Cost per resolution
Measurementcost per resolved case · CPR
Total cost of closing a case end to end with an agent — tokens, tools, infrastructure and the human time still required — divided by the cases actually resolved. Escalated cases land in the cost denominator, not the success one.
Cost per resolution is the metric that stops you mistaking volume for value. Numerator: tokens from every attempt, failed ones included, tool and API calls, attributable infrastructure, and human minutes spent reviewing, correcting or redoing the work. Denominator: cases closed with an outcome the client accepted. This definition is Implementa's own editorial formulation. Cost per resolved ticket is a standard support metric, but the rule of charging failed attempts and residual human time to the same case is our way of computing it, not a market consensus. Its value is comparative: measure against the human baseline before deployment, then measure again every month.
How it differs from
- Cost per token
- Measures consumption, not outcome; it can fall while cost per resolution rises.
- Automation rate
- Counts cases the agent touched, resolved or not.
Examples
- A support agent at €0.42 per closed ticket against a €6.10 human baseline.
- Cost per resolution rising after a switch to a reasoning model, with no gain in accuracy.
FAQ
- Does human review time count?
- Yes. If the agent needs supervision, that cost is part of the resolution.
- Is it a sales metric?
- Only if a baseline was measured first. Without comparison it is a number floating on its own.