Tools Hub
All 26 Dashly Tools
Dashly tools are standalone financial calculators that run inside your workspace, save their results, and can be linked directly to projects. All calculations are workspace-scoped - only members of your workspace can see them.
INDUSTRY LOCKING
LINKING TO PROJECTS
Core Tools - Available to every workspace
These three tools are always visible in your sidebar regardless of industry.
NPV Calculator
Is this investment worth making - in today's money?
Net Present Value discounts all future cash flows back to what they're worth right now, accounting for the time value of money. A positive NPV means the project returns more than your hurdle rate. A negative NPV means you'd be better off investing elsewhere. Dashly defaults the discount rate based on your workspace country - Zambia uses 10% (BoZ base rate + ZMW risk premium), other emerging markets 8%, developed markets 5%.
NPV = −I₀ + Σ [ Cₜ ÷ (1 + r)ᵗ ] I₀ = initial investment | Cₜ = net cash flow in period t | r = discount rate | t = period number
When to use
Before committing capital to any project, equipment purchase, or investment with a multi-period return. Pair with the Risk Calculator to stress-test your assumptions.
Industry availability
All workspaces
Risk Score Calculator
A single number that tells you how exposed your project really is.
Combines five weighted project health signals into a composite score from 0–100. Budget variance and schedule delay carry the most weight, reflecting real-world project failure patterns. Black Swan events - rare catastrophic scenarios - add on top. Each factor has an adjustable slider (0–100) and the model provides real-time recommendations. See the dedicated Risk Calculator guide for full details.
Score = (Budget Variance × 0.25) + (Schedule Delay × 0.20) + (Resource Availability × 0.20)
+ (Complexity × 0.15) + (Stakeholder Alignment × 0.10)
+ min(10, Σ(Black Swan severity × probability ÷ 1000))When to use
At project kick-off for a baseline, at every milestone review, or whenever a project feels like it's drifting. Save multiple assessments to track risk trend over time.
Industry availability
All workspaces
Wastage Calculator
How much of what you planned actually got used productively?
Measures the gap between what was allocated and what was genuinely consumed - across budget, materials, time, labour, or energy. Wastage surfaces inefficiency that standard cost reports often miss: a project can finish on budget while still wasting significant resources through rework, idle capacity, or poor planning. An optional cost-per-unit field converts a percentage into a monetary figure.
Wastage % = ((Allocated − Used) ÷ Allocated) × 100 If cost per unit is provided: Wastage Cost = (Allocated − Used) × Cost per Unit
When to use
Post-phase reviews, monthly resource audits, procurement efficiency reports, or when a project feels expensive but the cost reports don't explain why.
Industry availability
All workspaces
Cross-Industry Tools
Available to all workspaces. Applicable across most industries and business types.
Break-Even Analysis
At what point does revenue start covering all your costs?
Identifies the exact output volume at which total costs are fully recovered and profit begins. Translates abstract cost structures into concrete operational targets and reveals how sensitive viability is to pricing or cost changes.
Break-Even Units = Fixed Costs ÷ (Selling Price − Variable Cost per Unit) Contribution Margin = Selling Price − Variable Cost per Unit Contribution Margin % = (Contribution Margin ÷ Selling Price) × 100
When to use
Launching a new product, evaluating a price change, reviewing cost structure, or stress-testing financial viability.
Industry availability
Manufacturing, Retail, Food & Beverage, Events, Agriculture, Consulting, Engineering, Tourism
ROI Calculator
What are you getting back for every dollar you put in?
Expresses net gain as a percentage of what it cost to run an initiative. Simple and comparable across investments. Dashly extends the basic formula with a time-adjusted (annualised) variant and target ROI benchmarking.
ROI % = ((Net Return − Cost of Investment) ÷ Cost of Investment) × 100 Annualised ROI = ((1 + ROI)^(1÷years) − 1) × 100
When to use
Evaluating marketing campaigns, training programmes, technology investments, process improvements, or any spend where return can be quantified.
Industry availability
Marketing, IT, Consulting, HR, Education, Retail
Cash Flow Forecaster
Will you have enough cash when you need it?
Maps the timing of every inflow and outflow over a planning horizon, revealing whether you have sufficient liquidity at each point. Unlike P&L projections, it operates in cash - when money actually moves, not when it's earned or owed. Critical for seasonal businesses.
When to use
Seasonal business planning, project phasing decisions, financing applications, or any time the gap between profit and cash needs to be clearly understood.
Industry availability
Agriculture, Food & Beverage, Retail, Events, Tourism, Construction, Entertainment
Resource Utilisation Rate
Are your people and assets working at the right intensity?
