[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":18},["ShallowReactive",2],{"post-en-was-kostet-ki-automatisierung":3},{"slug":4,"title":5,"description":6,"date":7,"dateFmt":8,"minutes":9,"tags":10,"related":13,"image":14,"imageOg":15,"imageAlt":16,"html":17},"was-kostet-ki-automatisierung","What does AI automation really cost?","Setup, operation, maintenance — the three cost blocks of an AI automation, honest price ranges and a simple formula for when it pays off.","2026-06-09","June 9, 2026",2,[11,12],"automation","costs","ki-fuer-automatisierung","\u002Fblog\u002Fautomatisierung-kosten-cover.webp","\u002Fblog\u002Fautomatisierung-kosten-cover.jpg","The three cost blocks of an AI automation as machines: setup (hammer), operation (gear), maintenance (wrench).","\u003Cp>The most common question in our first conversations isn't "is this possible?" — it's "what does it cost?". The honest answer: considerably less than most people expect after years of agency day rates, but more than a SaaS subscription. Here's the math we run internally, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>The three cost blocks\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Every AI automation has the same cost structure — whether it sorts e-mails or writes quotes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>1. Setup (one-time).\u003C\u002Fstrong> Understanding the workflow, connecting the AI, catching edge cases, testing. This is the project part — and the only block that reaches four figures. A manageable automation (say: reading, classifying and pre-answering incoming requests) sits in the low four-figure range. More complex workflows spanning several systems — ERP, CRM, accounting — accordingly above that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>2. Operation (ongoing).\u003C\u002Fstrong> AI models bill per request, not per month. An automation that handles dozens of cases a day typically causes \u003Cstrong>less than €50 in API costs per month\u003C\u002Fstrong> — often far less. This surprises most people: ongoing operation is almost never the cost driver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>3. Maintenance (occasional).\u003C\u002Fstrong> Workflows change: a new mail format, a different ERP field, a new edge case. Well-built automations speak up when something doesn't fit instead of silently working wrong. Budget a few hours per quarter — no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>When does it pay off?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The math is unspectacularly simple:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Hours saved per week × hourly rate × 52 — that's your yearly capacity gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>A real-world example: a team spends \u003Cstrong>6 hours per week\u003C\u002Fstrong> typing incoming invoices and checking them against purchase orders. At €45 internal cost per hour, that's a good \u003Cstrong>€14,000 per year\u003C\u002Fstrong> — for work nobody wants to do. An automation that takes over 90% of it usually pays for itself within the first quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg src=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fautomatisierung-kosten-rechnung.webp\" alt=\"Hours become euros: e-mails and cases run through the automation — out come saved time and a rising curve.\">\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our rule of thumb: if a task repeats for \u003Cstrong>more than 3–4 hours per week\u003C\u002Fstrong>, it's worth a look. Below that, it's often smarter to just leave it alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>What it should NOT cost\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Three things that should make you skeptical:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>License lock-ins.\u003C\u002Fstrong> If the automation only works as long as you pay for a specific tool subscription, it doesn't belong to you. We build so the workflow is yours and the AI model stays replaceable.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Open-ended day-rate projects.\u003C\u002Fstrong> "Let's see how far we get" is not an offer. A clearly scoped workflow can be estimated at a fixed price.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>AI for AI's sake.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Some tasks are solved better and cheaper by a simple script or a rule. An honest partner tells you that up front.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2>The first step costs nothing\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>We look at your most time-consuming workflow and tell you concretely: what can be automated, what it costs and what it saves — before you commission anything. How it works technically is on our \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fki-fuer-automatisierung\">AI for automation\u003C\u002Fa> page — or \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fkontakt\">tell us about your workflow directly\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",1781540522068]