What does a Data & BI project cost and what does it deliver?
The budget for next year is being prepared and someone asks what that BI project will actually cost. One agency mentions a monthly amount, another a fixed price, and meanwhile, the plan remains on hold because no one can see the big picture.
What are the costs made up of?
The costs of a Data & BI project consist of four components:
- Licenses: recurring costs per user or based on capacity. The current rates can be found on Microsoft's pricing page.
- Setup: largely one-time costs for linking data sources, setting up the data model, and developing the initial dashboards.
- Management and further development: recurring costs to maintain the platform and allow it to grow with new questions and changes in your organization.
- Training and adoption: investments that ensure employees understand and actually use the platform.
What factors determine the costs?
Primarily, the number of data sources determines the scope of the project. Working with only Business Central requires something different than linking three different systems. The quality of the data, definitions yet to be established, the number of users and reports, and security requirements also play a role. Therefore, a reliable price indication always starts with an inventory of your situation.
What does it deliver?
The return begins with time savings: fewer hours spent merging Excel exports and closing the month. Because figures are available faster and more consistently, you can also decide earlier and better. Less manual work also reduces the chance of errors.
How do you approach this
- Start with a baseline measurement. Write down how many hours per month are currently spent on manual reporting. That is your comparison point.
- Start small with one decision. Choose the overview that you really need every month and let the rest follow afterwards.
- Include management and training costs. These costs come after delivery and are often forgotten.
- Request an intake instead of a standard price. Only when it is clear which sources, how many users, and what data quality there is, can a range be provided.
A working dashboard does not have to be a large project. Axelio starts with what delivers the most and expands step by step from there. After an intake, you will receive an initial indication of the costs and timeline.
Do you want to know what a BI project would cost for your situation?
Request a consultation and start a professional preparation together with our experts.