Budget for automation without overstating the savings
Count setup, support, tools, consumption and the time spent reviewing results.
An automation budget includes more than the AI model. Compare the full cost with a cautious estimate of time that can actually be reassigned.
Separate four cost items
Published pricing gives a starting point. The quote should explain what is included, who pays suppliers and which changes need a new agreement.
- Setup: agreed scope, integrations, configuration, testing and documentation.
- Support: monitoring, corrections and adjustments within scope.
- Third-party tools: licences, hosting and required services.
- Usage: model and API calls according to actual volume.
Measure the starting workload
Count actual monthly operations and time a representative sample. Separate routine cases from complex ones. The memory of a particularly busy day is not enough to establish an average.
Illustrative example: 240 monthly tasks at 8 minutes each take 32 hours. At an assumed loaded cost of €30 per hour, the time involved is worth €960. These are calculation assumptions, not customer results.
Deduct review and exceptions
If the process frees up half of those 32 hours, including review and correction, 16 hours could be reassigned. Their indicative value is €480 per month.
Hypothetical support of €200 and tool or usage costs of €60 would leave €220 in monthly value before setup. A hypothetical €1,200 installation represents about 5.5 months of that value. This is arithmetic to be checked on your cases.
Separate time from cash
Sixteen reassigned hours do not automatically mean sixteen hours of payroll savings. The team may use that time for customers, follow-up or other work. A fixed expense only falls when the organisation actually changes it.
More consistent processing or less re-entry may also matter. Define how those outcomes will be measured rather than forcing an artificial euro value onto them.
Read Relaist pricing
Our ranges separate simple automation from a connected agent, with monthly support shown separately. The final quote specifies tools, volumes, interventions and third-party costs.
The free audit helps set assumptions for one process. The pricing calculator assumes 50% less handling time; it does not predict your project’s outcome.
Describe a task, your tools and the volume. The free audit reviews one workflow and provides an initial summary.
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