Measures the percentage of available capacity being productively used. Both extremes are a problem: under-utilisation means idle, costly capacity; over-utilisation leads to burnout and errors. The productive zone is typically 70–85% for sustained performance.
Utilisation % = (Productive Hours ÷ Available Hours) × 100 Capacity Gap = Available Hours − Productive Hours Over-utilisation: Utilisation > 85%
When to use
Staffing reviews, equipment investment decisions, project capacity planning, or post-project evaluation of whether resources were sized appropriately.
Industry availability
Healthcare, Manufacturing, Consulting, Engineering, Logistics, Aviation, Security
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Do the benefits of this decision outweigh everything it costs?
Structured comparison of all quantifiable costs and benefits, incorporating non-financial outcomes by assigning monetary equivalents. Standard framework for public sector investment decisions and NGO programme evaluation globally.
Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) = Total Benefits ÷ Total Costs Net Benefit = Total Benefits − Total Costs BCR > 1 = benefits exceed costs
When to use
Government procurement, NGO programme justification, public infrastructure planning, policy evaluation, or decisions where non-financial impacts need to be weighed.
Industry availability
Government, NGO/Non-profit, Education, Social Services, Environmental, Healthcare
Labour & Staffing Cost Calculator
What does it actually cost to have someone on your team?
Captures the full employment cost - base pay, employer taxes, benefits, equipment, management overhead - giving an honest cost-per-head for budgeting, pricing, and headcount decisions. Also calculates the daily and hourly rate used for project costing and client billing.
Annual Cost = Salary + Employer Taxes + Benefits + Overhead Daily Rate = Annual Cost ÷ Working Days per Year Hourly Rate = Daily Rate ÷ Hours per Day
When to use
Making a hiring decision, pricing a service contract, calculating project labour budgets, or benchmarking headcount cost against revenue.
Industry availability
Healthcare, Construction, Security, Events, HR, Manufacturing, Logistics, Consulting
Finance & Legal Tools
Surface for workspaces with Finance, Banking, Legal, or Accounting industries selected.
Loan & Amortisation Calculator
See exactly how a loan pays down - and what it really costs.
Breaks a loan into its component parts for every payment period: interest, principal reduction, and outstanding balance. Early payments are predominantly interest - understanding this protects against refinancing traps and helps optimise early repayment strategy.
Monthly Payment = P × [r(1+r)ⁿ] ÷ [(1+r)ⁿ − 1] P = principal | r = monthly rate (annual ÷ 12) | n = total payments Total Interest = (Monthly Payment × n) − P
When to use
Before taking on debt financing for a project, property, or equipment. Useful for comparing loan offers on a true cost basis.
Industry availability
Real Estate, Finance & Banking, Construction, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Government
Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)
Can your project's cash flow comfortably cover its debt?
The single most important metric lenders use when evaluating project debt. Measures how many times over your operating income covers debt obligations. A DSCR below 1.0 means cash flow cannot service the debt. Most lenders require a minimum of 1.20–1.35.
DSCR = Net Operating Income ÷ Total Debt Service NOI = Revenue − Operating Expenses (excl. debt) Total Debt Service = Principal Repayments + Interest DSCR < 1.0 = insufficient | 1.0–1.2 = borderline | > 1.25 = lender-acceptable
When to use
Evaluating borrowing capacity, preparing a financing application, or monitoring covenant compliance on an active loan.
Industry availability
Real Estate, Finance & Banking, Construction, Agriculture, Government, Energy & Mining
Matter Profitability & Billing Rate
Are you actually making money on each engagement?
Tracks the spread between fees billed and fully-loaded time cost, revealing the true margin per engagement. The billing rate builder helps you set rates that achieve a target recovery - not just cover costs, but generate profit. Includes realisation rate and effective hourly rate.
Gross Margin = Fee Billed − (Hours × Cost per Hour) Realisation Rate = Fees Collected ÷ Fees Billed × 100 Target Billing Rate = Cost per Hour ÷ (1 − Target Margin %)
When to use
Monthly profitability reviews, rate-card setting, new client fee proposals, or identifying which service lines are truly profitable.
Industry availability
Legal, Accounting & Auditing, Consulting, Architecture
Audit Risk & Materiality Calculator
Where should audit effort be focused to matter most?
Decomposes audit risk into inherent, control, and detection risk components. Uses the audit risk model to determine required detection risk and sets planning materiality - the threshold below which misstatements are unlikely to influence financial statement users.
Audit Risk = Inherent Risk × Control Risk × Detection Risk Detection Risk = Audit Risk ÷ (Inherent Risk × Control Risk) Materiality = Benchmark × Applicable %
When to use
Audit planning, engagement risk assessment, or team briefings on why certain areas receive more audit attention.
