The rise of AI agents and automation is reshaping the digital landscape, requiring data to be accessible, interoperable, and secure – not just connected. To keep up, enterprises need a composable architecture that lets teams build once and reuse across the business.
This is where MuleSoft becomes a critical enabler. By unifying integration, API management, and automation, MuleSoft transforms fragmented systems into modular building blocks, accelerating delivery and laying the groundwork for scalable, agent-based AI.
To measure the business value of this transformation, MuleSoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study. The results – which included a considerable 426% ROI – provide a detailed framework for evaluating the financial impact of MuleSoft, offering a window into the tangible benefits that organizations are already experiencing.
What the study examines
“The Total Economic Impact™ of MuleSoft: Cost Savings and Business Benefits Enabled by MuleSoft,” a Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact Study (commissioned by MuleSoft in October 2025), sought to quantify the return on investment enterprises can expect when adopting MuleSoft.
Forrester interviewed seven decision-makers from six organizations across various industries, including healthcare, financial services, and pharmaceuticals. From these conversations, Forrester constructed a composite global organization with $7.5 billion in annual revenue and 15,000 employees. This composite company represents the aggregated benefits, costs, and risks associated with deploying MuleSoft.
Prior to adoption, interviewees described environments weighed down by custom-coded, point-to-point integrations. These approaches limited reusability, slowed project delivery, and created silos of data that frustrated both employees and customers.
After investing in MuleSoft, these organizations built composable API and integration ecosystems. Developers could avoid repetitive work, reuse assets across multiple use cases, and accelerate time-to-market for new products and services. The TEI study captures this transformation in hard numbers.
The hard-hitting findings
The financial case for MuleSoft is compelling. According to the study, the composite organization achieved a 426% return on investment (ROI) and a net present value (NPV) of $10.0 million over a three-year period, with payback occurring in under six months.
Let’s break down some of the most impactful findings.
1. Significant efficiency gains for developers
MuleSoft reduced the effort required for API and integration delivery by 60%, thanks to advanced tooling, prebuilt connectors, and a composable approach that enabled reusability. Nearly half (45%) of API and integration assets were reused across multiple projects.
These productivity gains resulted in $2.8 million in labor savings over a three-year period for the composite organization. One healthcare CIO noted that before MuleSoft, “There was no reusability at all. We were reinventing the wheel every time.”
2. Reduced management burden
Beyond development, MuleSoft eased the ongoing management of APIs and integrations. Centralized governance, automated monitoring, and self-service portals reduced effort by 70%, saving an additional $605,000 in labor over three years.
3. Faster time-to-market and revenue growth
By streamlining development and fostering reuse, MuleSoft accelerated time-to-market for new products and services by 40%. This agility had a direct financial impact: the composite organization generated over $38 million in additional revenue and $3 million in incremental profit across three years.
One financial services director of software engineering highlighted the competitive advantage: “We’re becoming disruptors in our field and being approached by third parties and fintech companies who want to partner with us because of the integration capabilities we’ve built with MuleSoft.”
4. Operational efficiencies through automation
MuleSoft also delivered enterprise-wide operational efficiencies by enabling workflow automation. Impacted employees each saved half an hour per week, resulting in cumulative labor savings of $5.8 million over three years.
5. Additional unquantified benefits
While the financial results of the study are striking, several additional benefits stood out in the interviews – benefits that are harder to quantify, but no less valuable.
- Improved reliability and scalability: Organizations reported that MuleSoft helped improve application performance and system reliability. With a centralized platform and consistent governance in place, teams found it easier to scale integrations to support new applications, partners, and digital services without worrying about stability issues.
- Stronger security and compliance management: By consolidating API and integration oversight, MuleSoft gave IT leaders more control over policies, access, and compliance requirements. This was especially important in regulated industries, such as healthcare and financial services, where compliance lapses can lead to significant risks.
- A better developer experience: Developers emphasized how MuleSoft changed their day-to-day work. With less time spent on repetitive integration tasks, teams could redirect their efforts toward higher-value projects, such as modernizing customer experiences or developing new digital products. This shift not only improved morale but also supported long-term innovation.
- Greater business and IT alignment: Several interviewees noted that MuleSoft helped bridge the gaps between business stakeholders and IT teams. Because reusable APIs and integrations made it easier to meet new demands quickly, the business was able to see results faster, which in turn strengthened collaboration and trust between departments.
These benefits may not have been quantified in Forrester’s financial model, but they played a critical role in enabling the organizations studied to become more agile, resilient, and innovative.
Why this matters now
The findings from this study underscore a reality that many organizations already face: integration is no longer just a technical challenge, but a business imperative. Without a scalable, composable integration strategy, organizations risk being hindered by inefficiencies, missed revenue opportunities, and increasing complexity.
MuleSoft offers a way forward. By unifying integration, API management, and automation into a single platform, businesses can move faster, reuse assets more, and unlock data for the business and its partners. In the era of AI and digital-first customer expectations, this agility can be the difference between leading the market and lagging behind.
Learn more
Suppose you’ve been wondering how to prepare your organization for smooth AI adoption, unlock new revenue streams, or simply give your developers the breathing room to focus on innovation instead of maintenance. This research points to a clear path forward. Forrester’s analysis shows that MuleSoft isn’t just about connecting systems – it’s about building a foundation where reuse, automation, and agility become second nature. Download the full study to dive deeper into the methodology and findings.
