PIPELINEGuide
Do AI consulting yourself or have it done?
Much of what goes into AI consulting can be built in-house — the question is whether it pays off. When in-house effort makes sense, where the line is, and which path is most expensive.
Building AI consulting yourself pays off when the project stays small, someone in the business has time for it, and no one depends on it going live on a specific date. As soon as other systems need to interact or someone is liable if it fails, external implementation is usually cheaper — the most expensive path is the half-finished one.
01 — In-house effort
Build yourself or have it built?
- Building yourself makes sense when someone in the business has the time and interest, the project stays small, and no one depends on it being live by a specific date.
- Ready-made platforms get you to a first result quickly, but hit limits where custom processes, custom data, or integrations with existing systems come into play.
- Having it done pays off as soon as AI consulting needs to communicate with other systems, as soon as someone is liable if it doesn't work, or as soon as the internal effort becomes more expensive than external implementation.
- The most expensive path is the halfway one: built in-house for months on the side, then abandoned and rebuilt externally. If you decide on in-house effort, set a time budget and an abort point.
- Hybrid approach: Concept and setup external, maintenance internal. This is often the most economical path for AI consulting — provided the handover is documented.
02 — Requirements
What you need for AI consulting
- A clearly defined trigger. Not “we should do something with AI,” but a process that demonstrably costs time or orders today.
- Existing content or data. AI consulting works with what's already there. The more complete the starting point, the shorter the setup.
- Access to the systems involved. Whoever manages the credentials needs to be involved from the start — this is, in our experience, the most common cause of delays.
- One decision-making contact person. One, not three.
- Willingness to refine after launch. The first weeks in real operation show what was missing in the concept. That's normal and accounted for.
03 — Calculation
How to calculate it
Four numbers are enough: How often does the process occur? How long does it take? What does an hour cost internally? And what does the solution cost — one-time plus operation over three years?
An example: A process that occurs twice a week and takes 40 minutes each time ties up around 69 hours per year. At an internal hourly rate of 45 euros, that's roughly 3,100 euros per year locked in there. If a solution reduces this effort by two-thirds, it often pays for itself — depending on the actual quote — within one to two years. We'll give you the exact figure for your case after the initial meeting.
This calculation is deliberately conservative: it only accounts for the time saved, not the errors avoided or the orders that come through due to faster response. In practice, the benefit is usually higher — but you shouldn't count on it before you've measured it.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do we also get recommendations for providers other than you?
Yes, where it makes sense. Some use cases are better suited to standard software or a specialized provider — that's stated in the document, not hidden.
What funding is available in Austria?
Options include KMU.DIGITAL and aws digitalization funding — current terms at kmudigital.at and aws.at. Both require the application to be approved before awarding the contract — that's why we bring it up early and not at the end.
Who should be at the workshop?
At least one person from management and two to three who do the affected processes daily. Without the second group, you get a list that doesn't work in practice.
Isn't a conversation with management enough?
No, that's the most common reason for a list that doesn't work later. The people who do the processes daily know the exceptions that an outside perspective never sees.
What if nothing makes sense for us?
Then that's what the report says. It happens, especially with businesses that have very few recurring processes or no digital data foundation. An honest no is cheaper than a project that runs aground.
How does this differ from consulting by the Chamber of Commerce?
The Chamber offerings provide a good overview of funding options and basics. We go a step further and look at your specific processes and systems — with effort estimates that we ourselves would have to meet.
What does it cost us if nothing comes of it in the end?
Only the agreed price for the workshop and document — there's no success fee and no hidden follow-up obligation. The preliminary conversation is free and is meant to catch exactly these kinds of mismatched inquiries beforehand.
05 — Decision
How to move forward
The most affordable next step is a conversation, not a quote. Twenty minutes is usually enough to clarify whether a project makes sense, what scope it involves, and whether we're the right fit.
If we're not, we'll say so. An honest no costs less than a project you abandon after three months — for both sides.
06 — Next
Related pages
- AI consulting — Overview
- AI consulting — checklist
- AI consulting — AI disclosure
- AI consulting — Where to start
- AI consulting — introduction
- AI consulting — duration
- AI consulting — Funding
- AI consulting — risks
- AI automation
- Process automation
- AI training
- All guides
AI consulting by region
Next step
Initial assessment, no obligation.
Briefly describe what you need. You'll get an honest answer about what's realistic and what it will roughly cost.