Build it custom, or use what you have?
Most businesses already own more automation than they use. Start there.
Use what you already pay for whenever it can do the job, which is more often than vendors of custom work will tell you. Build custom when the process is genuinely specific to how you operate, high volume, and spans systems that will not talk to each other.
The first thing we do on an automation engagement is audit what is already switched off. Recommending a feature a client already owns costs us a project and saves them a great deal, and it is usually the fastest result available.
How they compare
| Off the shelf | Custom build | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Usually zero, already paid for | €750 for one workflow, €2,500 plus for a system |
| Time to value | Days | Weeks |
| Fit to your process | Approximate | Exact |
| Maintenance | The vendor's problem | Yours, or ours |
| Breaks when | The vendor changes something | An integration changes |
| Worth it when | It can do roughly the job | The process is specific and high volume |
The verdict
A simple test. If you can describe the process in one sentence and it is common to your industry, something you already own probably does it.
If it takes three sentences and includes the phrase "the way we do it", that is where custom earns its cost.
And if the honest answer is that the process should be simplified rather than automated, that is worth hearing before anybody spends anything.
Common questions
How do we know what our software already does?
Most teams are using a fraction of their practice management, CRM or booking platform. A short audit of what is enabled against what is licensed is usually the highest-return hour in the project.
Is AI different from automation here?
Mostly yes. Classic automation moves structured information between systems reliably. AI handles unstructured input such as documents and messages. The pricey mistake is reaching for AI where a rule would do.
What does a custom automation cost?
One workflow starts around €750. A connected system across several processes starts around €2,500. Both quoted fixed and in writing before anything begins.
Not sure which you need?
Tell us the situation. If the answer is that you do not need us, we will say so.
- A reply within one working day
- Fixed price, agreed in writing
- No obligation, and no hard sell