Decision Guide
What does an AI implementation cost in Switzerland?
Three models, three clear ranges: audit, day rate, hardware. No 'on request' secrecy.
Block 1: Recognise (audit + workshop)
| Format | Effort | Fixed price |
|---|---|---|
| AI potential assessment 1 day | 1 day on-site | CHF 5,000–8,000 |
| AI potential assessment 2 days | 2 days on-site | CHF 9,000–15,000 |
| Strategy workshop half day | 4 h | CHF 5,000 |
| Strategy workshop 1 day | 8 h | CHF 8,000–10,000 |
| Strategy workshop 2 days | 16 h | CHF 12,000–15,000 |
One-time fixed prices. Incl. preparation/follow-up and documentation.
Block 2: Implement (day rate)
- CHF 2,200 / day (half day CHF 1,100)
- VAT 8.1 % separate
- Half day minimum, no minimum volume above that
- Travel time within Central Switzerland/Zurich/Zug included
Typical project efforts
| Project | Effort |
|---|---|
| n8n workflow mail triage | 2–5 days = CHF 4,400–11,000 |
| Custom GPT with RAG | 3–8 days = CHF 6,600–17,600 |
| Dashboard build | 5–12 days = CHF 11,000–26,400 |
| On-prem setup ThinkStation | 3–8 days = CHF 6,600–17,600 (plus hardware) |
Block 3: Hardware (only for on-prem)
- Lenovo ThinkStation PGX: current Lenovo Switzerland list price (in the architecture conversation)
- One-time acquisition
- Optional: maintenance contract with Lenovo
- No ongoing license costs for the LLM engine (open source)
Three example calculations
Setup A: Office automation for a 30-employee SME
- Audit 1 day: CHF 5,000
- n8n + Custom GPT for mail triage + quote preparation: 8 days × CHF 2,200 = CHF 17,600
- ChatGPT Enterprise for 10 users: ~CHF 600/month
- Initial: CHF 22,600 / ongoing ~CHF 600/month
Setup B: On-prem for a 50-employee tech SME
- Audit 2 days: CHF 12,000
- ThinkStation PGX: Lenovo list price
- On-prem setup: 6 days × CHF 2,200 = CHF 13,200
- Guidance retainer 1 day/month: CHF 2,200/month
- Initial: CHF 25,200 + hardware / ongoing ~CHF 2,200/month
Setup C: CXO guidance + ATHENA curriculum
- ATHENA curriculum 6 half days: configurator price (volume discount)
- CXO guidance 1 day/month over 6 months: CHF 13,200
- Total over 6 months: ~CHF 25,000–35,000
What drives the price
- Data sensitivity (on-prem more expensive initially, cheaper ongoing)
- Number of use cases (more = more days)
- Integration depth (standard tool: fast / proprietary CRM: laborious)
- Team size (more users = more training effort)
- Maintenance model (self-service vs. retainer)
What does NOT drive the price
- Travel (within DACH included via the day rate)
- Licenses for the open-source stack (Ollama, n8n self-hosted, Open-WebUI: free)
- Preliminary call (free, 60 min)
- Standard NDA (free)
Frequently asked questions
Why CHF 2,200 / day?
A specialist boutique day rate for owner-led consulting. Above the generic AI consultant market (CHF 1,200–1,600), below Big 4 partner rates (CHF 4,000+).
Negotiable?
The day rate, no. Volume discount on training (configurator), yes.
Discount for prepayment?
No. Billed by effort, or fixed price for an audit/workshop.
Hidden costs?
No. VAT 8.1 % separate. Hardware separate. Tool licenses separate. Otherwise: what you see is what you pay.
ROI guarantee?
No. We do not claim ROI figures, because they are operation-specific and serious statements would need to be study-backed. We measure results together.