Inbox triage and reply drafting time saved

Benchmark range

Lower bound: 0.25 hours. Median value: 0.33 hours. Upper bound: 0.5 hours.

Measurement period: per working day.

Methodology

Anchored on the one randomised measurement available: a field experiment across 66 firms and 7,137 knowledge workers found tool users spent two fewer hours on email per week, roughly 24 minutes per working day. Microsoft's randomised Copilot study at a consumer goods company reports a smaller 50 minutes per week, roughly 10 minutes per working day, for the reading half of email work alone. CaseLedger publishes 15-30 minutes per working day so that the range brackets both measurements with the median below the stronger one, discounting for the fact that this skill runs outside the mail client, requires a buyer trigger per pass, and requires human review of every draft before it is sent. Supporting sources size the problem rather than the saving: Microsoft reports 100 or more emails received per employee per day, Adobe finds only 31 percent of received mail is rated useful, Atlassian citing Qatalog and Cornell reports nine and a half minutes to refocus after an app switch, and Microsoft's Early Access survey found 64 percent of Copilot users self-report less time processing email.

Cited sources: 6. Measurement period: per working day.

Original sources

• AI Data Drop: 3 Key Insights from Real-World Research on AI Usage

  Microsoft WorkLab

  Microsoft reports that employees at a consumer goods company with access to Copilot spent 31% less time reading emails, a time saving of 50 minutes a week per user.

• What Can Copilot's Earliest Users Teach Us About Generative AI at Work

  Microsoft WorkLab

  Microsoft's Work Trend Index Special Report found 64% of Copilot users said Copilot helps them spend less time processing email.

• How Microsoft 365 Copilot and agents help tackle the infinite workday

  Microsoft

  Microsoft reports the average employee receives 100 or more emails and 150 or more Teams messages each day.

• Shifting Work Patterns with Generative AI

  arXiv - Dillon, Jaffe, Immorlica and Stanton

  A randomised field experiment across 66 firms and 7,137 knowledge workers found that treated workers who used the generative AI tool spent two fewer hours on email each week in the second half of the six-month experiment.

• How to reduce context switching and reclaim your focus

  Atlassian

  Atlassian, citing a joint Qatalog and Cornell University Idea Lab report, states that on average people take nine and a half minutes to get back into a productive workflow after switching between digital apps, and 45% of people say context switching makes them less productive.

• Need to reach friends, family, or colleagues? Try email

  Adobe

  Adobe's 2021 email survey found Americans spend over five hours a day checking email and find only 31 percent of the emails they receive actually useful.