AI Consultancy: From Strategy to Implementation
Erwin Berkouwer
What does AI consultancy cost for SMEs and what does it deliver? Discover the strategy, payback periods and practical figures — plus when it makes sense and when it doesn't.
SMEs that delay AI consultancy miss an average of €26,000 per year in efficiency gains — while competitors are already building their advantage. An AI consultant doesn't just help you create a strategy, they ensure that strategy actually delivers results in your business.
What does an AI consultant do for your business?
An AI consultant is not a technician installing new software. They are a strategist who first understands how your business works, then determines which processes will save the most time, and finally implements the right tools that fit your people.
The trajectory typically looks like this:
- Quickscan — which processes cost your team the most time?
- Prioritization — where does AI deliver the fastest measurable results?
- Implementation — set up tools, train your team, integrate with existing systems
- Measurement — track whether goals are met and adjust
Expert tip: Start with one bottleneck. A good consultant won't have you change 10 things at once — they choose the low-hanging fruit and build from there.
A strategic advisory trajectory costs on average €5,000 to €25,000, depending on your organization's size and implementation complexity. Hourly rates range between €150 and €300. Through WBSO and MITX R&D AI subsidies you can recoup up to 40–50% — always ask about this.
What does AI implementation look like in practice?
Three examples from SME practice:
Transport company, 45 employees
The planning department spent 12 hours per week manually scheduling routes and handling complaints. After implementing an AI route planner and an automated customer service agent, this dropped to 3 hours per week. Time savings: 9 hours per week, paid back in 7 months.
Accounting firm, 18 employees
Invoice processing and preparing reports cost each employee an average of 5 hours per week. With AI automation this dropped to 1.5 hours. Savings: 3.5 hours per employee per week — across 10 employees that's €63,000 per year at an average rate of €70.
Retail company, 30 employees
Inventory management based on guesswork led to consistent overstocking and understocking. After implementing an AI forecasting model, inventory value dropped by 22% while service levels rose from 87% to 96%.
Want to see which AI agents fit your processes? Or check out our use cases by sector.
What does AI consultancy deliver?
The average payback period for AI implementations is 11 months — but ranges from 4 months (simple automation) to 18 months (complex multi-system integrations).
| Application | Average savings | Implementation time | Payback period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice processing | 4–6 hours/week | 2–4 weeks | 3–6 months |
| Customer service agent | 8–15 hours/week | 4–8 weeks | 5–9 months |
| Inventory optimization | €15,000–€40,000/year | 6–12 weeks | 8–14 months |
| Report automation | 5–8 hours/week | 3–6 weeks | 4–8 months |
Calculation example: If AI saves your team 10 hours per week at a rate of €50, that's €26,000 per year. Tool costs of €2,000 per year mean an ROI of 1,200% — paid back in less than a month.
See how our integrations work with Exact Online, Teamleader, Salesforce and 40+ other systems.
When is AI consultancy the right investment?
AI consultancy delivers the most when:
- Your team does a lot of repetitive work — processing emails, preparing reports, entering data
- Information is scattered across multiple systems — customer data is spread across CRM, accounting software and email
- Your competitors are getting faster — AI speeds up processes by an average of 40%, a gap that grows exponentially
It's not (yet) worthwhile if:
- Your business hasn't yet documented clear processes — AI strengthens existing processes, it doesn't fix chaos
- Your primary challenge isn't efficiency, but finding customers or product development
- Your team strongly resists digital change — start by building support first
Market figure: 23% of SMEs are already working on AI implementation, and 43% are actively exploring possibilities. It's no longer a question of whether, but when and how fast.
Ready to get started?
Every month you wait, the gap with competitors already using AI grows. An AI quickscan takes an hour — and shows you exactly which processes in your business will deliver the most.
Get a free AI quickscan and discover what AI can specifically mean for your business. No obligations, just concrete insights and honest advice.
