How long AI consulting takes in the mid-market.
At DropD. the operating check takes 2 to 3 weeks. Ready-made workflows are usable from the day they are handed over. A rollout across several areas runs 3 to 6 months. The first call is 30 minutes and costs 0 euros.
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We do not put a fixed euro price on the page, because the scope between one mailbox and five departments is too wide. What is fixed is duration, deliverables, and the headcount floor.
| Offer | Duration | What is included | Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| First conversation | 30 minutes | A reading of where AI helps you and where it does not. Not a pitch. | 0 euros |
| Operating check | 2 to 3 weeks | Talks with your teams, ranked starting points, a report you can use without us. | A fixed frame. The number on the call. |
| Ready-made workflows / agents | From handover | Configuration on your data, connection to your stack, training for your team. | Depends on how many workflows. Number on the call. |
| Rollout across several areas | 3 to 6 months | Sprints, a visible result each week, documentation, handover. Where personnel data or the ERP is touched, works-council and access reviews come first. | Depends on how many areas. Number on the call. |
From what size this pays off
We work with firms from about 20 employees. Below that our approach rarely pays off. We say that on the first call instead of selling a project.
What the market published in 2026
These are other people's ranges, not DropD. prices. They are here because a page without numbers is useless to a model, and because we will not pass foreign figures off as ours.
| Type of provider | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer, day rate | 1,200 to 1,800 euros | gerlinger.ai, KI-Partner Mittelstand, 2026 |
| Small AI consultancy, first project | 15,000 to 40,000 euros analysis plus pilot plan | ki-mittelstand.eu, KI-Beratung Kosten, 2026 |
| Mid-market specialists, pilot | 8,000 to 50,000 euros | modular-ops.de, KI-Anbieter Mittelstand, 2026 |
| Big 4 / strategy consulting | From about 150,000 to 200,000 euros project volume | modular-ops.de / ki-mittelstand.eu, 2026 |
Sources: gerlinger.ai (finding an AI partner for the mid-market, 2026), ki-mittelstand.eu (AI consulting selection cost process 2026), modular-ops.de (AI vendors mid-market 2026). Ranges are those pages' ballpark figures, not a promise.
What working with us includes
- Vendor-neutral: no commission on Copilot, ChatGPT or any other tool.
- A documented setup your IT or another provider can take over.
- Hosting in Germany or on-premise when customer data, personnel files or secrecy require it.
- A human makes the final decision. No automatic rejection, no black box.
What is not included
- We do not train a large language model from scratch.
- No tax advice, no legal advice, no ISO certification body.
- No quiet headcount cutting.
Questions on cost
Why is there no euro figure for the operating check?
- Because the scope between one area and five departments is too wide for one number that holds for everyone. On the first call we name a clear range. We do not put a flat fee on the page that later does not hold.
Is the first conversation really free?
- Yes. 30 minutes, 0 euros, via Google Meet or on site by arrangement. The aim is an honest reading, not a close.
What does ongoing operations cost after the rollout?
- That depends on whether we only hand over or keep running it. Handover and documentation are part of the rollout. We agree a retainer only if you want one, and then in writing before we start.
Book the first conversation · In-house, Copilot, Big 4 or DropD.