Business AI field guide
What determines the cost of AI automation?
AI automation cost has two parts: the work to design and implement the workflow, and the software and operating effort needed to run it. Michael Berger offers a free audit delivered within one week after completed intake and required access. Implementation and ongoing work are scoped separately, with no public starting price.
Price the workflow before choosing a subscription.
A chatbot answering approved website questions has a different scope from a voice receptionist connected to a booking system. Document extraction introduces document variety and validation; CRM automation introduces account matching and write permissions. Define the input, expected output, review point, and destination so a quote can describe actual work.
Separate implementation from recurring usage.
Implementation can include discovery, source preparation, integrations, evaluation, error handling, documentation, and handover. Running the workflow may involve model usage, telephony, hosting, data-provider subscriptions, and monitoring. Ask who owns each account and which costs are included in the proposed scope. A low subscription price does not establish the total cost of an integrated workflow.
Compare the cost with a measured baseline.
Record how often the task occurs, how long it takes today, and how often a person has to correct it. In a pilot, measure the same factors including review time and exceptions. Use that observed change to decide whether to expand. Avoid attributing every hour saved to AI when a simpler rule or better process produced part of the improvement.
Questions to ask before approving a quote.
What exactly will be delivered? Which systems are connected? What happens when a source fails? Who reviews the output? Who maintains the workflow after handover? What software usage is billed separately? A useful proposal answers these questions and sets a delivery plan around access and content readiness.
A starting point for Sarasota and Tampa Bay owners.
Bring one recurring task, the software involved, and an example of the finished result. For a service business, this might be inquiry intake, booking, or daily reporting. Your region helps establish service arrangements; it does not by itself determine technical complexity or a standard price. Mention your preferred meeting format when you send the inquiry.
Compare the next step.
- AI agents or workflow automation: which do you need? ↗
- What does an AI opportunity audit cover? ↗
- An AI implementation checklist for business workflows ↗
- How to connect account research and CRM follow-up ↗
- Where should an AI customer service workflow stop? ↗
- SEO, AEO, and GEO: a practical business content checklist ↗
- How to connect a website form, CRM, and email handoff ↗
ChatGPT, Claude, and Meta Muse · Automation cost · Agents and automation