Industry availability
Accounting & Auditing, Finance & Banking, Insurance
Property & Infrastructure Tools
Surface for workspaces in Real Estate, Construction, Architecture, or Logistics industries.
Cap Rate & Property Yield Calculator
What rate of return does this property actually generate?
Cap Rate is the ratio of net operating income to market value - the standard metric for comparing real estate investments independent of financing structure. Gross and Net Yield provide complementary perspectives. Also back-calculates implied property value from a target cap rate - useful for offer negotiation.
Cap Rate = Net Operating Income ÷ Property Value × 100 Gross Yield = Annual Gross Rent ÷ Purchase Price × 100 Net Yield = (Annual Rent − Expenses) ÷ Purchase Price × 100
When to use
Property acquisition analysis, portfolio benchmarking, rental pricing reviews, or negotiating purchase price based on a target yield.
Industry availability
Real Estate, Finance & Banking
Construction Cost Estimator
A reliable order-of-magnitude cost before detailed design begins.
Uses rate-per-square-metre benchmarks calibrated to building type, quality specification, and market. Surfaces major cost line items - structure, finishes, services, and preliminaries - for value engineering discussions. Not a substitute for a full quantity surveyor's estimate, but essential for feasibility and funding applications.
Total Build Cost = GFA × Rate per m² Preliminary Costs = Build Cost × Prelims % (typically 12–18%) Contingency = (Build + Prelims) × Contingency % (10–15%) Total Project Cost = Build + Prelims + Contingency + Professional Fees
When to use
Feasibility studies, client briefings, funding applications, or design team inception meetings where a budget figure is needed before detailed drawings exist.
Industry availability
Construction, Real Estate, Architecture, Government
Fleet & Fuel Cost Calculator
What does it cost to keep your vehicles on the road?
Builds a full cost-per-kilometre figure capturing depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tyres, licensing, and driver costs - not just fuel. Makes fleet investment, outsourcing vs. own-fleet, and route profitability decisions grounded in real numbers.
Fixed Cost per km = Annual Fixed Costs ÷ Annual km Travelled Variable Cost per km = Fuel Cost per km + Maintenance per km Total Cost per km = Fixed + Variable Fuel Cost per km = Fuel Price ÷ Efficiency (L/100km) × 100
When to use
Fleet procurement decisions, route profitability analysis, logistics contract pricing, or comparing the cost of owning vs. outsourcing transport.
Industry availability
Logistics & Transport, Automotive, Government, Agriculture, Security
Agriculture & Environment Tools
Surface for workspaces in Agriculture, Environmental Services, NGO, or Research industries.
Crop Yield & Break-Even Price Calculator
At what yield and price does this season become profitable?
Maps the relationship between yield, market price, and cost of production. Shows the break-even yield at a given price, the break-even price at a given yield, and profit sensitivity across scenarios. Includes regional yield benchmarks for common African commodities.
Revenue = Yield (kg/ha) × Area (ha) × Price per kg Total Cost = Fixed Costs + (Variable Cost per ha × Area) Profit = Revenue − Total Cost Break-Even Yield = Total Cost ÷ (Price × Area)
When to use
Pre-season planting decisions, crop selection analysis, agricultural loan applications, or setting price targets before selling into a market.
Industry availability
Agriculture
Carbon Footprint Calculator
How much carbon does this project or operation produce?
Quantifies greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (purchased energy), and selected Scope 3 (value chain) activities, expressed as CO₂ equivalent. Applies country-specific grid emission factors. Includes an offset cost estimate at current carbon market prices.
Emissions (tCO₂e) = Activity Data × Emission Factor Scope 1: Fuel combustion, refrigerants Scope 2: Electricity × grid factor Scope 3: Travel, freight, waste
When to use
ESG reporting, regulatory compliance, sustainability programme design, supply chain due diligence, or grant applications requiring emissions data.
Industry availability
Environmental Services, Energy & Mining, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Logistics, Construction
Grant & Funding Tracker
Are you spending your grants in line with what was approved?
Monitors spend against each approved budget line, tracks unspent balances, flags at-risk lines, and produces the summary data needed for donor reports and audit trails. Handles co-funded projects with multiple donors.
When to use
Throughout the life of any grant-funded project - from inception to close-out and final audit. Essential for organisations managing multiple concurrent grants.
Industry availability
NGO/Non-profit, Education, Research, Government, Social Services, Healthcare
Industry-Specific Tools
Each of these surfaces only for the relevant industry. They address highly specialised calculation needs that general tools don't cover.
OEE Calculator (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
How well is your equipment actually performing against its potential?
Combines Availability, Performance, and Quality into a single score representing the percentage of scheduled production time that is truly productive. World-class OEE is 85%. Most operations run at 40–60%, meaning significant untapped capacity often exists without capital investment.
