rate`
Your calculation is complete! The difference between Current Cost and Future Cost shows the annual savings.
## What you've built
Your calculation now:
* **Captures the right inputs**: Time per task, frequency, employee count, and hourly rate
* **Shows improvement impact**: The highlighted improvement percentage drives the savings
* **Calculates intermediate values**: Subtotals break down the math into understandable steps
* **Displays clear outcomes**: Two totals show current vs. future costs side-by-side
When sellers use this calculation in business cases, they can customize the inputs for their specific buyer. The formulas stay consistent, ensuring your ROI methodology is standardized across all deals.
Learn more about [building use cases](/pages/value-framework/use-cases) and [how calculations
work](/pages/getting-started/adding-inputs) in business cases.