OEE = Availability × Performance × Quality Availability = Run Time ÷ Planned Production Time Performance = (Ideal Cycle Time × Total Count) ÷ Run Time Quality = Good Count ÷ Total Count
When to use
Production reviews, maintenance prioritisation, capital investment justification, or Lean/Six Sigma improvement programmes.
Industry availability
Manufacturing, Engineering, Automotive, Food & Beverage, Pharmaceuticals
Inventory Turnover & Carrying Cost
How efficiently is your stock converting to revenue?
Turnover measures how many times inventory is sold and replaced in a year. Carrying cost quantifies the annual cost of holding it - capital cost, storage, insurance, obsolescence, and handling. Together they reveal whether inventory investment is working or silently draining margins.
Turnover Ratio = COGS ÷ Average Inventory Value Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO) = 365 ÷ Turnover Ratio Carrying Cost = Average Inventory × Carrying Cost Rate %
When to use
Working capital reviews, supplier negotiation, warehouse cost reduction, or when margin pressure can't be explained by pricing or direct costs.
Industry availability
Retail, Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Fashion, Automotive
Clinical Trial Phase Cost Model
Build a credible budget for your clinical programme before you start.
Structures a phase-appropriate cost model - Phase I through Phase III - using per-patient, per-site, and per-activity components. Covers patient recruitment, site activation, CRO fees, data management, and regulatory costs. Designed for investigator-initiated trials and grant applications.
When to use
Trial planning, grant applications for clinical research funding, or investor presentations for biotech/pharma capital raises.
Industry availability
Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Research & Development
Occupancy Rate & RevPAR Calculator
Are your rooms, seats, or spaces generating the revenue they should?
Occupancy Rate and RevPAR are the two metrics that define performance in hospitality. Occupancy tells you how full you are; RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) accounts for both occupancy and rate. Together they reveal whether underperformance is a pricing problem, a demand problem, or a mix problem.
Occupancy Rate = Rooms Sold ÷ Rooms Available × 100 ADR = Room Revenue ÷ Rooms Sold RevPAR = Occupancy Rate × ADR (or Revenue ÷ Rooms Available)
When to use
Monthly performance reviews, rate strategy sessions, investor reporting, or evaluating the impact of a renovation or repositioning.
Industry availability
Tourism & Travel, Events & Hospitality, Sports & Recreation
Social Return on Investment (SROI)
For every dollar invested, how much social value does this programme create?
Applies financial logic to social and environmental outcomes, expressing beneficiary value as a ratio to investment. Incorporates attribution (what portion of the outcome is from this programme) and deadweight (what would have happened anyway). Standard methodology for development funders and impact investors.
SROI = Present Value of Outcomes ÷ Total Investment PV of Outcomes = Σ [Value × Attribution × (1 − Deadweight) ÷ (1+r)ᵗ] SROI > 1.0 = positive social return
When to use
Grant applications, impact investor reporting, programme evaluation, government tenders, or internal prioritisation of where to focus resources for greatest social impact.
Industry availability
NGO/Non-profit, Social Services, Education, Healthcare, Government
Campaign & Media ROI Calculator
Which marketing spend is actually moving the needle?
Quantifies return generated by a campaign or media investment relative to what was spent. Separates immediate measurable returns from attributed value. Calculates CPM, CPC, and CPA for media channel comparison. Supports attribution window configuration.
Marketing ROI = (Revenue Attributed − Campaign Cost) ÷ Campaign Cost × 100 CPM = Campaign Cost ÷ Impressions × 1,000 CPC = Campaign Cost ÷ Clicks CPA = Campaign Cost ÷ Conversions
When to use
Post-campaign analysis, budget planning, channel mix decisions, or presenting marketing performance to leadership.
Industry availability
Marketing & Advertising, Public Relations, Entertainment, Retail, Tourism
ARPU & Churn Impact Calculator
What does losing subscribers actually cost you, and how fast does it compound?
ARPU quantifies what each subscriber generates. The churn model shows how the subscriber base and revenue evolve over time given different churn and acquisition rates. Calculates Customer Lifetime Value - what each new subscriber is worth over their expected relationship with you. Churn compounds: every month of elevated churn permanently shrinks your revenue base.
ARPU = Total Revenue ÷ Average Subscribers Monthly Churn Rate = Lost Subscribers ÷ Opening Subscribers × 100 Customer Lifetime = 1 ÷ Monthly Churn Rate (months) CLV = ARPU × Customer Lifetime × Gross Margin %
When to use
Monthly business reviews, investor reporting, product investment prioritisation (if CLV > CAC, grow faster), or modelling the revenue impact of a retention programme.
Industry availability
Telecommunications, IT, Entertainment & Media, Finance & Banking